Go West, Young Woman

This past weekend I went to Galway, on the west coast of Ireland, to see what all the fuss was about. Everyone here in Dublin has a very low opinion of Dublin itself ('Ah, it's always raining, and it isn't even beautiful. You might not like it at all.') but these same doom-and-gloomers go into raptures when talking about Galway. I took a teeny-tiny plane (Aer Arran, no less) from Dublin to Galway, since that was actually cheaper than taking the train, and after a half an hour in the air, touched down in the west. Now, if I haven't mentioned it already, Ireland is cold. My Italian wardrobe is sorely insufficient to keep my body at a functioning temperature, so I have been borrowing or buying sweaters (or 'jumpers,' as I am apparently supposed to call them...) left and right. It also rains a whole lot, in fulfillment of all the stereotypes I ever heard about the Emerald Isle. So when I stepped off the plane in Galway, I was unsurprised to find it chilly and pouring. The rain lasted only as long as it took me to walk to the toolshed-sized building that constitutes the airport, and strangely enough, the rest of Friday was beautiful.

After dropping my stuff at the hotel, which was in a village called Oran Mor, I went into Galway city to explore.
Arriving at the bus station, I found that Galway by any other name is difficult to pronounce. This is the sign at the bus station that is supposed to alert newbie travelers like myself that the Irish history of the place is not forgotten. There is still a fair amount of hostility (albeit non-combative, quiet hostility) towards the British, especially the English, for the invasion and occupation and attempted English-ification of Ireland, and by law, all signs much appear in Irish and in English throughout the country. Here, for example, you can see the Galway McDonalds, which also has signs for food in Irish inside. I chose not to eat there, in the end...

I am trying to learn Irish, and since all my friends here speak it, I have a great resource for it. So far, I can count to 10, say both Dublin (Baile atha Cliath) and Galway Bay, and utter other such important nouns as 'cow,' 'wall,' 'clouds' (actually, that one is very pertinent), and 'house.' I can also say 'welcome' and 'drink up!'

Now I have to go, because the sun is out, and it is likely to disappear soon, so I must go off and chase it. More on Galway later.