Last night’s Irish music and pub meet were very fun. It pretty much fit the stereotype of a local Irish pub. I am really enjoying the authentic parts of this tour, as we go to a lot of random local places that you might not have found if you were on your own. We stayed there for a bit before heading home to bed.

Today we spent a good deal of time driving from Derry to Sligo, where we saw the gravesite of William Butler Yeats and quite a bit of the Irish countryside, which continues to impress with its pastoral simplicity and multitude of random ruins. I see some sort of castle or tower every day, and they are rarely mentioned, likely because they are so common. How cool is that?

We arrived here in Galway, a medium sized port town on the West coast, and were given some time to explore. We saw the university and cathedral and saw a few of the shops around. Its not a huge place but enough to have a fun afternoon. The 2 Aussies that I’ve been hanging with gigged me endlessly about all sorts of American things, much like Don the bus driver last night.  I suppose thats what I get for showing some of my American persona.  All in good fun of course.

Tonite we have a group dinner and then Irish music together, and we may stay there or go to a club or something, just depending on how everyone feels. It should be enjoyable. Ireland remains awesome, and my favorite country so far. Rome is my favorite city, but this country is very hospitable and easy to like. I’m continually amazed by the different parts of Irish history of which I was ignorant.

I will say this, that I can’t wait to get my hands on some decent Mexican food. My palate for all things spicy has been deprived for too long, and the food here is actually making me lose weight, I think. In any case, there’s a busy night to be had, and I’ll talk to everyone tomorrow. Let the craic roll!

Craig