Ireland trip day seven: Derry to Galway

Derry Girls.  I have heard a lot about that show, but I have never watched it.  I've enjoyed one of the stars, Nicola Coughlin, in Bridgerton, but no, never Derry Girls.  Perhaps I should have.  There was a lot on this morning in Derry that made reference to the television show, and there were definitely some among us who were fans.

I got up in the morning and made my way past the town's central square

over to Starbucks to begin my day.  We had a walking tour of Derry ahead, and then a drive to Galway with a stop planned.  A day that would be spent largely in the bus, the countryside rolling by.  Can I confess that I put on a napping music playlist during some of that later drive and let the verdant areas slide past my closed eyes? 

If you know me, you know how very well I can nap.  Anyway, Starbucks on a wet morning. 

Ah, but I had brought an umbrella with me to Ireland, so by the time we got in the bus to drive around Derry before the walk, we were safe from being rained on.

We had a local tour guide, Tony, join us.

A charmer of a man, a talker.  We drove outside the walls first,

and once again were told a very cursory overview of what we were seeing related to The Troubles.  I once again let that pass without comment and without photos.  If we're not going to be confronted and ask to reflect, then I don't want to otherwise engage.  You know that.  Moving on....

We came back inside the city walls

and began the tour on foot. 

Derry, I should add, is the only walled city in the UK with a complete set of walls.  We didn't walk the full length but rather walked part of it, Tony pointing out things like the cannons

and churches

and more. 

He spoke of the history of the city like the apprentices who closed the city gates when the deposed Catholic king of England tried to invade with the support of the French king.  We finished in the same central plaza where I had passed through in the morning. 

A good walk before getting on a bus, which we did almost right away, taking us south and back into the Republic.

Lunch was at a rest stop - no photos, it was fine enough for a light bite and a chance to buy a bit of Irish junk food.  As we continued south, we stopped in County Sligo

at Atlantic Sheepdogs for a fun little demo. 

The wind was bitter, and a rain blew through (leaving a rainbow afterward),

but Ben was a very good boy indeed,

and Martin was an engaging host. 

Sheep! 

I love dogs, and so I was delighted to see the demonstration.

Another longish stretch (for Ireland - the distances would be considered as modest here) and then we rolled into Salthill, essentially a beachside bedroom community for Galway.  The last hotel

of the trip and two nights there.  I got a little glimpse of Galway Bay

from my room

but a better glimpse before dinner from a quick stroll across to the seashore.  Lovely sunset.

I'm posting the dinner photos because I have them, but I cannot say it was an especially good meal.  The hotel dining room seemed to be staffed with students from the local university, and although friendly enough, they didn't provide the most polished service.  Ah well.  The soup was fine,

the pork was hammered,

the dessert was inoffensive. 

Harsh, but true on those.  The company more than made up for it, and I took a boulevardier from the hotel bar to my room to wind down and look forward to a last full day in Ireland.

a bit of Baltimore

So far as I can recall, when last I was in Baltimore, it was for a conference in 2017.  I'd been at least a handful of times before (and clicking on the tag should bring up those entries), but it's been a while.  My recollections of the city are dim now, alas.  Worse still, the weather wasn't really conducive to exploring on foot.

But I did see a tiny glimpse of the city.  So let me present a few views here from around the area of the hotel, convention center, and inner harbor.  Friends, here is Baltimore as I got to see it this past week or so:

In truth, there is so much more to this historic city.  I don't know when I'll go back - another conference, perhaps.  One day.

so...

... the worst Christmas in my recollection got even worse yesterday with Conrad's decision that he wanted to stay in Escanaba for Christmas.  This came on the heels of a bunch of texts from his sister, and cost us far too much additional money for me not to be angry about this.  Home on the 26th.  Now counting down.

Sorry.  I'm jet lagged and cranky.  I have never really been fond of Conrad's hometown (there's not much going on here, we know no one outside of the very small family), and it's even worse at the holidays when so much shuts down and we're trapped in a hotel instead of our own home.  So forgive any attitude that creeps through in days ahead.

We left Chicago after sunset yesterday,

later than scheduled but still in time for dinner.  A short flight, and then we made it to the hotel.  A nice hotel,

right next to Lambeau Field (for any Cheeseheads reading this).  We headed up to dinner after dropping our bags, and that was very enjoyable:  Last Words to start with, some deep fried deviled eggs,

a wedge lettuce salad to share, a steak each,

a bottle of a 2010 Rioja, a huge chunk of carrot cake to share. 

It was so good.  Up until Conrad dropped his bomb.  The evening unraveled at that point, and you can be sure I had stern words for him.  And then it was bedtime, more or less, and another truncated night (three hours again) for me.

Ugh.

We got on the road late this morning, having stopped in a couple of places.  By the time we got to Escanaba, it was lunch time, so we popped into Gram's for pasties

before we did anything else.  I left Conrad after lunch to take care of things with his sister, and I headed to buy food and Christmas decor.  I mean, if we're not going to be home with our tree or Van's, if we're going to be in a hotel room for a week, we may as well have a little touch of Christmas.  So I shopped, and then checked into the hotel.  A nice enough room with a lake view,

 

and with some Christmas touches, it feels better still.

I got Conrad back to the hotel to unpack, then sent him off for dinner with his sister.  Me, I had a cocktail (The Meredith - grapefruity, but a bit sweet)

and the bison meatloaf at the hotel bar. 

I'm now back in the room, finishing off a boulevardier.  Conrad is back from dinner.

Tomorrow is the funeral, and then it will be a couple of days of getting things done.  I've told Conrad to put some of the burden back on the rest of his family.  He heard me, but he won't do it.  Ah well.  As long as I can pin him down on Sunday for a Christmas Eve together.

Counting down here, counting down.