We began our adventure at Ross Errily Abbey which is a 14th century Franciscan friary. It is apparently one of the best preserved friaries in Ireland!
After that, we drove north towards Cong Village. Cong Village was a cute little town (and a good bathroom/snack stop) and we saw where the movie "the Quiet Man" was filmed. We got coffee and pastries and boarded the bus. Unfortunately, it started to rain during this stop (classic Ireland) but Mike still pulled over to let us hop out of the bus and quickly snap photos as we headed into the mountains. There were literally sheep grazing everywhere - my new goal for this trip is to find one and befriend it.. or at least pet one. Mountain sheep don't look quite as cuddly up close but I'm determined.
One of my favorite stops today was Lough Nafooey (not just because of the name.. although that is a good one.) It's a lake in Connemara surrounded by mountains. According to legend, the lake is home to a water horse called the Capall Uisce. I've never seen such a breathtaking landscape - it's nothing like Minnesota!
Our main destination was Kylemore Abbey which is a gorgeous castle. We got soup and hearty brown bread at a restaurant and toured the inside of the castle and a Gothic church as we learned about the history of the places. We had a lot of free time so we were able to walk around outside a lot and take pictures by Pollacappul Lake. We also made a wish at the "Ironing Stone" - a huge triangle-shaped rock. Legend has it that if you stand inside of a hand sculpture and throw a stone behind you over the rock, you are granted a wish. We can just pretend that the wish still counts if you hit the rock instead of throwing your pebble over it..
Kylemore Abbey
The Ironing Stone
My grandma's family's crest
I'm up way too late so I'll post more later! Missin' everybody.
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