We set out on scenic drives on Monday & Tuesday, but neither day was a particularly nice, sunny day. I'm afraid our pictures portray the moody side of Ireland, and we were not able to show the majesty of the scenic beauty we drove by: Connemara and the Twelve Ben mountains, the Sky Drive outside of Clifden, and the beautiful drive over the Sheffry Hills. Regardless, even if we couldn't capture the achingly beautiful and brutally austere scenes on camera, we certainly could feel the deep emotional pull of this region. We also visited Kylemore Abbey and enjoyed the beauty of the walled garden (in between showers, of course). We had to replenish ourselves and stopped at Walsh's in Clifden for a pastry and a latte. The picture of the Bailey's Cheesecake is portrayed solely and simply to torment Stacey Zedek, who so enjoyed this treat when she was here with us in 2009. Can ya taste it Stace?
From my post when we visited Kylemore in 2009:
"On Saturday, we drove north and east to Kylemore Abbey and traveled further into the lovely seatown of Westport. Kylemore was built in 1868 by a wealthy Englishman as a romantic retreat for his wife. It’s an outstanding example of neo-Gothic architecture. In 1920, it was bought for use as an abbey for Benedictine nuns whose abbey in Flanders was destroyed during World War I. As you can see, the abbey is in an extraordinary setting on Kylemore Lake and at the base of a mountain. Today, there was a reunion of alumnae of the abbey school. You can imagine the lilt, lyric and joy of the women greeting each other, friends from long ago. “Is tat yerself Mary O’Toole?”
Mary Margaret, Margaret Mary, Elizabet (no “h” sound, thank you), Ann, Bridget, Siobhan? A cacophony of voices high and low, young and old. With a mix of melancholy and regret. The school, girls only of course, is closing after educating generations of young women from the finest families in both Ireland and from the Irish diaspora worldwide. A victim of changing tastes and economic downturn. The final class of ten girls will graduate next year. "
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| Looking out our bedroom window |
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| Along the fern walk in Kylemore's walled garden |
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| Kylemore Abbey |
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| Lake in front of Kylemore |
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| Tourista |
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| Border in walled garden |
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| At Walsh's |
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| Overlooking Westport as the sun sets on the Reek |
