Sorry guys. Saturday night and yesterday was tough times for my website. My post would not load. Stupid app but I finally figure out how to do it over the the website instead of the mobile app. "Things I've learned is from Saturday night" and "Just pics" is from Sunday.
Today I was lazy. I set my alarm for 7:30 and took my sweet time leaving. The reason I didn't get up earlier was because at the train station there is a "bag left" station. Yes the sign says that that I can pay €2.59 euro for them to hold my bag. Why can't this be at all the train stations? Luckily it's here cause these is the only hostel so far that didn't allow me to leave my bag after I checked out. I refuse to walk 1.4 miles to get a bike at the place that found online. I had to go to the tourist center to find the some place to rent or "hire" a bike as they call it. I get to the tourist center five minutes before they open at 9 and she pointed out two place fairly close by. I walked to the closest which doesn't open til 10 and my train leaves at 1. Or so I thought. I walked a wee bit farther and they open at 9:30. Well at least it's 9:20 something. Was able to put my passport card down as a deposit instead of my actually passport or €50. And I thought I had problems in the US when I went to a place that didn't accept cards. My cash stash is disappearing fast. Any way my bike was a Juniper. While you may never forget how to ride a bike, add in skinny tires, riding on the left side of the road with cars coming up from behind you on your right, a little rain, new city without consistent street signs. Did I tell you? The street over here are completely different and sometime the sign just are not there and when they are they are up on the side of a building sometime faded. But since Galway is so close to the coast it wasn't totally hard to find it. If it wasn't raining it would've be better but I enjoyed it. Despite my zoom I could not see the USA. But there were a few islands in sight. After two hours I return the bike and headed back to the train station. Now while there was a train leaving at 1 the one I actually wanted left at 3. But anyway I went all the way back to Dublin since the train didn't stop at the station that route so I can catch a connected train that originated from Dublin. Just in time since the train I wanted left an hour after I arrived and then there was Kilkenny. I spent the train ride fixing my backpack. I bought another back in belfast and a set of events lead to the strap starting to rip. Frankly I think they should have reinforced the stitches. What did they think I was going to carry in it. Feathers and they had the nerve to put a plastic frame in it. Good thing it was half off when I bought it from the store which was an outdoorsy type. Any way Made it to Kilkenny. People are so friendly. On my way walking to the hostel I had two people ask me if I need direction. I personal don't think I was confused. I'm just making a point now that at ever intersection I check my phone and look for a street sign cause what we call blocks of a entire street length. There "blocks" are streets. If you Cross and intersect you are on a totally different street. Use google and zoom in to see what I'm taking about.
Everything closes at 6 except some restaurants and pubs. Very few accept visa. They ones I wanted to eat at {( it's Ireland. I need to eat Irish food) I'll get pizza and pasta on Italy and Chinese ( whenever I visit?) and burgers at home }did not so I had to use a ATM. Ran out of the cash I brought. I almost stupidly thought to myself that I should've took more when I used the ATM Saturday but then I would had pound sterling and not euro. I hope Italy is better at accepting a card.
My feet are much better. Maybe they've suck it up and beared it or maybe it was the fact that I actually had my big backpack with me last night when I decided to take a alieve.
So I wrote this while sitting at a pub drinking my pint of Kilkenny brand beer and bangers and mash <look it up>. There was some linen On the wall near my should or so I thought. When I stood up it was this.
Tomorrow I'll explore Kilkenny before moving on to the next leg of the race.
Kilarney
I did get a great pick of the castle tonight.