Is it us or is it Galway? We arrived here today from Donegal and immediately felt really happy. There were several reasons for this.
To begin, we are here for the second time, having come for Thanksgiving four years ago, so things are familiar, just like we left them – except for the weather. Secondly, we are staying in the same hotel, which is NOT a hotel de charme (Alan and June know whereof we speak), so we have a fabulous room with a great view of the Galway Bay, really good internet, a place to put everything, a huge bed, lovely bathroom – with facecloths! – and a deep sense of relief that staying here won’t be a challenge. Sigh. Deep sigh.
And there’s more. This is one week of the Galway International Arts Festival, and the town is full of energy and young people. Thankfully, Don is not making me see Waiting for Godot, but we do have something on for tomorrow night.
Lastly, we revisited a place we remember fondly from 2012 – the Meyrick Hotel, which is the grand station hotel on the square. We came in drenched one November afternoon, and had the most lovely afternoon tea. The day was so dreary and it was so good, that we repeated the event, even to sitting in the same spot. But there’s more! We were waited on by the very same woman, who was ever so charming and chatty. That’s why we remembered her well. What a wonderful hour we spent here – again.
We strolled the streets, just getting reacquainted with Galway, which has all the charm, music and spirit that you expect from an Irish visit. How nice to be back!
