Cliffs of Moher and Connemara

By the time we headed to County Clare the weather took a serious turn for the better. The Cliffs of Moher was definitely one of the things I had been most looking forward to seeing before we left for Ireland. They did not disappoint. The views were absolutely breath taking. We walked around all of them but my favorite part was when we walked all the way to the right. They have a very secure walkway; but you can see the paths others have taken that aren't as safe: I believe every man feels the need to prove themselves by walking on those paths, including my father. While I was not one of the many brave souls that walked those paths or sat dangling my feet I did stand pretttttyyyyy close to the edge to get a picture. I also gathered up the courage to stick my head over the edge to see how far down it was; it was really, really far. There is actually a sign in remembrance of those who have died at the Cliffs. I could have spent hours staring at the Cliffs and would love to return someday.

After the Cliffs we headed towards our hotel, The Falls Hotel and Spa in Ennistymon. We were really excited because there was a pool, a hot tub, steam room, and any other spa amenity you could wish for. What we weren't aware of: weird European spa rules. You have to wear a swim cap. Awesome: did that every day for 15 years of my life, not trying to do it while I'm sitting in a hot tub. Also in the U.S. it is suggested that you shower before entering the pool; in Europe you have no choice. I tried walking out to the pool deck with my cloths on and holding my towel, only to be sprayed with soapy water before I made it through the hallway. Needless to say, the Europeans in the locker-room gave me some weird looks. So if you ever find yourself at a European hotel-spa, take that into consideration and don’t end up like me.

The next day we headed to the Connemara area for 3 days. Connemara is a national park about an hour or so past Galway. This was my favorite time of our trip. The first day before we checked in we drove to Kylemore Abbey. The drive to the abbey was so beautiful itself; we had amazing views of the mountains and lakes. I was really excited to see the Abbey because Downton Abbey is one of my favorite television shows, and being inside Kylemore Abbey made me feel as if I was part of the television show. Kylemore was originally built as a private residence for Mitchell Henry, his wife, and their family. The Kylemore Estate included the castle, beautiful gardens, walking trails and acres of woodland. The property has gone through many owners now, the gardens became untamed, fire destroyed part of the building, and many other things. Today it is an Abbey run by the Benedictine nuns. The entire history of Kylemore can be found: here.

After the abbey we headed to our hotel; Ballynahinch Castle. If you go to Ireland, you need to go to Connemara and you need to stay here. (Rachael Bozsik, this is your type of place.) The hotel is in an old Irish castle and is furnished as if it is still a castle with deeps reds and gold everywhere. Every room has a beautiful view of the grounds; ours overlooked the river that runs through the property. The rooms are spacious and have large bathrooms, which is extremely uncommon in Europe. All the staff was so friendly and helpful; we told the front desk we wanted to go horse back riding and they made all the arrangements for us and the manager of the restaurants came over and had a 15 minute chat with us. The breakfast at the hotel was cooked to order as well as a very large buffet and was in the main restaurant of the hotel that had floor to ceiling glass windows overlooking the beautiful property. We had dinner in the pub one night and everything was absolutely delicious. The grounds include many walking trails and a private river for fishing. Needless to say: I was very impressed. Whenever I return to Ireland in the future, I will be taking the time to return to Ballynahinch.

 

When we were in Connemara we also ate out at Mitchell’s Seafood Restaurant, another fantastic seafood restaurant located in Clifden. This was the best seafood chowder I have ever had, and probably ever will have. Mom and I also went horseback riding. We went on a 2 and a half hour ride, cantered along a beach and saw some amazing views of the area. We also met a really nice donkey that I will post a picture of, he had been lost for a couple days and a bar decided to put up a fence and take him in: he acted like a dog and I wanted to take him home with me.

After our amazing time in Connemara we headed back to Dublin for one more day before flying out. We went to the National Museum of Ireland- Archeology where we saw exhibits on Irish gold, Viking Ireland and Medieval Ireland and the Treasury. I have never seen so much gold in my life. This museum was awesome and we easily could have spent two days reading all of the information in there.

I was so sad to leave Ireland. I could easily see myself living there, either in Dublin or out west. I don’t know why I was so drawn to it compared to some of the other counties I visited, but I absolutely can’t wait to return one day.

Early next week I will post about Amsterdam. I’m off to Barcelona tonight!