Claddagh Park offers a great walking path that I utilize often. The left is marked with a walking stick figure and the right is marked with a bicycle. Clear enough. The walking lane also has “fat lane” spray painted in small words on it. Lovely. I have done quite a bit of searching to determine if this is a common term for a ”walking lane” and I don’t think it is. My best guess is that it is a joke. I can’t figure out the humor, though. I could understand it if someone spray-painted that on my couch, but why the walking lane?
I canceled yesterday's walk due to rain, so I was particularly anxious to get out today. When I checked the hourly forecast this morning, I was surprised. Weather.com listed the projected weather from 11:00 – 3:00 as “windy.” I’ve experienced some strong wind on walks along the shore, but I have never seen “windy” as a description online, so I was curious to see what it would be like. I set out shortly after 1:00.
It…. Was…. Windy…. My eyes watered, my nose ran and the wind blew my downwind iPod earbud out of my ear. Twice.
And I loved it.
It was exhilarating. Cleansing. I felt like everything in me was being aired out. I thought, “if a person has a black spot in his or her soul after being in this wind, well, that person is holding on pretty tight.”
When my walk was almost done, I met Joe, an older man pushing a bicycle. He was missing many teeth but he seemed quite agile. He said hello and asked if I was on holiday. Here is, loosely, how our conversation unfolded:
Rachel: I’m here for ten months.
Joe: Oh, are you studying?
Rachel: I’m writing a book.
Joe: What are you writing about?
Rachel: Catholic Church reform
Joe: Catholic Church reform. Now there’s a bloody topic.
Rachel: Yes, bloody topic indeed.
Joe: Well I’m surprised they’re not turning all the churches into mosques.
Rachel: (pause) Well…
Joe: You know they want to build a mosque at ground zero. Building mosques everywhere.
Rachel: Well, it is a very populous religion.
Joe: (agitated) It’s not about religion, it’s about world domination.
Rachel: (pause, weighing options) Well I guess we could pray.
Joe: (pause) Ah… pray.
Rachel: Yes. Well, I better be going; I'm expecting a call.
Joe: I’m Joe. What’s your name?
Rachel: Rachel
Joe: Okay, Rachel, see you around, then.
As I left Joe I was thinking about bigotry and misinformation and it made me sad.
A few minutes later an Irish woman stopped and asked me for directions and I could give them to her. I must admit, though, she looked dubious when she heard my accent.
An unusually eventful walk!
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| First I walk along the Corrib River on a street called "The Long Walk." |
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| Then I walk around this area where boats are moored. |
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| This is the entrance to Claddagh Park and the walking trail. |
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| The walking path |
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| Galway Bay from Claddagh Park, low tide |
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| At the foot of the causeway |
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| The causeway |
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| The end of the causeway--Mutton Island |
Lovely, simply lovely!
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