I did go to the football match (Galway lost to Cork, 2-0) and then out on Friday. It was a late night, but it was fun. Ended up talking to some Irish guys and dancing to some good old AC/DC and Bon Jovi - yes, I danced to "Livin' on a Prayer" in Ireland! It was a blast!

Yesterday (Saturday) we had a walking tour of Galway, led by this man who probably knows more about Galway than anyone else. He's literally written a book about lots of the history of the town. And he was a charming storyteller who loved his subject. Very much old-fashioned in many ways, including hating the main street in town ("that awful street") because of how commercial it is, particularly on a Saturday.

Then a group of us searched out a pub for dinner and some Irish music. We settled on a place that we were told had "some form of Irish music" and were teased a bit for not wanting to hear American music on the 4th of July. The two guys started off with some great Irish songs, and their voices were so lovely. Eventually, they moved into covers of "The Gambler," "Country Roads" by John Denver (not sure that's the name of the actual song) and something else I can't quite remember because that's when we decided to head home. It was an early night, getting home at 12. Things are definitely different here.

Today I'm planning on looking around town a bit, doing some grocery shopping, maybe some other types of shopping. I just want to get a sense of the place. Lots of people have gone to different places like Cliffs of Moher and even Dublin for the day, but I want to stay here more. I'd rather see the city when it's open rather than just late at night.

I do have a roommate now (well, more apartment mate since I have my own room, with two beds which will be nice when Sarah comes for the one night). Her name is Amanda, and she's also a high school English teacher. She's from Maine. Her difficulties getting here make my lost luggage seem trivial. She's friendly and outgoing, so I think it will be a great situation.

I'm posting a picture of "the archway" to the oldest building on the campus, where we will be meeting when we go on bus trips. It's without a doubt the coolest building on campus. The others are more modern and quite ugly, to be honest.