I recently had the opportunity to visit the National University of Ireland at Galway (NUI Galway) for Synapse: A Tech Carnival. As usual, I managed to squeeze in a bit of time for fun on this business trip. I thought I'd share my impressions of NUIG from my photowalk around campus. The first thing I noticed was a series of blue dots on the footpath. I did a double-take when I looked at the directions on my phone. Could Google be projecting directions in real-life too when you do a search on Maps? ;-) Turns out it was just a coincidence and this path was meant to show a wheelchair accessible route around campus. This path actually took us past some of the pretty parts of campus and was a good tour guide.
The blue dots start on a path over a bridge just beyond this one. I loved watching the raging waters of The River Corrib surging through these locks.
Entering campus, we were greeted by oxidized copper spires.
We visited in late September which was perfect timing to catch the ivy creeping up the old stone buildings turning to a fiery red.
NUI Galway also features creative sculptures dotted around campus. Just follow the trail of blue breadcrumbs.En route to the Engineering building, we spied the ruins of a crumbling church across the river.
Things got decidedly more modern as we walked on. The engineering building and Kingfisher Club were state of the art.
The Engineering complex contrasted greatly with the historic heart of campus. I could have walked around the quadrangle for hours taking photos as the clouds rolled in and out highlighting the bright red autumn leaves on the buildings.
We had lunch in the faculty club and enjoyed a window seat with views over the quad.
All in all, it was a great visit to a beautiful campus. It pays to follow the blue dotted road!