Jon: Galway

Im sitting at a hostel in Galway right now, and let me say folks.....this place is beautiful. I am here during the arts festival, which is an event honoring various art forms throughout Ireland. I took a gander through a gallery with paintings and sculptures by local artists. Musicians are filling the streets with the dossid sounds of traditional music. I have not made it to a theater, but I hear there are great theatrical performances around town. Galway is very similar to a beach town in Massachusettes (obviously with a large cultural difference). However, the feel is close. Seafood restaurants, laid back attitudes, seagulls, and a light breeze are all making this trip very pleasant for me. There are many tourists in town at the moment. I have met people from all around the world: America, Australia, England, India. Everyone has a different story but a common interest in traveling to Ireland. Shop street is the main street, filled with various shops, pubs, restaurants, street performers, and a very bohemian feel. There are many artsy people here. I made a logical assumpton that the art festival has something to do with it. However, I hear this is how it is all year. Several tourist sites stand out as very appealing attractions for those who desire the standard toursit experience. Lynch's Castle and Nicholas Collegiate Church preserve the history of Galway and maintian interesting architechtual features. Eyre Square (also called John F. Kennedy Park) and the medieval quarter are great places to hang out and absorb the surroundings. Galway is a small town, with a population of about 70,000. It is considered one of Europes most rapidly growing towns. It is, however, undergoing a problem with the water supply. Bottled water is imperative to have handy, even for natives. Some sort of water contamination is currently being examined and will hopefully be treated as soon as possible. None the less, Galway is delivering all I expected and more. Hopefully this trend continues.