Day 5: leaving Athlone and traveling to Galway

We woke up this morning and enjoyed our first true classic Irish breakfast made by our B&B hosts, Neil and Avril. 






While enjoying, we noticed that there was a framed photo on the wall and thought that it was the two of them in their younger years.



We got chatting with Neil and he started to share more of their very interesting story with us. Avril is pictured here not with him but with the “Gordon Ramsay of Ireland” Neven Maguire. He is very well known and in fact, turns down Michelin stars. Avril met him and then went on to finish her studies and he told her that she could come back and work with him when she graduated. Well, she reached out when she graduated with her culinary degree and he held true to his word! She worked with him for just over a year.
But wait, there’s more! After that story Neil told us that Avril‘s maiden name is Turner. She is the aunt of Aidan Turner. The famous Aidan Turner, you know the Lords of the Wings Poldark actor? Yup!! And on display in their dining room was the actual sword he used in the movie. Ironically, I was the one who got my photo with it even though I learned something new and had no idea who Poldark even was (sorry LotR fans!) 


We went upstairs, finished packing up our bags, and then headed down to say our goodbyes. Avril had just come back from taking their dog Harvey for a walk, which led to many hugs and kisses since both of us are big dog people! Harvey showed us all his tricks, balancing treats on his nose, rolling over, and even closing doors!








We traveled just under an hour to Galway, and arrived at our hotel too early to check in. Sheila from the front desk gave us wonderful directions to the city center with where the “locals” park and off we went. This is where I (Ali) fell in love with Ireland…Galway. I absolutely love everything about it! We explored the shopping area which included the “Latin Quarter“. We met Daithi, the Irish name for David, who etches designs into slate as a street vendor. We both took home a souvenir from him. We popped in and out of shops, listened to the many street performers, then made our way down to St. Patrick’s School where dismissal was beginning. It was grand to see the children and teachers. While we weren’t able to have a proper conversation, we were able to see how some routines and transitions are done.























The end of the day by enjoying the pool and hot tub at our hotel. On tap for tomorrow: bus tour to the Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher!

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