July 12th - Ireland Part 3
Welcome back!
Today started with a trip to Spiddal Beach, where we jumped into the chilly water (about 57°F). It was a little difficult to get used to in the beginning, but it ended up being really refreshing. While we were swimming, we spotted plenty of moon jellyfish (they’re harmless to humans). You can tell they’re moon jellies by the four rings on their tops. We ended up picking them out of the water and tossing them at each other, and even managed to skip the tops along the surface like jelly stones. We also carefully navigated and climbed the rocks along the coast. Underneath them, we found shrimp and other small sea creatures.
After the beach, we headed over to Aasleagh Falls on the Erriff River and spent some time admiring the scenery. The falls were beautiful and peaceful, but still powerful enough to kick up a light mist.
Then, we travelled to the village of Leenaun, where we explored the shops and streets, including the wool museum. I then went to the pub and tried Smithwicks (Irish red ale) with some fish and chips. I ate my meal outside while awing at the incredible mountain range surrounding the tiny village. Since Leenaun is situated along Killary Fjord (the only fjord in Ireland), it seemed like the perfect place for fresh seafood. The cod was extremely fresh and delicious, as well as perfectly buttery, flaky, and succulent. In short: best fish and chips I've ever had. The cold ale was also really nice and paired well with the fish. It was very smooth and slightly sweet, and it wasn't too heavy or bitter. The carbonation and hint of bitterness helped to cut through the crispy batter.
After exploring the village, we traveled back to Galway and were free for the evening. A small group of us decided to go out for dinner. We ended up at an Italian place called Venice, which is clearly popular with locals; it was packed, and tough to get a table, but we managed. I ordered the Ravioli Con Scampi: ricotta and spinach ravioli with prawns, asparagus, garlic, chillies, spring onion, and tomatoes in a white wine tomato sauce. It was excellent.
After dinner, we strolled around Galway for a bit before settling down somewhere to play card games like blackjack. We didn’t have real chips or cash, so we improvised, using Uno cards as money. It actually got intense enough that we had to break out a second pack after someone bet big and hit a lucky streak!
That's all for now, bye!
