Day 6
The journey to the next town was only an hour or so, and I pulled into Clifden just as it was coming to life. There was an arts festival taking place in the town which, in wonderful small town style, meant the centre was adorned with colourful festooning. A tall silver shard-like structure marked the central pedestrian area, where a tiny caravan (acting as information point for the festival) was positioned. Sitting on a bench and listening to the first performer of the day, I enjoyed a makeshift breakfast of food scraps from within my luggage. He had a depth and beauty to his voice, and yet his words evoked sadness within me as I realised he was voicing slave songs of the past.
After leaving Clifden it seemed only minutes before I was riding along jaw-dropping coastlines. Sights that literally brought me to a stop. It had been nearly a year since I had really spent any time near the coast, and what a way to first see the ocean again. The golden yellow sand was decorated with mossy rock and seaweed, a bright emerald grassy embankment separating the road from the beach. The surrounding buildings had a wonderfully unobtrusive nature. Getting off the bike I settled on a grey wall at the roadside, enjoying the noise of the ocean waves playfully skipping over each other as they moved towards the shore.
I took advantage of the empty road, rolling along at a gentle pace as I gazed at the silhouetted mountains to the left, or the ocean to my right.
Eventually, unbelievably, I began to tire of my surroundings. As much as I was still enjoying it all after several hours it was time to experience something new, and so I turned my wheels inland and made my way towards the main road. Making my way inland it dawned on me that perhaps why I was tiring of the scenery, and tiring in general, was that being so caught up in my journey I had forgotten to eat since my not so substantial breakfast that morning! So with a quick break wherein a large portion of nut mix was devoured, I mustered enough energy to push on to Oughterard.
As I entered the small and bustling town my eyes scoured camping opportunities. To my left was a rugby club, on the right a good section of green parkland. After enquiring at a bar I was told it should be no problem to camp on the grounds of rugby club. I was lucky enough to find the gate open and a man walking his dog. Eager to help, he graciously advised the best place to camp out of sight as well as pointing out the toilet block and water tap!
Day 7
I woke with a start and no time to waste! With an immediate need to wee I had to zip open the tent and crawl out before even having time to be fully dressed! Luckily, in a sheltered area of the grounds this was not too much of a risqué mission and it certainly had me up and moving quickly!
Packed and ready I set off to discover a strong headwind, meaning I would be going nowhere fast. Soon settling into a slow rhythm, I kept myself amused singing a variety of tunes along the way. Today I was heading to Galway. Having heard this name for so long thanks to the classic ‘Galway Girl’ I was eagerly anticipating seeing the real thing. Many people had told me about the charms of the city and I was looking forward to having some time to explore what it had to offer.
Having checked into the hostel and taken a short time to recoup, I was out on the streets heading back towards the central area of the city. It was a Wednesday night, and it was mostly tourists out exploring. Something about the place made me feel welcomed and at ease, hearing the chatter of relaxed and happy people as I passed by the scattering of bars and restaurants open.
I soon found myself at the inner side of the harbour, the flow of the current leading my gaze out to the expansive ocean. The sky was beginning to darken and as I looked back to the town, was greeted with a clear image of the sun as it began to sink. I eagerly took out my phone, hoping to capture the moment. The colourful sky framed the town, a stone bridge at the forefront of my view. Said phone, however, had decided it would not pander to my needs, the battery had drained at high speed. Instead, I sat on a step beside where I had been standing, took out a scrap of paper and a pen, and began to write what I saw before me. I observed as people came alone, or in small groups, positioning themselves before the brilliant sky, aiming for that perfect picture. I found myself glad to be without the distraction of technology, able to sit contentedly watching the continuously morphing colours and shapes that filled the sky.
Afterwards I took a slow ramble back to the hostel, exploring a different route. Nearing the main street once again my ears pricked up at the sound of music, and I soon came across a growing crowd gathering around a street band. I stopped to enjoy them playing some classic tunes, soaking up the atmosphere that only a tourist city can gather in the streets on a weeknight.
All this was just a glimpse of what Galway had to offer, I was sure of that, and as I wandered back I made the mental note to one day take the time to return to this amazing place, and give it the time it truly deserves.
