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My trips to Galway - ARAN ISLANDS Ireland
Trip To Galway and Aran Islands Ireland September 2003
With a change in Dublin by plane you get to Galway town in west Ireland. The airport in Galway
is small and nice like in really tiny city.
Infornt of the airport standing taxis and there is big table with the prices what i found
very helpful to figer out how much it will be to the centre.
I stayed in
Great Southern hotel
old style kind of posh hotel. But with worm a nice rooms. The cost was 140 EUR per night per single room. There are many cheaper hotels in Galway.
The real Irish weather welcome me there raining changing with the sunshine.
I got there in the morning and after short walk around the centre I was impresed by the city of Galway. It is small town with beautiful Irish style. In the centre there are lots of shops, small sypatic caffes and restaurants and of course real pubs.
The later i had meeting with my Irish friend Imelda. She show me some more of the city and then we took a bus to the port.
It was fun and we saw lots of sea site with holidays resorts.
Our plan was to get to ARAN Islands know as "The edge of the word"
After 40 min on the boat we finaly arrived to the Islands
Right in the port you get offers for accommodation, city tours in minibuses or ride by horse. We decide to walk and while its rains we walked to the accommodation. We had booked guest house aprox 15 min walk deeper into the Islad.
After while we decided to have a cup of tea in caffe along the road. We drunk also couple of Irish whisky! Then in good mood we rent bycicles and to aviod the mud we buy also plastic dress and when i looked to Imelda she looks like Ufo, same did I. On bycicles we ride little furder and check in to the room. Very nice, clean and romatic. Cost about 90 EUR incl breakfast.
All day we spent on bycicles. All arount the Island. Visiting also local pubs meeting people from the Island who were kind to us.
The we had long long night near the main port in Aran Island talking to poeple in pubs and having fun.
2 days gone like nothing and we returned back to Galway - but by plane. The smallest plane I have ever saw.
Only for 6 passengers and only 6 min to Galway.
It would be maybe better to come during the summer but anyway Aran Island belongs to the places woth to visit any time
Then Imelda shows me the night life in Galway which means the Friday and Saturday night.
It almost seems that the youg people in Galway living
just for those 2 days in week. Girls they prepare for the night with painting their faces using dark red and rose,
blue coulered eyes and open t-shirts and bluse to show as much as they can. They are in groups of 2-6 and you can hear them from 100 meters.
In the other hand guys are also taking time with they hair and their look. Using gel with the wet looking efect, taking the best t-shorts and jackets.
Both girls and boys do that to atract the others of course. And they do meet each other in clubs and discos.
Sometimes i saw in Galway that they not wait until they get home and starting to "be together" in the place (club)
Late in the night before the morning you can see some people in the street somehow they do not want to give up.
When we returned to the hotel it was around 3am, the doorman did not like to let us in. Then i show the hotel card
and he opened but what shocked me he opened the door just for me only and Imelda was not letted in!
I start to talk with the serious doorman who could be around 65 y.o. but he strictly utered that she can not go in as she is not resident.
I explaned him that she is my old friend from Galway and we have last day and we like to be together little more. Just for a drink.
No, it did not helped. So then i say, ok what to do we have to pay and upgrade the room for 2.
Even she will not enter the room. What a surprice he say no and start to push me away!
Even me the "resident" and finaly got me out side and he closed the door.
We talked 10 more minutes infron of the Great Souther hotel having fun and Imelda took Taxi home.
I had kindly requested to get in and doorman opened the door.
In the morning i almost miss the flight getting to the airport 10 min prior the departure
I get to check in desk (only one in Galway airport) and try to talk. Young nice lady aswered me with a lough that its too late for my flight.There was no doubt in her words. Thats it ! No way!
I really get despered and have nothing to answer
looking at her saying the magic sentace: "Please can YOU get me there"
Her head move little up her eyes slowly look at me, (i saw life in it) then faster to the big clock on the wall then again back to me where stoped for little while
(like to judge "if you are worth to try..")
And then she jump up from the chair saying "comon follow me" - that time she was the most beautiful women in the word!
We were running, jumping over the fences it was breathtaking race. The plane already closed the door and was ready to take off. When they saw us running to them they opened me door..
I get to Dublin in 45 minutes still did not understand what kind of dream i dreamed in Galway.
USEFUL LINKS ABOUT ARAN ISLANDS AND GALWAY
Photos of Aran Island
Photos of Galway
Visit Aran Islands
Welcome in Galway
MAP OF IRELAND
ABOUT ARAN ISLANDS
The Aran Islands in Irish it is Oile? rann - group of 3 small islands situated at the Galway Bay (near Glaway town), on the west coast of Republic of Ireland.
The largest from the 3 islands is island Inishmore in Irish it is rainn Mhr or Inis Mr1, the second-largest island is Inishmaan (Inis Me? / Inis Meadhin)
and the smallest on the east is Inisheer (Inis Thiar or Inis O? / Inis Oirthir).
Although the anglicisations are still used on maps alongside the Irish, the Irish forms of the names are perhaps more frequently used nowadays.
Irish is the spoken language on all three islands, and is the language used for the names of the islands and many of the island's villages and place names
There is frequent connection between Galway and the Aran Islands by ferry or by plane.
HOW TO GET TO ARAN ISLANDS
A ferry service operates from Rossaveal in County Galway and an air service (Aer Arann) is available from Inverin,
both of which have connecting buses from Galway city. Of note is the Queen of Aran ferry service, run by Islanders.
There is also a ferry service from Doolin, in County Clare (near the Cliffs of Moher).
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