Pilgrimage to the Homeland

I spent the first weekend of March frolicking on the western coast of Ireland, soaking in the cultural sites of Galway and visiting some Chagrin friends. Trish flew over to the Emerald Isle to jump start her Euro Adventure 2009, with stops in Preston and later Madrid to visit the lovely KK. We met up with Jessica who is studying in Galway for the semester and willing to share her apartment, friends, and general knowledge with us for the weekend. 

After spending an hour on the runway in a WalMart version of an airplane, aka Ryanair, where the stewardesses counted and recounted the passengers because "four of you have not checked in but are on this plane," the plane took off- well only after stopping to repair the front steering...thanks. I landed at the Shannon airport, hopped on a bus, and rode the winding bumpy back roads into Galway. After warm greetings from the Chagrin clan (another friend Allison joined us from her study abroad location in Dublin) we headed out to jam to some Irish cover bands in a bar full of mostly students, many American. 

The next morning, we ventured into the city center to look around. Galway has the feel of a small city divided into the pedestrian-friendly cobblestone shopping section and then, within walking distance, the city square with bars and hotels surrounding it. Although we had to take taxis into the city from Jessica's apartment, after only a few days we could easily navigate around the downtown area. 

One of the most shocking things about the trip was the prices of everything. I had to switch to the euro when I arrived and money just seemed to fly out of my hands. A beer costs 4.50 euro and our cab rides were 10 just to get into town. Experiencing the euro in a more touristy part of Europe made me appreciate being tucked away in Preston, where stores, bars, and restaurants cater to student budgets. 

On Sunday Trish and I gave Jessica a break from playing hostess and had a day's adventure on a bus tour to the Cliffs of Moher. The driver took us through the rocky landscape of the Burrens, telling folksy stories of fairies, trees that cannot be cut down because of spirits and magical mounds of earth. We arrived at the Cliffs of Moher after about two hours and were set loose to take in the amazing landscape. The pictures don't do it justice, even though we were lucky to have a perfectly crisp and clear day to see it all. Trish and I hit some majestic poses that almost match the beauty of the cliffs, I think. 

We spent one last night at Taaffes, a typically Irish pub with live music and our share of regulars like Uncle Bill and Jerry. New friends! 

Trish came back to Preston with me for a couple days and we lived it up P-town style. I was happy she could meet all my friends here and they, of course, fell in love with her Tdiz charm. 

I took her into Manchester to catch her flight to Spain and then enjoyed a day exploring the Manchester Craft and Design Centre. I'm going to take a detour here and explain how fantastic this place is. They've created a combination studio/shopping area/exhibition site in an old brick building in the artsy area of Manchester. About 40 artists have their own studios here where they create- anything from leather handbags to photography to screen printed t-shirts and bags- and can also sell. The place has such a cool atmosphere; artists and visitors mingle in the little cafe in the center of the building, discussing selling strategy, creative partnerships, and life. I'm really looking forward to seeing the upcoming UK DIY exhibit there. I wish they would have converted the Ivex factory in Chagrin to a space like this...