17th of September in Galway: the temperature has been very low since this morning. It's late at night and I am heading to town to catch the bus to Dublin. It's so cold! A pair of gloves and a hat would have come useful for my bicycle ride. I have left the quiet and peaceful Highfield area and I now can hear the loud city centre as I approach Dominick Street. I make my way to the bus station through Shop Street, with its pieces of glass of the ground and its beer smell evaporating from the ground. A drunk crowd provides animation. Citylink buses are the only ones operating during the night. They are also faster than Bus Eireann as they don't stop between Galway and Dublin. Count more than 3 hours usually for a ride to Dublin by bus. In fact, the trip was pretty fast and we reached Dublin suburbs quicker than thought. I noticed the new roads which have been built recently between Athlone and Dublin. I didn't have the chance to travel lately through this area. Overall, the trip took less than 2h45! The traffic at night is also very good, that helps. I guess the price of the tickets has increased recently: Citylink charges 29e for a monthly adult return... no student discount.
The weather in Dublin is as cold as in Galway. My teeth are clappering until I can find a warm spot inside Dublin airport. There is more life than the last time I was here around Christmas last year. More coffee shops are open 24/7. There is also this new Fruit shop which offers freshly pressed fruit juice and fresh pastries. But to be honest, Shannon is my favorite for its proximity to Galway and its free WIFI ;)