GALWAY -- Day 1

Holy crap I've been without internet for a while now. The cottage internet connection is chancy at best, and the internet at Joe Mac's decided to crash for a while when I got here a few hours ago. BUT!!! I took 671 pictures this weekend and I need to start sharing them!!

Dunguaire Castle!!

Interior of Dunguaire Castle -- we stopped here for a photo op on the way to Galway. Sadly I learned nothing of the history while we were here -- it just looked really cool.

Katie, Katie, Amber, Brittnie, and Beaner :)

One of the many things I love about Ireland -- there are random towers and fortresses scattered around the countryside, and you can just walk up to them if you want. We didn't in this case, but I could've.

The reason the fields here are so green and good for sheeps is that there's limestone just under the soil. And now you know.

There was some really cool mist/fog going on this morning/afternoon/while we were driving forever -- love the hills and water and clouds here!

The grown-over ruins of an old watch-tower. Cool stuff.

The Gentlemen: Ryan Revior, Kyle, Eric, and Taylor

The crazy limestone fields called The Burren, which are famous because they have a MASSIVE variety of flora growing in the cracks (something to do with heat trapped in the pockets of air down there)

See? FERNS. In early spring. Not out in the open, but in The Burren!

The Poulnabrone burial site. So cool.

Everybody in the picture!! This is also the picture where Rick got his sneaker stuck in the crack of two rocks, and had to pull it off his foot to get free.

If I heard our bus driver correctly, this is a castle that a crazy lady married the lord of, only to kill him for his money. I like that version of the story best, anyway.

I almost thought that we were back in MN <3

A few months too late *le sigh*

The Cliffs of Moher!!!

THE CLIFFS OF INSANITY!!!! This was Bailey's favorite stop of the day, for that very reason -- the famous scene from 'The Princess Bride' was filmed here.

O'Brien Tower, which looks out over the Cliffs. I'm still convinced my family members worked on this tower, though that's probably not true :P

This is how big the staircases were on the inside of the Tower. I didn't feel like I was going to die at all... *sarcasm*

Yours truly, with the O'Brien Tower in the background

So far as we can figure, this is where 'The Princess Bride' scene was filmed -- but no one could tell us for sure.

A new set of cliffs -- Black Rock. According to Owen, this was a calm day for the sea, because normally the waves crash all the way up to the top of the cliffs.

The English major rock -- Brittnie and I :)

Calla and I were those crazy cat people who spent 15 minutes of a bus break trying to pet a semi-stray cat :3

 I'm just realizing that this is where my pictures for the day end -- I took so many early on that I forgot to take one of our B&B or of the university where we went to see 'The Clean House' (one of my favorite modern plays) or the university bar where we went to sing karaoke later!!!! But this is a pretty comprehensive look at our first day in Galway. Next, DAY 2!!!!!!!!

-S