Good morning Ennis!

Good morning Ennis! And this beautiful room and bathroom (mom, the tub begs for a soak!) and hotel! Time to get up and confirm a place to stay in Galway! So much is closed in Ennis due to the season, so I think I'll move on;) first, a tour of the Ennis Friary and County Clare Museum. I am still overwhelmed by the age of everything. And the beauty. If you're in Ennis, its good to be an O'Brien (as long as you're not fighting with another O'Brien)! Now let me window shop the fabulous places in Ennis! Valerie! I need sunglasses for sure! Yay! Hello sun! Katie  Blando (still so fun to say that!) I am literally walking on sunshine! Katrina and the waves, where are ya babe?  Every place is cute to shop but a dress catches my eye. Ok i saw it last night. Completely impractical for the trip! It's a dress-I don't need one, and it had this fabulous ruffle at the bottom that would get crushed in my bag. Better go in and make sure!  Oh it's  so cute!  I meet the owner of Mademoiselle. Her name is Michelle Foudy and she's a beautiful 32 year old blond (she reminds me of my friend Michelle Dawdy)  I ask her if she is in fact a foodie (as the pronunciation of her name implies) and we think it would make a great reality tv show if she were to become a cook.  I'm so sad her shop is closing, but she's got the right attitude and personality to make anything happen. (still if you're in Ennis, go by and buy!) she wonders if it's worthwhile to come to the US for awhile.  I give her my card and recommend it knowing that wherever she lands, she'll be fabulous, and we'll know someone to help her on her way.
 I'm off to G's Coffee House on recommendation of Michelle-although she's not sure of the name, she has directions-silver chairs will be outside. I would definitely recommend this to friends. It's so cute. And I love hot tea! Always have, but it's fun to have it where others love it too:)  At G's the tea is served with honey instead of sugar. There's a darling little honey pot in each table. I've ordered  Irish breakfast tea which promises to get me off to a good start-uh oh it's already noon. Does that mean I'll be out late? I'm sure not! G's has low tables of 2-4, they are comfy laid-back inexpensive chairs. It's so easy to think about staying awhile. Here comes my tea! He puts down a tea warmer that I would buy if I was buying ;) It has little wooden legs with a silver flat top with a floral design and "TEA" on it and its holding a votive to keep the tea warm. Cuteness!  I also love the silver lemon squeezer and the honey jar. I try each separately and together any which way this tea is good and the panini is so yummy I must stop eating it! Plus I've got to find the train station and get to Galway! 

Everyone knows this place and no wonder-the Hungarian boys who own and run it are so cute, nice and charming with everyone who comes through the door, even an American! I do share that my sister is hungarian. With a smile he agrees with me that Keglovitz  is a name fit for royalty! As I'm leaving I think, as busy as this place is, I only saw one male customer. Hmmmm;)

I arrive in Galway to shockingly nice weather-its dry! The  cathedral  in Galway is gorgeous! I love that every town/city I've been to I can instantly find a church-good sign. Johnny, I've lit a candle here for you. The first two times it didn't light but as it got going it seemed to dance in the wind more than be blown by the wind as visitors came in the cathedral. that's  a Johnny candle for sure. I think I'm hitting all the old spots for you, but on further research it's Europe's youngest great stone cathedral! Who knew? I can't wait to go to mass here!

"The Cathedral of Galway was dedicated on 15 August 1965, and as such is the youngest of Europe's great stone cathedrals. it is dedicated to Our Lady Assumed into Heaven and Saint Nicholas. "

 Now I need to find my bed and breakfast and check in (read: drop this bag!) . So I ask a man at the door if he knows where I'm headed and we end up talking. Just talking to Martin makes you feel more positive.   He'll  be saying a prayer, too Johnny! I just wouldn't be me, and I wouldn't be working off enough calories if I walk straight there. I get so caught up in how beautiful each city is and looking at the faces that I always get turned around! (during the day that is. I'm all about safety at night, of course!) the fun part is getting to ask directions a couple times and meet more fun people! And I do!

I find my b&b. St. Jude's. It's up a (small) hill-perfect! Working off more calories (which allows for a guinness or two)!It's darling. My room is on the top floor-so ive got a beautiful view over the water. i'll have to see/ask tomorrow about what I'm looking out on...some large building. I think about having a four bedroom house with every closet full of clothes for me-ugh! How overwhelming! I think I'd be happy for quite awhile with this room which has a tall but narrow closet. I'd just need a ladder;)

Having a pint and a cup of butternut squash (yum!) soup at The Front Door..great service, beautiful pub! I love that the modern inverted liquor pulls are within this gorgeous curved wooden cabinet that goes the length of the bar all mirrored. It's so pretty! Michael Rudd would love this place! I've also figured out (asked and been told) that the little pint that I always see on the tv means that it's pub subscribed tv-I just think its cute! Still confused on football though. Why  "loan out" this player and that? Give me a ruling, Sean Baker. I think it would make it fun to keep track of all the changes and how it affects a team...but hard to have a favorite team if everybody is loaning out all the time? Anyway I'm two for two in picking winning teams. Want me to put some money down for you, SB? Can't believe the american football scores! 
They have what I consider to be especially high bar stools. No worries! The bartender claims he can boost me right up! 
Oh, Bridget! " do they know it's Christmas?" just came on! I can hear us singing! Thank God this pub can't :)
Also, I could sell the iPad out of my bag ten times a day! Hmmmm.
There are three old men (and a young boy) sitting outside smoking and drinking-not the boy! But all four of them are loving watching and commenting on all the people walking by;) as one of them comes in to get a few more pints for the boys  and a sasparilla for the young one, i ask about their gossiping. Initially he's positive that "irish men don't gossip" but quickly he admits that the young one  is a perfect patsy to  get the girls to stop and chat.  Oh boys! 

Oh no, American men have come in...