Velda and Joe: A(nother) Grand Adventure

Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Yesterday we had great sunny weather but today and the next two days are overcast at best and hard rain the rest of the time. When I checked the weather app I told Joe we weren’t going to see the sun, except at sunset. He rolled his eyes.​​

​So today was a cultural walk around Galway. First up, the Galway City Museum. We had seen posters for The Wild Atlantic exhibit, but it turns out that was from 2021, or the posters were much more sea creatures than what we saw today​. There still was a submersible on display and explanations of the science of the ocean. The rest of the museum was historical and educational. Every room offered something different. Ireland has a rich history and they showed everything from the holy grail to modern sculpture.  I liked a metal embellishment on a door because I thought it showed my initials. When I showed it to Joe he saw something completely different. Oh well.

The weather was holding so we walked over to the Galway Cathedral. Years ago I was captivated by medieval floor tile of Christ Church in Dublin. I was hoping the Galway Cathedral floor would be just as beautiful.  It turns out no, but it was impressive anyway, for a building that was officially opened in 1965. I did get on the floor to take 28 shots of the organ and stained-glass window (and collect a couple of nice women who wanted to make sure I was okay). ​

There is a slight bonus with that shot. Joe’s head appears to be floating at the back of the aisle, in two places!​

​There are so many independent bookstores in Galway! Google says there are ten to twelve but there must be more. We visited four ourselves today. We can’t buy anything – we need to keep down the weight and space of our luggage – but when we got back to the hotel I borrowed some of the titles from the LAPL.  

One of the stores had a seductive selection of stationery, art supplies, and journals. All beautiful weaknesses. There was a whole wall of blank journals, three, maybe four times the width of the image below)! I waffled. Then I saw that some of the best were from the V&A museum. I told myself I would buy one when we got to London at the end of the trip.

 ​Two more things remain to be shown: a mandatory Irish door image and my favorite mural. Made by MACNAS in 2020, the title is Legend of Gilgamesh. According to GalwayBeo.ie, the mural portrays the Sumerian king Gilgamesh who ruled the city-state of Uruk over 4,500 years ago. His deeds and rule were preserved in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest surviving work of literature in the world, which was scribed between 1,300 and 1,000BCE.

If a woman were to sit like he does in this mural they would be chastised for being unladylike. Manspreading is often considered a show of territoriality and is considered rude, especially on public transportation. Just saying. …Still, cool image!

Well, that’s it for me now.  Ta!