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Today is unofficially the last day here. Most of the undergrads are leaving tomorrow morning at 4. (Ach! Four in the morning!) They keep warning me that they’re going to wake me up to say goodbye. Meh.

So today is a flurry of frenzy and packing, taking things out of the studios… a big mess. A few of us are staying the weekend, and a lot of people are headed on trips to different places in Europe (Barcelona, Paris, Budapest, Morocco, Berlin…) by train and by plane. I’m not leaving until Monday, so I’ll have a few more days to say goodbye to Ireland.

I was looking through my sketchbook this morning and reminiscing. There are so many things I’m going to miss, and I knew that… only to know that if I ever get the chance to come back here, things aren’t going to be the same. Even if good ol’ Ballyvaughan doesn’t change, it was really the people here that made this experience what it was.

So. A quick list of the best places.

Galway: it rains a lot, but it really is a charming little city. From Ballyvaughan you can see the twinkling lights of the city across the bay from the pier. I loved the street performers (always guitars or fiddles, and carolers last time I was there) and the little shops (The Four Corners: Art shop at the top of the stairs.) And that French Art Cafe. I also loved the Sunday that we stayed at a hostel and I dragged everyone to the Cathedral with me for Mass. They loved the organ music. My favorite Galway thing was the Farmer’s Market — the best crepe stand ever. When it rained, everyone would crowd together underneath the awning and smell the delicious smells and chat and joke. I love Irish people.

Gort: O’Connor’s bakery. The best pastries, bagels, coffee. Also the little fish n’ chips shop at the end of the street. And the two charity shops, where I bought extra long-sleeved shirts when it turned cold. Such a cute little town.

Dublin: Such a great art community there! I loved the IMMA and the gardens. Also I will always remember the morning we left for Dublin we got the incredible chance to see the sunrise over the mountains. Was so beautiful.

Loch Rae: St. Brendan’s Cathedral. Most incredible stained glass windows I’ve ever seen.

Belfast: Beautiful, busy city. The excitement of it was so different to the tiny town I was used to, I think the change was extra refreshing. The Christmas market was my favorite, and listening to the different Northern Ireland (semi-Scottish sounding) accent.

Connemara: I know this is technically a region and not a city, I think of the place just as a whole. It was like a land unto itself… a wild country with fantastic rocky mountains. The Twelve Bens were almost like a presence in that place. There was so much of that untamed ancient Irishness there that used to give me shivers. So much past and history in Connemara.

And Ballyvaughan: The pubs: Greene’s (traditional music sessions every Wednesday), Hyland’s, O’ Laughlan’s, Loughe’s, The New Hotel… The Soda Shop, The Tea Junction. BCA, Newtown Castle… climbing Cappanawala and exploring the top to see the next valley and almost running afoul a gang of mountain goats. The fairy fort, the cemetery, the Burren way. Way too many things to miss.

There were other places I wanted to visit. I’ll have to save these for my next visit.

So to conclude, I’ll post a couple pictures of my work in the undergrad exhibition (not all of my work, mind) and other random photos from my last few days in Ballyvaughan.

Cheers! See y’all soon!

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