Flying to Ireland for a short vacation. Dublin and environs, Galway area.
Great weather so far in Ireland! First set of snapshots: jet lag beer, jet lag cocktails, Trinity College.
Struck, again, at how bad Google Maps is for pedestrians in Europe. OpenStreetMap (as seen in Organic Maps) has so much more information!
Enjoyed the EPIC museum about Irish emigration. It's an important story of a diaspora. It helps the Irish weren't themselves an imperial power; their spread through the world is not a story of aggression.
Also enjoyed the Chester Beatty, a collection of very old and rare documents. Beautifully displayed and interesting stuff.
TIL "cenobite" is not just a creepy word Clive Barker invented but means "member of a monastic community".
Today we drove from Dublin to the spendid Glenlo Abbey near Galway. On the way we drove tiny roads to Clonfert Cathedral, a 12th century Romanesque church with some wild stone carvings. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clonfert_Cathedral
Lovely cheese and charcuterie board at Sheridan's wine bar in Galway. Man does not live on Guinness and black pudding alone.
One thing I appreciate in Ireland is all the Pride flags everywhere. For June, I assume. It's festive and a little commercial and very welcome.
Spent the day poking around Connemara. Photos of Kylemore Abbey, also the little harbour at Roundstone.
Quick pub stop in Tarmonbarry, a village on the Shannon river. Guinness, salmon chowder, goat cheese bruschetta.
New lesson learned: avoid luxury European hotels in early June. Every place we've been just got a bunch of new summer interns who are learning how to be waiters, bellmen, etc. It's chaos.
5am jetlag diner in Sacramento, waitress has called me sweetie twice already.