Galway goodness

I am going to do a single post for Galway because it deserves it. I work on an emotional level with a city and Galway has a great feel to the place. It is small and I loved walking around getting the feel of the place. There was the whole Christmas market craziness complete with a ferris wheel which is basically just owning Christmas mayhem and a general atmosphere of fun. It was awesome to coincide with Georgia (who I met when I was in Turkey) and celebrate Ireland and Christmas together. Shout out to Darcy, who has a bar named after him. I loved the vibe of Galway but as with every other stop, it was on to the next stop...Cork and then to Wales

Ireland...promising start in Dublin

Ireland is a whole new adventure. Yes, there is the relief of being able to understand most of what is going on in terms of the language, but I have to say that the Irish are a crazy bunch of people. My impression (and take not of the disclaimer that I am a tourist, recently arrived and with limited information) is that that they live life to the full and with good reason What they have experienced as a nation from the crippling famine to the so recent divisive political 'moments' explains in some part their enthusiasm to express who they are at any given opportunity. I am only just learning about their devastating history and am learning more the longer I stay here. I began my journey in Dublin and so this is my first post. I learned about their complicated history with England, religion and hardship. It is a beautiful country with contradictions and complex views. I love it. I think that perhaps this post should be about Dublin. From the politics to the amazing library at Trinity College followed by evensong at Christchurch Cathedral and then a whiskey sour at a bar on the way home. Yes, I embraced the entire Irish culture!

Lisbon and Sintra

This post could be entirely photos for the simple reason that Lisbon (or Lisboa pronounced Lijboa) is a very beautiful city. I had really good weather except for the occasional settling of a dense fog which descended without warning at various points in the day but then would just as inexplicably lift. The colour in the city was diverse with buildings painted in an array of colours or tilework and there was a combination of the modern and traditional in terms of architecture. A friend said that the Portuguese really know how to create amazing public spaces and buildings and I have to agree. The trip combined meeting new people (who knew good coffee places) and connecting with friends from Australia which was an unexpected but really awesome surprise. I added a day trip to Sintra and visited Pena Palace. I am a fan of Moorish architecture so I was pretty excited to be walking around this place and it was worth making the trip.

There are those of you who know that visiting Lisbon was tinged with sadness as it marked my departure from Europe as I return to the UK for the final leg of my trip but I am also incredibly grateful for the trip so far and am excited about what I will be able to see and do in the UK. I also have to say that not having the language barrier will be nice for a change.

Lisbon

Sintra

Near Porto - Vila do Conde

One of the special things about this trip has been the opportunity to meet new people and reconnect with old friends. My cousin, who I have not seen in person for many years, is now living in Portugal and it was very special to spend a week with her and her awesome family. They live just north of Porto which made it an ideal base to do day trips to Porto balanced with chill days when the weather was a bit crazy. I spent one day just doing travel admin and reading with their dog which felt indulgent when I should be exploring every day but it was nice to have some relaxing days. Vila do Conde is a small town only about 40 minutes on the train from the centre of Porto and has a significant maritime history. It was really special to have the time with Kirsty and her family going on adventures, eating delicious home cooked meals and feeling very looked after by them all. I spent longer here than originally planned and it has been wonderful.

Porto part 2 - Walking the streets and visiting Serralves

While my first day in Porto was very wet, my second day (except for the odd 15 minutes) was relatively dry and I was able to walk around and explore. It is a very beautiful city with the old buildings covered in tiles of different colours juxtaposed with modern street art and sculptures. The tiles are practical - they protect the buildings from humidity - and seem to me to emblematic of a city that is beautiful not to be showy but just for itself and there is a quiet satisfaction in being itself. I walked around many streets that I had walked along previously but now I was able to look up and admire the buildings I was passing and also visit an art deco bookstore called Livraria Lello which is now so popular that you have to buy a ticket to enter. At a later day I also visited Serralves, which is a museum with an art deco villa, stunning gardens and a wing designed by Alvaro Siza. My photos don't really capture the spaces or the Porto streetscape but hopefully it will give you some idea of the beauty of this city.