Our last full day in Ireland.
We were out of the B&B and headed up the Sky Road before 10:00. I thought we would get to a point where we would get a nice view of the Atlantic, but we didn't. Maybe you get that view going the other way? Or on the other side of Clifden? No matter, it was a beautiful drive. We started to get into mountains, and the view just kept getting better and better. We kept stopping to take pictures because it seemed like every corner was prettier than the last. Eventually we came to Connemara National Park, but it wasn't open. We hadn't planned to go there, so it was no big deal. We were constantly amazed at the view. It was clear and cold, and with no trees or walls to block our view, it felt like we could see forever. Absolutely breathtaking! Chad said there had to be a better word than "wow" but that is all he could think of.
At the end of the Sky Road was Kylemore Abbey. It is really impressive. It's in such a peaceful, secluded place. Well, except for the huge parking lot, but it was almost empty. We met a couple from Boston and kind of walked around with them. There is a beautiful, newly restored neo-Gothic chapel that we both really loved. There was soft music playing, and the couple from Boston knelt and prayed. For some reason, I found myself kind of tearing up. After the couple left, Chad said, "I don't know what that was all about," and wiped his eyes. Apparently he had been touched by something, too. We wandered around a bit, admiring the delicate colors of the Connemara marble that was used throughout the chapel. At one point, I was reading some information about the restoration, and I looked over at Chad. He was kneeling at a side altar in front of a stained glass window. I just let him stay there. On the walk back to see the abbey itself, he walked far behind me. When I asked why he was going so slowly, he said he was just thinking. I didn't ask about what.
The abbey itself was interesting, though you only see a small portion of it. The view from the windows was wonderful. It must have been great to see that view every day. We saw a display about the building of the house, and the Benedictine nuns who now use it as a boarding school and home. As we were going back into the entry hall, we heard a student choir practicing. We couldn't see them because the door had a sign that said "private", but we stood there silently and listened until they stopped. It was such a cool thing to come across, it just made the tour that much more special.
After a stop in the gift shop, we headed out again across the top of Connemara and back down toward Galway. In Corr na Mona, we were attacked by a little black dog that came out of nowhere and charged toward the car. It veered off when it was so close to the car that we couldn't see it, and chased us, barking and growling, until we left the little town. We probably deserved it - we weren't supposed to be in Corr na Mona. Somehow (can't imagine it, but it's true) we had missed our turn toward Maum Cross. A few minutes later we realized that we had gone wrong, and we turned around and headed back through Corr na Mona, where we were again attacked and chased by the dog. It was probably the highlight of his week.
That part of Ireland is Irish-speaking, and all of the road signs are in Gaelic - not very comforting if you are lost. But we soon found the turn and headed south. We were still surrounded by mountains, the Twelve Bens, but driving through expansive, treeless plain. The road wound all over through seemingly barren fields. There were sheep everywhere, though, and they were obviously finding something to eat. We could see them way up in impossible spots on the sides of the hills, in ditches, and in the road.
I should have let Chad drive there, since you could see for huge distances, and there were no walls on either side, just the occasional fence, but I didn't think of it. It was truly the middle of nowhere - wild and open, and beautiful, even in February. It reminded me of movies set in the Wild West. We ended up getting to Bunratty at about 4:30. We had about 15 minutes to see the castle before it closed to get ready for the medieval banquet that they hold there at night. So, humming the Amazing Race theme song, we took off running toward the castle. They told us to go straight to the top and work our way back down - but quickly. After our speedy tour of the castle, we took our time visiting the folk park part. That was new to me, since that section of the castle grounds had been closed when I was here in 2001 (again, because of the foot and mouth precautions).
Then we went across the road for a bit of last-minute shopping, and to make some calls to find a place to stay for the night. We ended up at a place called Dunedin Lodge. This one is nice enough, but not fancy, with a big bathroom. The shower may actually be big enough to bend over in. :) There is a huge, 1000-year old lime kiln in the yard that was part of the Bunratty castle grounds, originally. The host told us that they would load tons of limestone into the top, then light fires underneath, heating the stone to red-hot. Then they would pour in water, causing the stone to liquify. They would then use this to stucco their houses, and they would use the lime ash on the fields. He said the kiln had been covered with vines and plants, and they hadn't even realized it was there when they bought the property eight years ago. But because of laws about such things, they are obligated to leave it in place.
The other nice thing about this place is Monty. He is a two-year-old dog that is a real character. Chad ran him around in the yard for awhile before we went to Durty Nelly's for dinner. Durty Nelly's is a pub right next to Bunratty Castle that was established, the sign said, in 1620. Downstairs is a nice restaurant and bar, and upstairs is a more casual dining area. The interesting thing about it is that the whole bar area upstairs is covered in police and fire department patches from the US.
After dinner we got directions to a grocery store in Shannon, where Chad could get some Panda Two Tone spread to take home. Panda Two Tone is a white chocolate and hazelnut striped stuff in a jar, like peanut butter. He had it at the B&B in Clifden and loved it.
And tomorrow we go home. We figured out that it is cheaper to fill the car with gas and get the fuel refund when we turn it in, so we will stop for gas, then head for the airport.
No comments:
Post a Comment