whiskey

Galway, Ireland.

I knew before arriving here I’d fall in love with this place, and I was proven right. From the moment I stepped off the train from Dublin, to driving away three days later, this place touched the Maritimer sensibilities inside me and reminded me in all of the best ways of the roots I have in Nova Scotia. It was also a wonderful change from what was a very busy Dublin. Galway felt quieter and indulgent, and even the uncooperative weather lent this visit some additional charm. In fact, the rain, some of it quite epic, pushed us into lazy afternoons in pubs where we got into some wonderful conversations over drinks that made these three days a truly special experience.

Night one – we stopped on this bridge over a canal and the sound of the rain, the smell of the salt air, and the heavy fog just made everything feel like nights in Halifax.

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Traveling to Ireland had been our tentative plan in 2020 before the pandemic. Since then, we had opted for a few different destinations, but this past fall, we finally followed through on a two week visit to Ireland. We decided this was the year for this long awaited trip as my wife’s football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, were playing a game in Dublin. In our realm of travel planning, that made for a good enough reason.

This was a vacation we were very much looking forward to. The past year had been a bit of a struggle in all kinds of ways, so we decided to be indulgent in a few spots including upgrading to first class for the flight overseas. On account of lots of time spent on planes in 2024 and some points sitting around, we got our vacation started in style at 37,000 feet with Champagne, lots of room to stretch out, some great good, and amazing views. Nowhere near Dublin yet, but the vacation was already well underway!