Meng's Travels: Galway

When you are in the business world, you try to condense things so that you can remember them easily. Popular themes like "30-second elevator pitch," "one-minute manager,""what is the bottom line?" are some that come to mind. I've been in Galway for 2 days, trying to see and remember as much as I can about this beautiful city on the west coast of Ireland. So here are the highlights:

Eyre Square: this is a park in the middle of town. It's a grassy area with restaurants, pubs, stores, etc, around it. I stayed at the Sleepzone Hostel, about 5 minutes from the Square. The bus from Derry, after a 6-hour ride, dropped me off here. The new bus station where I am taking the bus to Dublin is nearby, about a block away. I met others on a walking-tour of the city at the Skeffey restaurant facing the square. I ran into a Canadian couple I met on my Scottish Highlands tour here. I walked by here on my way to Kirwan's Lane.
Kirwan's Lane: this is a pedestrian mall lined with all kinds of shops, pubs, restaurants, etc. This is the main drag where all tourists and a lot of locals come to. This is a much nicer area than the over-hyped Temple Bar in Dublin. Yes, it is touristy and crowded but you don't feel that the business-owners are trying to grab your money. You get a sampling of talented local musicians performing all kinds of music. I heard a couple of guys singing "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. I know it's not Irish folk music.
Irish Music: Galway is known as the Cultural Heart of Ireland. You can hear live music as you walk by most pubs around Galway. I asked around and a few people told me about a pub called Crane Bar. They have a special concert on this Friday night with several well-known local musicians performing. I paid 10 euros for a cover charge. The place was packed. I barely had enough room to stand. Most of the music is Irish folk music, kind of like our American blues music but with different instruments, like fiddle and mandolin. I was surprised to see a Chinese fiddler called Mike Chang (no, not the tennis player). He seems to be quite popular among the local musicians because he accompanied several of them. When his act was over, he happened to stand near where I was standing. I asked him where he's from. Seattle. He came to Galway to study Irish music and has been here for 15 years. He has an Irish wife and a daughter. Music is how he makes his living - performing, composing, etc. He is probably doing what he loves.
Fish & Chips: When Candy and I stopped in Galway about a month ago after visiting the Cliffs of Moher, it was raining and we stayed only for a couple of hours. However, we stumbled on a fish and chips restaurant called McDonaugh's. It's one of the reasons why I travel - eating local food. Once we started eating, we realized that this is probably one of the best fish and chips we ever had. The fish was fresh, the portions were big and the prices very reasonable. No wonder the place was crowded. On this trip back, all the locals I met raved about this restaurant. They were voted the best Fish & Chips restaurant in Ireland in 2007. The owners found a restaurant in Hong Kong even had an item on their menu called "McDonaugh's Fish & Chips." I like the place so much that I ate here 3 times in 2 days. This is the only restaurant I ate at in Galway.

This morning I took a CityLink bus from Galway to Dublin. It's a two and a half-hour trip and costs 11 euros, about $25. I did most of my writing of this post on the bus; it has free wifi. I love it. Instead of just staring at the scenery, I was able to listen to music on my pink iPod and do things on my computer - like updating this blog, keeping up with the news or check my email and also stare at the scenery.

Dublin is my last stop on this 5-week trip. I'll be here for 3 nights, staying at the Avalon House near Grafton Street. I've seen most of Dublin when Candy and I were here about a month ago. This time I plan to join a walking tour, go to the museums, and explore the outskirts of the city centre. The weather was nice when I arrived this afternoon. It is supposed to be nice on Sunday but rain on Monday. Spring, and the nice weather, is finally here; now that I am leaving.