Europe adventure. Day 1 of 34. Part 3.
Written in a comfortable bed on day 2.
Well I definitely didn't sleep on the train. I did manage to get there all right, chatting with a lovely older lady on the bus there who was Irish but had come from New York, which had been her home for 45 years. She visited Ireland every summer. Then I bought a mocha at a tiny little cafe in the middle of the train station (which came with a delicious complimentary chocolate) and sat down to wait.
I like trains. First of all, they are comfortable. And unlike planes you don't have to jump through all sorts of hoops to get on them. They're easy and efficient and fun. I'm sure I'll get bored of them, but not yet. Second of all, you meet people. I met someone named Thomas on the first leg from Dublin to Galway. I told him I was couchsurfing around Europe and he decided to make his own CS account right there on the train and leave me a great reference. Who knew? I'm sure I'll meet him again, maybe in Dublin.
I chatted with an electrician on the second train, on his way to work. He looked as tired as I felt, and had a hilarious sense of humor. He told me which stops to never get off on, because all that was there were sheep and the train station. And then I arrived in Galway.
Galway really is an adorable coastal town. I left my luggage (though it is not much) at a little internet cafe that doubled as a luggage drop off. It was a convenient sort of place, though not very well kept. It was raining on and off since I had arrived, and everyone I met said it had been nice out for the whole week before and I had missed it. (Literally everyone.)
I wandered around the streets of Galway with a whole day to spare and no plans at all. I found a little indoor mall and window shopped, finding the grocery store the most interesting by far. Then I strolled down Shop Street and the little streets around it, often with my umbrella out.
I saw fire jugglers and Irish t-shirt shops, pubs and jewelers and almost every other type of shop I could think of. I ended up wandering into a pub called Bunch of Grapes because I had to use the bathroom. It was a nice little pub, so I sat down and got a cup of tea, chatting with the bartenders. I got all sorts of advice from them about buses and traveling and what to see in Galway, and then headed out to the Galway Museum at their recommendation.
The museum was interesting (and free), but when I arrived I had an awful stomach ache and ended up not being able to enjoy it all that much. I figured my body was protesting lack of sleep, dehydration and hunger, but the pain was bad enough that I didn't want to eat for a while.
I left the museum, hoping that taking a walk in fresh air would help, and eventually ended up at The King's Head, where I sat at the bar and got a bowl of soup. Curious at the fact that I saw many people come to the bar to pay for their meals and none of them leave a tip, I asked the bartender what people were expected to tip. Working as a waitress made that seem like a logical question. Of course he jokingly told me €50, but then also told me most people don't leave anything, or if they do just one or two euros. Apparently people aren't expected to tip at all, at least at The King's Head. I still left him the change for my bowl of soup.
I soon after that almost fell asleep in a great bookstore called Charlie Byrne's, if I remember correctly. And realized I was too tired to enjoy sight seeing anymore. I waited at the internet cafe for my first couchsurfing host to get out of work, and was glad that I had decided to get off the streets when the rain started to pour down in buckets.
Eventually I went up to the bank where we had planned to meet and waited there, just inside the door where the rain couldn't get me. Sarah pulled up not to long after and I got into the warm car.
Sarah is an amazing person, talking non-stop, always smiling. I felt instantly comfortable after meeting her and all the stress of the day just washed away. We made our way to her cute little house in the car that was apparently not hers. I got to meet her bouncy little dog named Emily and her loud cat named Sibby. I felt very much at home.
We took Emily on a leash and walked to a grocery store after that, where I got gluten free pasta and jammy wheel biscuits for only €4.50 all together! Why is gluten free food so much cheaper here? And also delicious? It's not fair.
Sarah made me some great lentil soup for dinner, listening to Feist while she cooked. Afterward we went out to Penneys, a clothing store that reminds me a bit of TJ Maxx (though they have TK Maxx here, which is the same thing). Shopping with Sarah was a blast, and I ended up with a nice new button down shirt.
After a great night's sleep I woke up feeling a thousand times better. I am way more ready to enjoy Galway than I was when I got off the train, tired and feeling lost. I can't wait to have breakfast with Sarah and then meet my next host!
Well I definitely didn't sleep on the train. I did manage to get there all right, chatting with a lovely older lady on the bus there who was Irish but had come from New York, which had been her home for 45 years. She visited Ireland every summer. Then I bought a mocha at a tiny little cafe in the middle of the train station (which came with a delicious complimentary chocolate) and sat down to wait.
I chatted with an electrician on the second train, on his way to work. He looked as tired as I felt, and had a hilarious sense of humor. He told me which stops to never get off on, because all that was there were sheep and the train station. And then I arrived in Galway.
Galway really is an adorable coastal town. I left my luggage (though it is not much) at a little internet cafe that doubled as a luggage drop off. It was a convenient sort of place, though not very well kept. It was raining on and off since I had arrived, and everyone I met said it had been nice out for the whole week before and I had missed it. (Literally everyone.)
I wandered around the streets of Galway with a whole day to spare and no plans at all. I found a little indoor mall and window shopped, finding the grocery store the most interesting by far. Then I strolled down Shop Street and the little streets around it, often with my umbrella out.
I saw fire jugglers and Irish t-shirt shops, pubs and jewelers and almost every other type of shop I could think of. I ended up wandering into a pub called Bunch of Grapes because I had to use the bathroom. It was a nice little pub, so I sat down and got a cup of tea, chatting with the bartenders. I got all sorts of advice from them about buses and traveling and what to see in Galway, and then headed out to the Galway Museum at their recommendation.
The museum was interesting (and free), but when I arrived I had an awful stomach ache and ended up not being able to enjoy it all that much. I figured my body was protesting lack of sleep, dehydration and hunger, but the pain was bad enough that I didn't want to eat for a while.
I soon after that almost fell asleep in a great bookstore called Charlie Byrne's, if I remember correctly. And realized I was too tired to enjoy sight seeing anymore. I waited at the internet cafe for my first couchsurfing host to get out of work, and was glad that I had decided to get off the streets when the rain started to pour down in buckets.
Eventually I went up to the bank where we had planned to meet and waited there, just inside the door where the rain couldn't get me. Sarah pulled up not to long after and I got into the warm car.
Sarah is an amazing person, talking non-stop, always smiling. I felt instantly comfortable after meeting her and all the stress of the day just washed away. We made our way to her cute little house in the car that was apparently not hers. I got to meet her bouncy little dog named Emily and her loud cat named Sibby. I felt very much at home.
We took Emily on a leash and walked to a grocery store after that, where I got gluten free pasta and jammy wheel biscuits for only €4.50 all together! Why is gluten free food so much cheaper here? And also delicious? It's not fair.
Sarah made me some great lentil soup for dinner, listening to Feist while she cooked. Afterward we went out to Penneys, a clothing store that reminds me a bit of TJ Maxx (though they have TK Maxx here, which is the same thing). Shopping with Sarah was a blast, and I ended up with a nice new button down shirt.
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