Petra House is one of maybe 7 or so B&Bs in a row on the outskirts of central Galway, and Galway was the grand finale of our Irish adventure. So it had a lot to live up to! The owners are a lovely youngish couple who built the place a few years ago just to be a B&B. It was definitely the most modern, hotel-like of the B&Bs we stayed at, but it still maintained a homey, personal touch, and it had the best breakfast of the whole trip.

First, the rooms: Excellent, excellent, excellent. Supurbly clean, with hotel-like amenities (bath soaps, fresh towels, stuff to make tea, ironing stuff, so on). Our room was spacious, overlooking a garden. The bathroom was a pretty nice size for a European B&B, with a great hot shower. We shared the 2nd floor with at least 4 other filled rooms, and it was whisper quiet at all times. Eaaaasily worth the money! Bonus: they take credit cards, and most B&Bs don't. (Though I recommend you pay in cash anyway to avoid hidden international fees... still, it was nice to know we wouldn't have to go scout out an ATM if we'd run out of cash at the end of the trip).

Second, the owners: I can't for the life of me remember the man's name, but this guy was fantastic. A whimsical, soft-spoken man (I mean really soft spoken) who gave us just absolutely great tips about finding the best local Irish music (we were the only tourists there, and I like to tell myself that nobody noticed). He's also the server in their lovely breakfast room for the breakfast part. After we checked out, he let us leave our car there to run into town one more time, and even offered the restrooms to us when we got back before we drove across Ireland back to Dublin (I took him up on that).

Next, the breakfast: Oh it was amazing. So good. The menu was the most extensive of any place we stayed. The fresh fruit was to die for. And of course all of the hearty Irish stuff too, and scones. MMMM. All on pretty china, I might add.

Location: The center of Galway is a good 10 minute trek, but Galway is a very sizable city by Irish standards. Petra and its compatriot B&B's are central enough without being dead in the middle of the bustling part of town. We walked back and forth at night and felt very safe. It's in a neighborhoody area, and I seem to remember some academic buildings nearby. I'll add that if I'd been a female walking by myself, I might've opted for a cab, but as I was with another person I felt just fine. Plus I'm paranoid.

All in all, Petra House was tied for our favorite place that we stayed on the whole trip. It was comfy, quiet, and very Irish. We would absolutely stay here again!