Adventures in Travel

“There has to be more than this,” I blurted to James as I stared blankly at the concrete office buildings across from the train station. I wasn’t expecting Galway to be a ghost town. “Well, let’s explore. There’s bound to be something interesting around here. There’s no way this is it.” I saw a small pub, a hostel, and a small convenience store off in the distance, but not much else. I picked a direction and started walking towards the convenience store, the concrete sidewalk abruptly changing to cobblestone. “This is promising!” I exclaimed. We started to see more people, small shops with colorful storefronts, restaurants and pubs. A crowd surrounded two buskers in the street, and we could hear faint music in the distance. “I think this is where the Spanish Arch is,” James guessed. “What is the Spanish Arch?” “I’m not really sure, but let’s keep walking.”

We had stumbled upon the Latin Quarter. James looked up and saw a sign for the “Spanish Arch.” Traditional Irish folk music spilled out from its doors, and we immediately entered the pub, proud we had found the landmark. We went in for a pint, but ended up staying for two more. Tapping feet, clapping, and singing surrounded us. The crowd swayed to the music as people yelled out their drink orders to the bartenders. It was loud, and busy, and wonderful—this was the energy we were seeking.

It turns out we didn’t find the Spanish Arch, which we later discovered was a 16th century wall built to protect Galway. We found the Hotel Spanish Arch a few blocks from the tourist site. When it was time to find some dinner, we noticed a small restaurant directly across the street, the Quay Street Kitchen. The hostess told us we could go back to the pub while we waited. “Don’t worry. I’ll find you,” she promised, her warm Irish hospitality shining through. We doubted her ability to find us in such a crowded pub, but sure enough, after 40 minutes and another set from the band, the hostess wound through the crowd to let us know our table was ready. The meal was definitely worth the wait.

We first shared a cheese plate. James decided on the Irish stew with lamb, and I had a vegetarian meal (the Irish food scene is very amenable to semi-vegetarians like myself). Eating outside at a small café table, with the bustling crowds in the street and the music from the pub in the background, we realized what a fortunate mistake we made that night.