Galway

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Speaking of lots of pink. . .

It’s Travel Tuesday, and since it feels like ages since I have traveled (It always seems to feel like that, even when I’ve just gotten back from a trip!), I’ve decided to pull out some old school photos to share a must-visit spot in one of my favorite towns, Galway, Ireland.

The G Hotel, located a short walk from my husband’s family home, is a funky and fun property with a whimsical design and some great cocktails. The design is so special because it’s done by a Galway native who is now famous for being the hat maker for many members of the royal family. Milliner Philip Treacy is responsible for the beauty of this five star hotel, and his genius imagination can be seen throughout.

G Hotel

Galway Hotel

As the hotel is actually really close to home, we’ve never stayed there, but we have had cocktails ( I can recommend the Bellini Martini: Gin or Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Peach puree, Prosecco.) and taken a tour. Each room in the dining and bar area is different, but one thing is clear; Treacy likes color and texture!

Galway Hotel

G Hotel Galway

I didn’t take photos of the spa at The G, due to privacy concerns, but it is absolutely gorgeous, soothing, and elegant. The guest rooms are the same; many offer views of Galway Bay, in addition to clean, modern, and chic décor and amenities.

If you or anyone you know is traveling to Ireland and perhaps need to step away from the pub scene for a night, The G Hotel and all of its wonder provide a great place to do so. We’re hoping to visit again in October or November, and I will most definitely return with a full report.

Do you have a favorite, non-traditional hotel or funky restaurant you can recommend?

Tags: Galway, hotels, Ireland, Travel

Fundraising alert! Today marks the countdown – one month until the Boston Marathon! I am at 41% of my fundraising goal for The ALLY Foundation , and I have a really great donation incentive from the amazing people at Zipcar. They’ve given me 30 passes for $50 in free driving credit for new members AND a $100 gift card toward membership/driving credit. The next 30 $25 donations I receive will automatically receive $50 in driving credit (after joining, doesn’t include membership fee), and anyone who donates in the next two weeks will be entered to win the $100 gift card.

Here’s how you can enter: http://www.crowdrise.com/RunAllyForAChange/fundraiser/MeghansBostonMarathon

 

Happy Friday before St. Patrick’s Day! While I can’t beat last year’s stellar photos of my youthful trips to Ireland and study abroad, (And my hair in some of those photos!), I thought that sharing a few pretty Ireland pictures would be a nice way to close out the week.

We don’t have plans 100% set for St. Patrick’s Day yet. We may take in the Ireland vs. England Six Nations rugby match at our local, The Banshee, but my father-in-law is also in town from Galway, so we also want to spend time with him.

If you’re cooking up a St. Patrick’s Day feast, here are a few favorite Ireland-inspired recipes. Note, there’s nothing called a Car Bomb! I had a mini rant on Twitter yesterday about this, but I don’t understand how it’s acceptable to name a food or drink after something that has caused so much bloodshed and in such recent history. A quick trip to Belfast would cure anyone of ever ordering a Car Bomb, I am pretty sure.  Hopefully we can somehow make that name change sometime in the future. . .

End rant. Time for recipes! I won’t claim that any of these are 100% authentic (well maybe the bread), but they use some of my favorite Irish ingredients.

Whiskey and Brown Sugar Salmon – SO GOOD!

Irish Brown Bread

Guinness Ice Cream Floats

Smoke Salmon Platter – smoked salmon is the one thing I eat the most of in Ireland; their salmon is some of the best I have ever had!

What are your St. Patrick’s Day plans?

Clare Island

{ Clare Island, County Mayo }

Clare Island

{ Sheep in Clare Island, County Mayo }

Galway

{Musicians in Galway with a Tiny Dancer }

gorse

{Wild Gorse in Connemara, County Galway }

wildflowers in Ireland

{ Wildflowers in Ireland }

Mannin Bay

{ Mannin Bay, County Galway }

image

{ Lough Corrib, County Galway }

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Tags: Clare Island, Galway, holidays, Ireland, recipes, Travel

Colorful Ireland

Galway

Happy Travel Tuesday! This is the last of my Ireland posts; as always I love sharing our experiences in Ireland, I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them (and experiencing them!) .

Because of its climate, Ireland can be an absolutely miserable place. While I tend to love this part of it (except when it rains for almost 10 straight days on my vacation), dreary gray days, fog, a constant drizzle, and whipping winds can pretty quickly bring anyone down. Luckily, the Irish are good at festive building colors, signage, and other lovely little details that brighten the streets and make it easy to spot a business from far away.

Galway

{The Quays Pub}

Claddagh

{Claddagh ring shop – The Claddagh ring originates in a tiny Galway village of the same name.}

Galway pub{Teac Tabairne – a bar or tavern}

Griffin's Bakery

{Griffin’s of Shop Street}

Galway

Neachtain's

{Tigh Neachtain’s  – basically O’Neachtain’s house, a fabulous bar}

Kirwan's Lane

{Kirwan’s Lane in the heart of medieval Galway , a city once enclosed by thick stone walls, some of which can still be seen}

traditional Irish music

{Tigh Coili – another pub, one across the street from my old apartment in Galway}

 

And for your listening pleasure, here’s a little glimpse into what we did most nights in Galway:

http://youtu.be/3vmA6I2ec3s

The Spanish Arch Hotel

{The Spanish Arch Hotel – a fantastic place for live music}

There’s another video on my YouTube channel that is a pretty awesome depiction of how a night in Galway goes; great street performer meets rowdy, excited crowds, and a sing-along ensues. I didn’t post it directly here because one of those crowd members decided to yell a profanity at the camera, and I didn’t want to offend anyone’s fragile ears. Winking smile  Otherwise, it’s just a fun video of people singing.  If you have headphones or are at home, it’s an entertaining two minutes.

I have major travel fever right now and want to get started planning another trip. My wanderlust includes Napa and Sonoma (of course), Italy, Croatia, and any place where I can lay on a lounge chair where it is over 80 degrees and sunny!

Tags: Galway, Ireland, photography, Travel

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