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SUNDAY 29TH-GREAT DEAL WITH B&B IS NO PHONE NO CLOCK AND AS WE FOUND USUALLY A PRETTY COMFORTABLE BED, BUT MY PERSONAL CLOCK SAID UP A 7AM. THAT SAID I DID GET TO BE THE 7LADIES PERSONAL DOOR KNOCKER ALARM CLOCK FOR THE NEXT 13 SOME DAYS. MARY WAS KIND ENOUGH TO BRING ME SOME COFFEE, IT WAS 'EARLY' ENOUGH THAT THE STORE/OFF LICENSE [BOOZE] WASN'T OPEN UNTIL 9ISH-SO NO PAPER. THAT HABIT ALSO FADED PRETTY DARN FAST. WELL THE BIG NEWS IN GALWAY WAS THE WATER-SEEMS THAT THE LITTLE CRITTERS HAD BEEN IN & STILL WHERE IN THE WATER-ACTUALLY 100'S OF FOLKS GOT SICK-DUE TO LACK OF SEWAGE TREATMENT IN THE RIVER CORRIBE-THE WATER SUPPLY. MARY MADE SURE WE ALL KNW TO ONLY DRINK 'BOTTLED' STUFF-SHE HAD SOME IN EVERY ROOM- AND THAT EVERYTHING SHE USED WAS BOILED. BREAKFAST WAS PLANNED AT 9ISH; YES IT'S AN 'ISH' LIFESTYLE; ISH IS SHORTLY OR SOON AFTER AND TYPICALLY NEVER BEFORE; THAT'S WHAT HOLIDAY IS ALL ABOUT. THE 7LADIES [REALLY STILL 6-AMANADA WOULDN'T ARRIVE NOW UNTIL MONDAY] GOT MOVING AND WE ALL WHERE INTRODUCED TO 'IRISH BREAKFAST'-EGGS,BACON,RASHERS,POTATO & TOMATO & SOMETIMES MUSHROOMS AND BLACK & WHITE SASUAGE WITH TOAST EITHER LIGHT OR DARK. PROCEEDED BY FRUIT, JUICE AND COLD CEREAL WITH YOUGURT. AS INGA STATED 'WE'LL WALK IT OFF'; SHE WAS RIGHT. SO AFTER GETTING BREAKFAST AND TOOLING UP FOR SIGHTSEEING WE WHERE OFF TO NUI-GALWAY WITH MOLLY THE GUIDE TO SEE HOW SHE HAD 'STUDIED'. IT'S A VERY PRETTY CAMPUS; BUT WE STILL HAVEN'T SEEN THE GRADES. THEN WE AMBLED OVER TO THE CATHEDERAL-LOOKS 19TH CENTURY-BUILT IN THE 1960'S. THEN WE WHERE OFF TO THE ARAN ISLES-INISHMORE-BY FERRY FROM CONNEMARA. IT WAS A GREAT TRIP, THE ROAD GOES VIA THE WESTERN COAST-R336-VISUALIZE A STEP DOWN FROM A WIDE CITY STREET. LYNN ANNOUNCED THAT IT WASN'T TO BAD FOR WRONG SIDE DRIVING. THE FERRY RIDE WAS QUICK AND STEADY ON THIS FINE FAIR DAY. AT INISHMORE ROSE SECURED THE SERVICES OF MAC FOR A CART RIDE, INGA AND I ALSO RODE. 'JACK' WAS OUR MOTIVE POWER; MOLLY, MEGAN, LYNN AND KAS CHOOSE THE BIKE RENTALS FOR THE JOURNEY TO DRU AETURN-THE OLD FOR ON THE CLIFFS. WHILE RIDING MAC-WHO IS THE CARTMAN OF NOTE DID FILL US IN ON SOME LOCAL LORE: 1ST 'THOSE RUBBISH BIKES AREN'T WORTH THE MONEY WHEN THERE ARE FINE CARTMEN AVAIBLE; 2ND-AND THIS WAS NEWS TO ME-HE DIDN'T LIKE TREES-'THOSE RUBBISH TREES BRING IN FLIES' AND 3RD 'DRU AETURN IS JUST A PILE OF ROCKS AT THE TOP OF THE HILL, WHY WASTE YOUR TIME CLIMBING THE HILL THERE ARE PLEANTY OF ROCK PILES ALL OVER THE ISLAND' AND FOURTH 'THEY MAKE A PRETTY GOOD CUP OF TEA AT THE GIFT SHOP'. ROSE, INGA AND I CHOOSE THE TEA-THE OTHERS PUFFED IN ON THEIR BIKES AND CLIMBED THE HILL, HUNG OVER THE EDGE AND THEN PUFFED BACK TO TOWN FOR THE 5PM BOAT. MEANWHILE 'JACK'HAULED US IN SWAYING LUXURY BACK FOR A SHOPPING PASS AT THE SWEATER SHOP. WELL THERE WAS ONE LITTLE BUMP IN THE ROAD, THE 'RUBBISH' VAN DRIVER CAME AROUND THE CORNER TOO QUICK AND THE THE RIGHT CART WHEEL DID MAKE A PRETTY GOOD THUMP ON THE RIGHT FENDER, 'RUBBISH DRIVER'. IF YOU VISIT LOOK MAC UP, AND TAKE A CARROT