Sharon and Jaya's 2003 Trip to Ireland - Day 9

Saturday, April 26, 2003

[December 2003, Once we returned to life in California I never had a chance to finish my trip journal. Jaya has taken the remaining pictures and constructed the rest of this journal for me. He is such a sweetheart sometimes. :) ] If he does say so himself!

Saturday was our last day in Ireland, we had a lot of things to do that we hadn't gotten around to yet.

Buy a low-D whistle for Jaya
Take some tombstone rubbings
Check out the bodhrán factory
Find the perfect claddagh engagement ring
Gifts for loved ones back home
Get back to Shannon for the flight out in the morning

Galway has a very nice shopping district.

Foot traffic only for the most part. Lots of little shops and a couple of mall type centers. We stopped in a little bead shop and saw some beautiful necklaces made out of wire and beads. I bought some connemara marble beads.

After finding Jaya's new low-D whistle and my claddagh ring we headed up the coast to the bodhrán factory.

On the way Jaya pulled onto a side road when he spotted a graveyard we had seen the day before. I got out into the first real rain of the trip while Jaya sat in the car and played with his new whistle. Half hour later I had my rubbings and didn't mind the wetness. Jaya played a romantic Elvis song for me when I got back into the car.

We drove through Connemara and took some pictures of peat bogs being cut up for fire wood.

The terrain was very different in this part of the country, we should come back and do some hiking in the fog.

We arrived at Roundstone Musical Instruments too late in the day to see any craftsmen at work (work half days on Saturday). Jaya tried several bodhráns before picking one out with a claddagh on it, my engagement present to him. Lots of tourist stuff in the large gift shop, we bought more presents there.

The skies were overcast all day with some light showers off and on. We were thankful that the country had been dry for most of our visit. Next time we will have to actually prepare for foul weather. It was a long drive down to Shannon all on what seemed to be country roads. Limited access divided highways are only found in the metropolitan areas of Ireland.

Did I mention that were were castles everywhere?

Continued on Day 10.

[Day 1] [Day 2] [Day 3] [Day 4] [Day 5] [Day 6] [Day 7] [Day 8] [Day 9] [Day 10]

Sharon and Jaya's 2003 Trip to Ireland

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