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Salthill and the Aran Islands

This weekend was free of programming, so we were free to explore! Yesterday, we started out by doing some shopping in Galway. They had an amazing little farm market. There were vegetables, fruits, street food, jewelry, and much more. There was this man making fresh doughnuts on the street, and they were the best that any of us have ever had! After the market, we went down Quay Street to do some souvenir shopping. We all got a lot of great stuff for family and friends back in the States. Once we were finished shopping, we walked
down to Salthill, which is on the north side of Galway Bay.
It was a beautiful walk right on the ocean. In Salthill there is a walking path called the Prom, and at the end of the Prom, you are supposed to kick the wall for good luck. So we walked the entire length of the Prom and kicked the wall! We finished our night back on Quay Street for some good food and company. Today, we went to the Aran Islands. To get to the Islands, we had to take a shuttle bus and then a ferry ride, but it was well worth it! Once we were on Inis Mor, or the big island, we rented bikes and rode to the other side of the island to climb Dun Aonghasa. Dun Aonghasa is a archaeological site that dates back to 1500 B.C. It is well known as a bronze age site. Tools, weapons, beads, and other remains from this time period have been found on the site. The bike ride to Dun Aonghasa was amazing. It was right up on the coast line so on one side of the road we saw rocky beaches and the ocean, and on the other side was pasture land with cows, donkeys, and horses. We really got both sides of Ireland on one tiny island. Once getting to the bottom of Dun Aonghasa, I was very intimated. The hike to the top seemed very long and steep, but it was all worth it! We made it to the top, and the view was stunning. It exceeded my expectations. I enjoyed it more than the cliffs of Moher, because not only did you get the cliffs, but you also got the historical significance. Another reason I liked this trip better than the cliffs was because it seemed like there were less tourists. There were still a lot of people, but once we started off on our bikes, it was like we were the only ones on the island. 

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