Colourful Galway Shopfronts

Let's face it - by now, if you read this 'ere blog, you probably realise I like Galway - and for good reason. Good restaurants and pubs, nice walkable city centre, and a certain atmosphere that is unique to itself. Perhaps some of its charm is down to the colourful shopfronts that advertise the shops and cafés along the streets.

I hope these photographs do them some justice!



A very colourful (if not entirely open) shop on Shop St.



McCambridges shop - maybe emporium is the better word. This photo was taken on a Sunday morning when the shop was closed, but when it's open, you'll get the best of food, wine and beer in here. There's a lovely coffee counter in the centre for your caffeine hit (and a yummy coffee here too), and a fantastic deli counter for a delicious. They have a wonderful selection of drinks to wash it down with too, and it's the only place in Ireland I've seen marzipan from Niederegger in Lubeck (Germany).



The Dew Drop - I didn't drop in here, but loved this Guinness signage. There's a lot of the Irish language around Galway, it being so close to the Gaeltacht, which is great!



Wooden Heart is a lovely toyshop, selling all sorts of traditional style toys.



Tigh Neachtain - a strikingly painted pub and landmark in the heart of the city.

Wow, that was quick....

I ordered a puter from Dell on Wednesday at 4pm. I had it in my hand at 1630 on Friday evening, and it had been to my house at about 1200 that day aswell! Top marks for efficiency to the boys and girls at Dell. 17/17 for efficiency.

Be careful when Dell-shopping. Always check the machine you want by configuring it a couple of different ways - I found that the exact same machine could vary in price by up to 25% (which is a lot!) depending on which starting point and discount package you chose.

All in all, I'm happy though, I got a good machine cheaper than I would have bought in a brick and mortar and/or portal frame and block infill and/or timber frame and/or steel frame and (stop it, they get the picture) shop, and it only took 2 days to get here. Yay.

The best bookshop....ever.

If a certain brewer made bookshops, then this would be theirs. Of course, that brewer doesn't make the best beer in the world according to the taste buds attached to the tongue of your intrepid reviewer, but assume they actually do. The bookshop of which I speak is Chapters which has recently moved to Parnell Street, Dublin 1. And it's heeeee-youdge. Massive. Lots and lots and lots and lots of books. With second hand ones upstairs. And books on fire engines, cars, puppies, classics, new fiction, old fiction, science fiction, science, everything, and somehow more. I could spend the day in it. Naturally, I was very careful not to pick up a book, as I knew that if I did, I'd be snared, and would end up buying lots of books. Luckily, I only bought one. M bought 2. It'd nearly be worth going in for Chapters alone. Top work - chaps and chappettes of Chapters. May I wish you ongoing success. Take it to the multiples.

The world of biking in Ireland.

I've just found out on irishbikerforum.com that Mountjoy motorcycles (a supplier of spare parts and spare information!) are closing/closed. Jack Nolan's have also recently closed. If this continues, soon you'll only be able to buy bikes and bike stuff from either the internetwebulator or from Bikeworld! (Not that I'm really a regular biker any more....) So real world competition is severely lacking at the moment - or is it?

Quinn are now insuring bikes, bringing to 3 the total number of motorcycle insurers in the country. They're either looking to take the last few bob out of the market before it's impossible to run a bike in this country, or else it's a good sign and they see a future for motorcycling. Let's hope it's the latter. Once I get a new starter relay for this K75 I might be able to consider myself a biker again......(no laughing, you.)

Belated Christmas Greetings, and on with the show!

Happy Christmas. Well, season's greetings now, seeing how I've missed the 25th. Hopefully all my faithful reader(S?) will be having a nice and peaceful break at the moment. Anyone to whom Mr. Claus came, I hope he was as generous as ever!

So, sales time. We went looking for television. One shop assistant told us that there was no difference between 2 different television models, 32 inch LCD models. He couldn't explain the 200 euro price difference either. So that was useful. Oddly enough, when we went back to see if anybody else could "help" us, the price had gone up that 200 quid. In 5 minutes. That was explained by "there was limited stock at the earlier price." Ha. V. No. Man, that. Great stuff. So we didnt' buy any telly there. The same shop, somebody else was buying a printer. Would you like some extra cartridges? Yes, why not. Assistant, oddly, picks up the 4 single cartridges, rather than the multipack which was cheaper. We may not buy anything there in the end.

And on to other shops where we were bewildered by the choice and similarity of all these tellies. Madness. And then you see a lonely CRT over in the corner for pocket money, and wonder why wouldn't you buy it? It's widescreen, and flatscreen too, so why not? High Definition hasn't quite become the all-pervasive medium yet, so why not save a few clams?

Beyond that, it's just relaxation time here in Monasterevin. Bloatedness abounds.

And onwards the calendar marches, inexorably......