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1st May 2018
10:56am BST
Sickened.
That's the only word to describe how I was feeling last week when I was working and all my friends were heading to 'The Barge' in Dublin to soak up the sunshine while scoffing on some cans.
Thursday evening was blazin' and on Friday, I was heading in the opposite direction for the weekend, across west to Galway to see herself and have a night out with a few mates.
As I suffered a torturous bus journey in the blistering heat (the only time I choose not to drive down, I have nobody to blame but myself), I began to think in hope.
'Please let it be sunny again tomorrow because - feck The Barge, there's only two places I want to be when the sun is shining in Ireland'.
For two and a half hours, I concocted my ultimate summer playlist, starting strongly with 'Sun Is Shining' the remix of the Bob Marley classic, rocking out the middle bit with 'Here Comes The Summer' by The Undertones, before finishing off with 'Waterfall' by The Stone Roses.
Before I had hit Athlone, my stupid phone was dead so I decided to spend the remainder of the journey thinking about all the red-hot summers we had in Ireland.
I love an auld lie-in on a weekend morning but that wasn't the case this Saturday. Up at 10 O'Clock, a quick omelette was thrown into the belly and we packed a Frisbee and some sandwiches and headed for Salthill.
Salthill looking amazing today! ???????? #LoveGalway pic.twitter.com/hXnOVxsG85
— Sleepzone Hostels (@Sleepzone) April 21, 2018
The endless summer continues as the sun bathes Salthill, Galway pic.twitter.com/YCHbaPEXf1
— Galway Tourism (@galwaytourism) August 4, 2014
Rio. #World Cup No! It's beautiful Galway Bay! #GIAF14 RT @GalwayBayHotel: #salthill #wildatlanticway #summer #galway pic.twitter.com/mMWWKxOgpD
— Galway Int Arts Fest (@GalwayIntArts) July 6, 2014
Once you walk past the leisure centre and the two hotels and watch the cars scramble through the car park looking for a space, you can understand why the place is so busy.
It's literally heaven on earth on a place like today. It's a cheaper tourist version of Dingle. A place filled with queues for Ed Sheeran when he recorded Galway Girl.
Speaking of songs named Galway Girl, much like you can't go to mass without blessing yourself, you cannot the a stroll down the Salthill Prom without kicking the wall at the end.
If you don't believe us, ask Teresa Mannion.
We sunbathed for a while in between watching people run in and out of the sea and young ones building sandcastles and crying about getting an ice-cream (or not).
The Frisbee was a fecking disaster, my aim was so terrible that you'd think I'd have had a few pints already.
So we scrapped that idea and went up town to get a beach ball. But on the way we couldn't resist stopping into The Creamery Cafe for a scoop.
Their ice-cream is the business. Scrap the cone, a big oreo scoop in a tub with a spoon, job done.
We felt bad getting anymore because we had just had breakfast and had sandwiches packed for a picnic.
But, deep down, we were both waiting for just one of us to say 'fancy another?'
We decided to set up camp on the green during our kick-about and after a quick game of 'penalties', we were back sunbathing again.
'Spanish Arch, grab cans'.
We had started walking before the phone call ended.
'Sparch', 'Sparching'. Verb - to hang out at The Spanish Arch, chillin' with your buddies, swan-watching. #Galway vernacular, origin unknown pic.twitter.com/x69VDug3BZ
— Brian Nolan (@GalwayWalks) May 30, 2017
#Galway and the #SpanishArch are just magical on these days
— The Dail Bar Galway (@TheDailBar1) May 25, 2017
☀️☀️☀️????????????????????????☀️☀️☀️
Town is buzzing and people are full of life
???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/1YxHsczniA
Spanish Arch Galway packed with sun worshippers today #firstdayofsummer pic.twitter.com/EaFRVfg3Ck
— Galway Tourism (@galwaytourism) June 1, 2016
We used to come to these two places so often when we were in college that we became lazy, we wouldn't even pronounce the full name. You'd get texts saying 'Shill?', 'Sparch?', 'We go Sparching' (the last one may or may not have a question mark at the end, depending on what time of the year it was and how busy everyone was).
There's always plenty of room at Spanish Arch. The more the merrier, just clean up after yourself and maybe bring some bread in case any creatures float by and they start eyeing up your cans.
The vibe at The Spanish Arch this evening. #LatinQuarterGalway#CultureCapital2020#GottaLoveGalway#GalwayGold pic.twitter.com/Zy2vqo0Abm
— Galway Latin Quarter (@GalwayLatinQtr) March 26, 2017
Spanish Arch is the heart of Galway for me. You're close to town and the hustle and bustle of Shop Street. You're surrounded by great places to eat and you're not too far gone if you want to head back down in the Dominick Street or Salthill direction.
The day flew by. We had the craic, drank a few tasty cans, passed around the ball, joked about how 'you'd need factor 50 in this heat' before realising that our necks and noses were starting to turn the colour of the sun.
We only decided to head when we felt the chill on our shoulders, it was time to find the nearest beer garden then to continue our day out which was now turning into a night out which we were leaving unplanned for the moment.
The only way to spend an Irish summer's day.
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