FOR 'JACK'. NOW WITH THE SUN STILL HIGH IN THE SKY THE NOVICE SIGHTSEER CONVOY HEADED TO CLIFDEN-THRU THE CONNEMARA NATIONAL PARK-AND ON TO KYLEMORE ABBEY. WELL GUESS WHAT THE GOOD NUNS CLOSE UP SHOP AT 5PM; SO OUR INTREPID MOLLY TRIED TO SCALE THE WALL FOR A BETTER VIEW; WE COULD SEE A SINPPET FROM THE ROAD. THE THOUGHT OF MOLLY BREAKING INTO A CONVENT DID SEND ME INTO A FIT OF GIGGLES. WE LOADED UP AND HEADED BACK TO GALWAY WITH A STOP IN LETTERACK FOR DINNER. BY NOW THE SUN HAD SET, SUV WAS IN KAS'S HANDS AND WE STUCK TO N59 FOR THE TRIP. SOMEWHERE IN ROUTE - PERHAPS NEAR MOYCULLEN - THE SUV MIGHT HAD EASED A BIT TO THE LEFT AND DETACHED A PARKED CAR'S MIRROR. KAS DIDN'T STOP-NOT WANTING TO LOSE THE TRAIL POSITION IN THE CONVOY-AND GET LEFT IN THE WILDS OF COUNTY GALWAY AND THE GARDA WHEREN'T WAITING FOR US WHEN WE GOT TO GALWAY. OUR TOUR 'LOCAL' THEN ANNOUNCED WHEN WE HIT TOWN SHE HAD NO CLUE WHERE WE WHERE; SHE'D ONLY WALKED INTO TOWN-DAD'S READ IS 'TO THE PUB OF CHOICE'-SO WE AMBLED ABOUT A BIT. THEN HURRIEDLY WAS INTRUCTED TO TURN 'RIGHT' HERE-SILLY ME THEY DRIVE ON THE LEFT SO RIGHT IS LEFT NOT RIGHT-SO WRONG WAY TIM FOR THE BLOCK AND A HALF BACK TO THE B&B; KAS OPERATED SUV IN THE CORRECT MANNER.
THUS ENDS DAY TWO:
MONDAY 30TH-****race day in galway****
ANOTHER FINE DAY, STROLLED INTO TOWN A SAW THE LOCAL SIGHTS AFTER THE COMFORTABLE IRISH BREAKFAST. TOOK ABOUT AN HOUR OF SIGHTS TO BE EXHAUSTED-AND BEHOLD THERE BE SHOPS; I WAS GOOD FOR TWO HATS-SAY SUNBURNED HEAD ON INISHMORE-ONE FROM THE 'COSTUME' SHOP AND ONE BASEBALL CAP FROM THE 'GIFT' SHOP. I THEN TOOK OFF AND FOUND THE OLD MILL HOUSE-REBUILT IN 1800'S ON THE SITE OF THE 1500'S BUILDING; THE CITY LIBARAY HAS A NICE HISTORICAL REVIEW AND THERE ARE NICE COFFEE HOUSES -BUT YOU ONLY GET 1 CUP-FOR THE BALANCE OF THE FORENOON FOR ME. THE 6 PLANNED TO MEET THE 7TH A 3PM WHEN HER BUS ARRIVED, AND BACK TO THE B&B, HAULING BAGS OF 'FINDS' WITH THEM. SHORTLY BEFORE FOUR THE 7 RETURNED, AMANDA HAD ARRIVED AND IT WAS TIME TO PREP FOR RACES. ALSO ABOUT THEN IT WAS DECIDED SUV WAS GOING TO BE TRANSPORTER FOR THE WHOLE TRIBE, AND SINCE I WAS ALREDY READY I GOT TO DISCOVER HOW TO UNFOLD THE 3RD SEAT. MARY WAS FULL OF ADVICE ON JOCKEYS TO BET ON; AND KEVIN A THE STORE/OFFLICENSE ALSO HAD SOME SUGGESTIONS-METHINKS HE MIGHT ALSO HAVE TAKEN A LITTLE BOOK IF YOU WHERE SO INCLINED. AND OFF TO THE RACES WE WHERE. IT'S QUITE THE DEAL FOR GALWAY; AND A HECK OF A LOT OF FUN; THE ONLY GOOD THING WAS WE WHERE THERE ON THURSDAY 'LADIES DAY' WHEN 'LADIES' WHERE EXPECTED TO BE IN HATS-THERE WASN'T ROOM WITH 8 IN THE SUV FOR HATS ALSO. THE FINAL RACE FEATURED 'ROSEANNES BISHOP' AT FAIRLY LONG ODDS BUT WAS OUR FAVORITE BET. BASED ON HIS FINISH-WELL OFF THE PACE-PERHAPS HIS NEXT STOP WAS RELATED TO ELMERS. BUT WHAT AN EVENING; IT ONLY TOOK 1 1/2 HOURS TO GET OUT OF THE PARKING LOT-THAT EXPLAINED THE FOLKS COMMUTING IN AND OUT BY COPTERS. WE ENDED A VERY NICE ITIALIAN DINNER AND HAD TO TURN IN FOR THE DAY'S DRICE TO KILKENNY.
THUS ENDS DAY THREE
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