Galway, Ireland

Galway is a small but vibrant city by the Galway Bay which then opens to the Atlantic. It’s just my kind of city (it’s my favorite city in Ireland). It’s right by the water, big enough for the conveniences of a city yet small enough to have the small town charm. It has a lot of young people making it a lively place to walk around in.

It was pouring rain the day we arrived Galway, and it rained the rest of the day. It’s autumn in Ireland after all. We expected that much. But unlike the locals who didn’t seem to mind walking in the rain, we stayed in and waited for the rain to let up in the evening. It was cold. For me, it was freezing, and it’s only autumn here. But I was all bundled up, prepared for the cold and I did enjoy walking around and taking pictures with the wet roads.

We walked to and around the Latin quarter and despite the weather, there were lots of people out and about, and crowds spilling out on the street from pubs. There’s tons of pubs (duh!), stores and a pretty good variety of restaurants. It was cold and windy walking along “The Long Walk” but the scenery is pretty. Pubs advertise live music and I’ve read Galway is known of ceilidh, the traditional Irish music and dancing but we didn’t go to the bars that had them. There’s also a lovely walking path right along the Corrib river and leads to the Cathedral.

The seafood chowder is a must-try in Galway. It’s the best one I’ve had, full of fresh seafood and the creamy sauce is delicious! Cava Bodega in the Latin Quarter is a fantastic place for tapas with a lovely atmosphere. Martine’s Restaurant and Winebar have delicious classic cocktails. If you find yourself ill prepared for the weather, stop by the Aran Sweater Market for some quality wool scarves and clothing.

It’s a fun little city to explore and I would love to go back and have more time visiting villages by the coast. When in Galway though I would highly recommend renting a car and driving through Connemara. You haven’t seen Ireland until you’ve driven through this region.