Galway

Photos:

Top-Tug a War, Kilkerrin Festival

Bottom-Wheelbarrows lined up for the race, Kilkerrin Festival

This is an older blog, written in September and posted late.

Today I learned about coffin ships. They were the sailing ships that took the Irish immigrants to America, during the potato famine. This famine wiped out nearly one quarter the population of Ireland during the 1840's. There was a virus that killed the potatoes, with subsequent mass starvation. Many boarded ships to the promise of a better life in America, only to encounter terrible cabin conditions, resulting in disease, morbidity, and a high mortality rate on the voyages.

We went to Galway this Saturday. The population is 70 thousand. It is a lively artistic, musically oriented city. There is a statue of JFK in Eyre Square, he is the most famous Irishman in the US history. Nearby is Shop Street, an aptly named pedestrian only street full of neat stores, restaurants and pubs to peruse. We are still adapting to the price shock or Europe. We ordered a 12" pizza, for our family of 5, and since that did not seem like enough, we added a side of garlic bread. The bread cost 5 euros ($6.50) and was two 5 inch one half slices of bread. Each of us got two 1" pieces of that. The pizza cost $15. and was a few mm thick, so Justine and I had one slice and the kids got two. We were about as hungry after lunch as before. I have noticed that my pants have been slipping down, over the past 2 weeks, a good thing. Then Justine commented that because we are not using the clothes dryer, the clothes are baggier. Oh, well. Electricity is double the US rates, so we have gotten better about turning off lights in the house. We tend to stay together in the evening. We also found a great cheese shop in Galway, and an outdoor market. Even the local Cheddar cheese in Carna tastes better than Haggen's.

We support the local stores in Carna, going at least every day or two. We go frequently, as our refrigerator is one half the size as a US fridge, at best. Interestingly, the kids in Steve's class told him they had expected him to be obese, coming from the US. These small refrigerators don't hold much food. I buy my fresh fish at the post office. A relative is a fisherman, so I wait in their living room, while the grandmother doles out fresh fillets for me. They have a common door with the post office, where another relative works. The kids love the local soft ice cream cones, rich in cream. We did stock up at a supermarket in Galway, to save money. We are in a cost saving mode this year. Any extra money will be used to travel. Potatoes are cheap. Also bananas are .50 per pound. Everything else is more expensive. Six tortillas or 1/2 dozen eggs are $3.00.

Steve and I watched some of the Kilkieran Festival. There was a tug a war, between men, and then between women. The losers, and sometimes the winners , would go down in a heap of mud. Another tradition was more unique. The men would chug down a pint on Guinness, then race, pushing a wheelbarrow that had another person sitting inside it. That was quite hilarious to watch. I think the running got the effects of the beer going quicker. We also saw the victory crew that won the sailboat race drinking out of their trophy. More on these races later.

Stephen visited a classmate today. His parents own one of the local stores. They take their children to Disneyworld annually. Stephen played the Wii, and said he had some good food. Another day, he had his friend over, and introduced him to the game of baseball. Another day, I saw most of his family, including his mother, playing baseball with Steve. His friend had bought a bat and mitt. Soccer and Gaelic football are the primary sports here, for sure.