Conquering Croagh Patrick

This weekend started like any other. We went out on Friday night for Sheila's friend's 21st birthday. The big 2-1 is not quite as exciting in a county whose drinking age is 18, but we celebrated nonetheless. The night ended, as it usually does, at Charcoal Grill. I'm pretty sure those fries would be just as delicious at any other time of day, but I've never tested the theory.

We woke up Saturday morning intent on finding bagels. There is a great bagel vendor at Galway's Saturday street market, and we had made a date with Sheila the night before. It was the perfect morning- girl talk, sunshine, and bagels on the River Corrib. Little did we know, that it would not be a typical lazy weekend in Galway. 

About a half hour into our bagel date, we got a phone call from our friend Mick. Erin answered, and Sheila and I heard, "You're what? You're climbing a... he's climbing a mountain! Well, yeah, that's great Mick. Have a great time. [pause] Oh, you what? You want us to come with?" After convincing Sheila to blow off her 10-page paper, which was due Monday, we agreed to go.

And so began our adventure. Mick drove 45 minutes from Mayo to pick us up and 2 hours later we were at the base of Croagh Patrick. It is the mountain where Saint Patrick spent 40 days and is scaled on a regular basis by reverent Catholics in their bare feet. Being less devout than most Catholics and more willing to torture our feet with heels than jagged rocks, we opted for gym shoes. 

The whole climb took about 3 hours. It was very steep at parts, as evidenced by the large bruises and scrapes on Sheila's backside. Each person that passed us on their way down assured us that "this was the hardest part." One woman even offered us fruit (in our haste, we had forgotten quite a few things, including food.) Turns out, the whole mountain was the hardest part. When we finally made it to the top, it was well worth the trek. The view was magnificent. We had started our climb relatively late, so we shared the peak only with a few sheep. As we stared over the ocean, it was impossible not to feel insignificant. The sun was just setting behind mountains in the distance, and the water looked like a blanket of silk. What struck me most was the absolute quiet- the kind of consuming silence that you can only find in a place like that.

Our love of Croagh Patrick quickly dwindled as we made our way back down. The steep mountainside seemed even steeper, and it was starting to get cold. When we had almost reached the base, we came across three women huddled together on a rock. One had broken her ankle and they were somewhat stranded. Mick gave them his sweater and phone number. When we made it back down, he arranged for a "mountain rescue." They called him the next day to say they were ok and would mail him his sweater back.

That night, we stayed in Ballinrobe at Mick's house. Our roommate David and friends Lenny, Dermot, and Lizzy are also from Ballinrobe. It's a very small town where everyone knows everyone. We went to a nice dinner (dressed in our sweatpants and t-shirts) and then out to the bars. We met Mick's twin brother and sister and a bunch of their friends. The night ended at a night club called the Valk (I think- they just laugh every time we try to pronounce it). 

On Sunday, Mick gave us a mini-tour of the area, and we made a stop at Ashford Castle. Erin had been there once before, but it was the first time for Sheila and me. It was gorgeous- you can check out a few pictures in the last album. We made it back to Galway late in the afternoon. Sheila scrambled to the library to get her paper done. I'm pretty sure she was up all night. 

It was an action-packed weekend, but one of the best so far. 

Yesterday, Erin and I finally figured out our travel plans. Drum roll please... we'll be in Europe until June 5! After a few hectic phone calls and being informed that the good ol' CPD had lost my application for the third time this year, we were told that we didn't have to be home until mid-June. We discussed our options and our intense feelings of guilt for extending the trip and decided to book new tickets home. Erin was thrilled because that meant we could meet her Aunt, Uncle, and cousins in Salzburg. Her Uncle is from Austria, so we'll have our very own tour guide! The tentative plan is to quit our jobs on May 15, do a week in Spain, a week traveling other parts of Europe, and then a few days in Munich and Salzburg with Erin's family. We're both really excited!! We'll keep you updated as the plan develops. 

Stay tuned for some cool pictures!

Katie