An American Love Letter to the Wild Atlantic Way
A fond retelling of my recent trip to Ireland’s west coast.
Dear friend,
I write to you as though we are acquainted, as though we talk often and are used to a comfortable conversation. After my recent visit to Galway and other western parts of Ireland, I must tell you how delightful the countryside is.
I am fortunate to visit Ireland for work about twice a year. This was my sixth trip and while I grinch at how long the journey takes — about a 3-hour flight to Newark, then 6 to 7 hours flying over the Atlantic to Shannon, then an hour drive to Galway — once I put my feet down on the damp ground and feel the misty air and weak sunshine, I’m happy as a lamb to be there.
Day 1
My hotel sits in a nice spot within walking distance of Galway city and a long ramble on my first day chases away the jet lag. I drop my bags and head out on foot, usually for brunch at Ard Bia. With its scrubbed wooden tables, crockery, and baked goods on the counter, I pretend I’m in a friend’s kitchen. This trip I fueled up on nutty quinoa, spinach, and lime-y smoked salmon with poached eggs. A pot of lemon detox tea with brown sugar was the perfect way to wash it down.
I then walkabout, exploring all my favorite Galway places. If I’m lucky it’s more dry than wet, more sunny than not. The month of May seems to be a good time to catch the Irish sun, as it’s probably stretching its arms and waking up for summer. I push myself to walk for an hour or two, just meandering along the water and through Salthill, before treating myself to a browse through Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop.
With its mix of new, old, rare, and local books, it’s a lovingly organized pile that sometimes looks one book away from falling to the ground. I nearly always leave with something, usually children’s books by Irish authors for my boys.
Then if I can make it, I walk some more, usually through the Latin Quarter, the Cathedral, and the University, before tucking myself into bed and a restful night’s sleep for work the next day.
With my most recent trip, I extended my stay a few days to see the sights beyond my office building. My husband joined me and after treating him to Dough Bros pizza and a local beer on his first night, we started what became a grand adventure.
Day 2
We’d planned to cycle the Greenway — a 42km off-road path that meanders along the coast through farms and the villages of Newport and Mulranney — but had to get from Galway to Westport to begin. After asking around and finding nary a single person who recommended the Irish bus system, we pinched our timid selves and rented a car for the drive. With a scant 15-minute discussion at the rental car place and a flash of our American driver’s licenses, we had a car pointed in the right direction. On the left side of the road.
As is nearly always the case, the local advice was spot on. The hour’s drive to Westport was calm and pretty. I only yelled “Stay on the left!” to my husband once. We checked in at Clew Bay Bike Hire early and asked where to get lunch before our ride. We were pointed down the street about two minutes to This Must Be the Place. And it was true to its name. We claimed a chipped-paint table just in time to order from the lunch menu.
After fueling up on sweet potato cakes and eggs, we boarded the bike shuttle to Achill. From there, we turned our bikes back toward Westport along the Great Western Greenway, winding through farmland, brushing up against Clew Bay, and skipping through a couple of towns. It was just the most fun, charming way to spend a day. The birds and sheep were our soundtrack and we made it back to Westport happy, sore, and excited to have covered so much ground in one afternoon.
Day 3
The next day, we did what traditional tourists do and took a Lally Tour to the Cliffs of Moher, Aillwee Cave, and the Burren. It’s such a treat to have someone else drive for you while telling you stories about what’s going by out the window. The cliffs were impressive and the landscape was wild and brushy.
At Aillwee Cave, I chose to stay topside (I need to see the horizon line) while my husband took the tour down into one of the oldest caves in Ireland. The bus driver commented that I’d stayed on the surface and must have had “the life insurance policy all paid up.” Cheeky.
After the full 8 hour tour, we were winded and full to the brim with new Irish things to talk about, so we reserved a table for two at Kai Cafe + Restaurant. I simply adore Kai’s yellow chairs, skylight windows, and menu of things like Monkfish stew in madras broth. You can’t go wrong.
Day 4
The next day was our last. As we made our way to Shannon Airport, we got the dreaded flight update that said our flight had been canceled. With some snappy Googling, my husband found a storm system near New Jersey that was grounding every flight in and out of the states. A sweet woman who worked at the Shannon Airport pointed us in the direction of the airport hotel, rebooked our flight, and mentioned that Bunratty Castle wasn’t far if we were up for some sightseeing.
Sure enough, she was right. We bought a bus ticket from the airport, caught the bus right out front, and within 30 minutes we were standing at the foot of one of Ireland’s historic castles.
We walked every step of the winding staircase to the top, looking out over the fields. With castles, I always try to picture what they must have looked like when there were no roads, no cities, nothing as far as the eye could see. My favorite spot was the house garden, where I started to get wistful about leaving this charming place. Would the birds tweet as happily at home? Would we walk as slowly, stopping to consider the small beauties in front of us? Would the grass be as green?
Some of that is just taking off the filter of vacation and stepping back into reality. For me, I hope travel like this helps me appreciate my little world even more, helps me find the sunspots in each of my days.
So thank you Wild Atlantic Way. Your charm, history, and open arms have helped this gal from Texas see her daily surroundings not as mundane, but as budding with possibility.
Love,
Me
