Cliffs of Moher vs. Connemara. I could only choose one.
It was a tough debate.The Cliffs would offer spectacular views of the tall, sheer drop-offs into the Atlantic Ocean. On the other hand, Connemara may be less dramatic, but it would offer beautiful scenery of the traditional Irish countryside, full of green hills and the all important fluffy sheep.
If I had time to do some hiking in the area, I probably would've gone to the Cliffs. However, given the fact that I had to leave for Dublin tomorrow and had planned to join a tour rather than do my usual independent sightseeing, I opted for Connemara.
I took the 20 euros bus tour from the Galway Bus Terminal. A good sized group of about 20 tourists, filling only half of the bus. Probably because of the cold, gloomy weather we're supposed to be having today.
The bus drove by some beautiful, small villages (with the requisite sheep farms) and through windy pathways along deep green hills. The stone walled cottages in the mist looked so cozy!!!
First stop - A quaint pub/cafe in the middle of nowhere. Great for some hot drinks and the toilet. Turns out we were in the Irish fjord area. Since I missed out on the more famous Norwegian fjords last month, I was very excited to be able to at least see some here. After my cup of hot chocolate, I took a short stroll…and found that the clouds were hiding most of the views. Darn.
Back on the bus, we passed through more countryside and woodlands, on our way to today's highlight - Kylemore Abbey.
Admission is 8 euros, and was not included in the tour.
I may have this all wrong, but I think Kylemore used to be a castle, which turned into monastery/abbey, and then into a boarding school. The school closed down just a few years ago, and now, the castle and its premises are a tourist attraction.
The bus drove by some beautiful, small villages (with the requisite sheep farms) and through windy pathways along deep green hills. The stone walled cottages in the mist looked so cozy!!!
First stop - A quaint pub/cafe in the middle of nowhere. Great for some hot drinks and the toilet. Turns out we were in the Irish fjord area. Since I missed out on the more famous Norwegian fjords last month, I was very excited to be able to at least see some here. After my cup of hot chocolate, I took a short stroll…and found that the clouds were hiding most of the views. Darn.
So…this is what a fjord looks like?! Hmmmm….slightly disappointing : ( This could be anywhere in Oregon or Washington!
Back on the bus, we passed through more countryside and woodlands, on our way to today's highlight - Kylemore Abbey.
Admission is 8 euros, and was not included in the tour.
I may have this all wrong, but I think Kylemore used to be a castle, which turned into monastery/abbey, and then into a boarding school. The school closed down just a few years ago, and now, the castle and its premises are a tourist attraction.
There's a 20 minutes guided tour of the castle, which I gladly joined and found mediocre. It looks better from the outside:
More than the castle, I enjoyed taking the short walk in the mossy woods:
…to reach the pretty, little gothic church:
By this point, rain started pouring. Rather than take the shuttle bus to the Victorian gardens and get drenched there (no umbrella on me), I headed to the cafeteria for a bite. Plus, I'm not really a garden fanatic.
While enjoying my coffee with a book in hand, a local couple started chatting with me. I was reading a Japanese book, and they were fascinated by the vertical writing and right to left progress. But I think they were more stunned by me - they seriously couldn't get over the fluent, accent-less English that accompanied my totally Asian face! They even invited me to dinner at their house!!! Of course, I had to decline as my only way back to Galway was on the tour bus I came on. As an alternative, they gave me their business card so that I could contact them if I ever came around this area again. Cute couple. I guess there aren't many Asian Americans (not that I am) that come by this way.
On the way back to Galway, we made a quick souvenir stop. Usually, I hate such stops. But this time, it was at a wool store. No sheep here, only sheep-made goods. I probably touched every single sweater, scarf, and blanket in the store! Being a poor customer, though, no purchases. Hey, it is July right now!!!
More than the castle, I enjoyed taking the short walk in the mossy woods:…to reach the pretty, little gothic church:By this point, rain started pouring. Rather than take the shuttle bus to the Victorian gardens and get drenched there (no umbrella on me), I headed to the cafeteria for a bite. Plus, I'm not really a garden fanatic.While enjoying my coffee with a book in hand, a local couple started chatting with me. I was reading a Japanese book, and they were fascinated by the vertical writing and right to left progress. But I think they were more stunned by me - they seriously couldn't get over the fluent, accent-less English that accompanied my totally Asian face! They even invited me to dinner at their house!!! Of course, I had to decline as my only way back to Galway was on the tour bus I came on. As an alternative, they gave me their business card so that I could contact them if I ever came around this area again. Cute couple. I guess there aren't many Asian Americans (not that I am) that come by this way.
On the way back to Galway, we made a quick souvenir stop. Usually, I hate such stops. But this time, it was at a wool store. No sheep here, only sheep-made goods. I probably touched every single sweater, scarf, and blanket in the store! Being a poor customer, though, no purchases. Hey, it is July right now!!!
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