Го следевме Ед Ширан и завршивме во Галвеј...

14:45. The bell rings. School's out. I leave the orange school building, take a left, past the windows of the biology rooms, and walk back to my boardinghouse. It takes a few moments to unlock the door, as the lock is stuck, and I climb the few steps to my few square meters of privacy. My backpack is already on the bed, ready to go. I throw the last few things into it, switch from my dress shoes to the all-weather Dr. Martens, and then put on my rain jacket, which is a must-have here in Ireland. The backpack is strapped to my back, I lock my room and walk through the front door into the courtyard. Marco is already waiting for me at the archway. Together, we leave the school grounds and our current home, and head to the bus station.

Sounds like an excerpt from a novel, don't you think? Just kidding. We're changing our perspective and writing style a bit to avoid confusing you even more. As you already know, Marco and I set off for Galway on our first weekend trip after school on Friday. The city is about 2 1/2 hours away from Sligo and has probably been famous worldwide since Ed Sheeran released his song 'Galway Girl' in 2017 (has it really been that long? I'm getting older...)

At the bus station, we met a doctor who was also on her way to Galway. Her name is Alice, originally from Poland, and she is working at a hospital in Sligo for a few months. Her husband is staying in Galway during this time and they are now traveling back and forth to see each other. After a bit of small talk, she gave us her phone number and invited us to join her and her husband on a trip to Connemara on Sunday. That's a beautiful nature reserve near Galway, but not easily accessible by public transportation. Unfortunately, we had to decline this offer in the end because it wouldn't have worked with our bus back. But in general, it can be said that the people here are really incredibly nice and accommodating. We thanked Alice and then got on the bus that would take us north.

When we arrived in Galway, Marco and I checked into our accommodation. For the first time in my almost 20 years, I slept in a mixed 5-bed room in a hostel. Our only permanent roommate was from Croatia and is currently looking for an apartment in Galway, so he has temporarily stayed in the hostel. It's a bit strange to suddenly have strangers sleeping in the bed opposite you, waking up without having heard them come into the room, but that's probably part of the charm and you shouldn't complain - especially at this low price.

After leaving the Croatian guy behind, we headed to Quay Street, the most popular street in Galway. The entire street is filled with pubs, bars, and restaurants, and there are people everywhere who want to have fun. You could tell that Galway is a very young city. Everyone was between the ages of 20 and 30, except for a few old-timers who have probably been frequenting the pubs for years and consider it their second home (cool lifestyle, by the way).

Marco and I went to a pub and ordered the national drink: a Guinness. I'm glad I like this beer because it's hard to avoid drinking it here. The atmosphere in the pubs is very relaxed and rustic, even though we were separated from the other guests by plexiglass partitions. It's also not possible to order at the bar right now, and you have to order some food when you go into a pub. There is also no live music, but this was compensated by Irish music playing from the speakers.

I find it very sad that I can't experience the truly lively atmosphere in the pubs at the moment, but we're keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for improvement soon. Because I can't imagine anything better than sitting at the bar (preferably a little tipsy), laughing, and getting to know new people while a flute or a violin tickles my ear.

Conclusion of the pub visit: no wonder everyone drinks Guinness here, as it's almost the only drink you can get there for a small amount. All other isotonic drinks are really expensive, especially the cocktails. Although they taste really good, my attitude says no when about 100ml already cost more than 10 euros. That's the only downside I would give to Ireland so far. My plea: Ireland, make your alcohol cheaper for the common good!

After the first pub experience and the surprise of a stranger in our room the next morning, we set off to explore the city after breakfast. That meant taking out the camera and taking lots of photos.

Galway is located on the central west coast of Ireland, and here too you can admire the Atlantic Ocean. The city has about 80,000 inhabitants and is currently the European Capital of Culture, along with Rijeka in Croatia. It is a very youthful city, characterized by openness, modernity, and a beautiful ambiance.

Currently, the Galway International Arts Festival is taking place in the city, so you can admire some artworks during your visit. For example, there is a square at Galway Bay that consists entirely of mirrors, except for the side you can see in the photo here. An animation of the square is projected onto it, showing four peculiar people dressed in ears of grain (don't ask. You don't always have to understand art). It was interesting to see, although I didn't quite understand the meaning, if I'm honest.

In Galway, there is a promenade that runs along the beach and leads to the more remote neighborhoods. Marco and I braved the strong wind and walked along there. You can see the beach, hear the seagulls, and admire the city from a distance, which is really worth it.

At a small viewpoint, there is also a monument to the sailors and captains who freed the people from their suffering during the Great Famine in Ireland in the 19th century. The sails were set towards the west, and the people tried to build a new life in the United States. This was perfectly in line with our previous trip to Sligo, where we visited a cemetery commemorating the victims of the famine. History: check.

After our little walk on the beach, we went to a market in the city center. Around St. Nicholas' Collegiate Church, there are various stalls with food, homemade artworks, and jewelry. It was a lot of fun to look at everything there and be influenced by all the different things. I highly recommend St. Nicholas Market.

There is also a small window on the church from which the term 'lynch' originated. According to tradition, Mayor James Lynch FitzStephen hanged his own son here in 1493 (or rather, lynched him, as it was called after this incident), as he had killed a Spaniard. This legend is Galway's most famous and still thrives in the streets of the old city.

After the market, Marco and I went to the cathedral in Galway, where some kind of event that looked like a communion was taking place, and we lit a candle there. The church is really beautiful, with colorful windows, high walls, and dark stone. A small river runs alongside the cathedral, and small groups of people always sit on the nearby meadows, defying the weather and meeting there.

After the religious part of our trip, Marco and I went to the Spanish Arch. This is also located on Galway Bay, just like that artwork, and marks the historic part of the city. You can also sit there wonderfully, watch the seagulls, and there is also the city museum, which we naturally also visited. It wasn't extremely exciting (no offense), but it was very informative, and since it was free, I didn't complain. Culture and history are always a good idea, I'm a cultural philistine, after all.

In the evening, we only had dinner left on the agenda (Italian, always a good idea, if you ask me), which is quite challenging on Quay Street on the weekend. Everything is overcrowded, and everyone wants to eat and preferably drink a few Guinness as well. However, we did manage to get a table and ended the evening with a Heineken and a cider.

On Sunday, we checked out and went for a stroll. Another advantage of Ireland: most shops are open on Sundays too. We explored the local TK Maxx and bought a few things. Ignoring the fact that there is also a TK Maxx in Sligo and we could have saved ourselves the hassle, but hey, at least we were on vacation.

To wrap up our trip, we sat down in Eyre Square, a park in the heart of Galway, and watched the people there. We saw a tired nature spirit, a burping woman asking for the time, skaters, and alternative young people who were sexually harassing the statues there (something you don't want to imagine or see, believe me). Sounds pretty interesting, don't you think? Well, it was. A little tip: just sit down in any busy square in the city you're visiting and watch the crowd. It's definitely worth it, trust me.

In the evening, we took the bus back. The return journey was quite relaxed. I was accompanied by my music while Sligo got closer again. When we arrived back at our current home, it was already dark. We quickly ran back to the school and unpacked. At the end of this trip, I was really exhausted, and my feet hurt from all the walking, but it was worth it, and I'm sure Marco and I will come back here again. There are many beautiful destinations near Galway, such as Connemara National Park, the Cliffs of Moher, and the Aran Islands, which are worth a visit. We will explore these places next time.