Doolin Banjos

Hello boys and girls,

Just got into Galway from spending the night in Doolin. Its been quite the weekend of relaxing. Thursday night at Maud's was quite a good one, I played without a P.A. but the crowd was very fine, listening very well and really seeming to enjoy the set. At the end a group of younger guys took over and started singing songs over top of me... That was interesting (one of them was really really good), but I got the reins back and we sang U2's "One" together for a big finale. Tough 50 euros, I gotta say ;). We caught the bus into Galway after work on friday. Friday was a great day at work. After finishing up digging the week before, we had been mapping all week, and in the process of mapping in a wall on Friday, I found the ring of a bronze (or copper alloy) penannular brooch sticking out of the wall! Brilliant! Anyway, then off to Galway. After an all-too-short nap at our little B&B above a taco shop, we hit the town. We started by walking on our work-ruined legs down to the river edge area to try to find some supper. We ended up going to an Indian restaraunt where we ate great food but got totally ripped off. They charged us 3.50 extra for rice with our curry, so that means I paid 12.95 for meat in sauce. A bit low, I'm afraid. Oh well. After that, things turned for the better, and we walked up Quay street where people were packed shoulder to shoulder drinking in the street. The pubs just spill out into the pedestrian street, and you can just take your pint right out the door. We tried a little place with some live music, and after talking to a friend from work there for a while, we wandered back into the fray to buy some pints for the walk home. Very nice. Saturday morning we dragged our sorry asses out of bed and checked out the internet cafe before catching the crazy bus to Doolin. Crazy indeed. These were the narrowest, windiest roads I've ever seen, and much of it was right along the coast. Mom, you would have found some parts a bit harrowing, but all in all, other than the sick stomachs, it was awesome. At one hill, the road made 4 180 degree turns, literally zigzagging up the road. We arrived in Doolin with weak knees, and wandered down to our hostel. It was a sharp little place, and our private room had a reasonably comfortable double bed. We then wandered around the shops and coastline for a while. The coast was definitely the highlight of the town, looking out on the cliffs of moher, with big waves and cool rocks everywhere. After supper in the pub and dessert in a cafe, we walked down to the shore with a bottle of red and watched the crashing water until sunset. Doolin's pubs are reknowned for their music, and there are two great traditional music shops and the headquarters of a label, magnetic music, in the town. We checked out the pubs after dark, and were very impressed by the caliber of the players. Flutes, whistles, guitars, pipes, great singers, we heard it all in Doolin. One pub had low end feedback that overwhelmed the players, but hey.

This morning we got up late, ate a pub breakfast,watched the sea for a while, and caught the bus to Galway, which brings us to now. We're off to the bus for home.

Hope all is well!

Luke