Connemara and around Galway

For all you who were wondering where I had gone to (love you Sarit!!), I had an issue with my laptop, but now she's all better, and I can get back to posting about my travels :)

The other week I took a day trip to county Connemara, mainly to see the Kylemore Abbey once again, but also to explore a few more places in the area. Back in 1952, a movie was filmed in Ireland, and the country has been gushing about it ever since. The Quiet Man, starring John Wayne was filmed in counties Mayo and Galway here, and there now stands a Quiet Man cottage, depicting life-size dolls of the stars. A Quiet Man bridge, where a pivotal scene was filmed, and a Quiet Man festival. So apparently our day tour would be remiss if we didnt stop by the bridge for a most important photo op.

Phew. Now that we got that outta the way, we were on our way to our next stop. But first, some beautiful scenery and locals along the way.

We made our way to Killary Harbor, where Ireland's only fjord lies. (A fjord is an inlet between mountains.) Was beautiful, though the weather that minute was a bit gray and overcast.

And with that, we were off to the Kylemore Abbey, the highlight of the day. And this is what awaited us (some of you will recognize the image from my Facebook profile).

A beautiful, gorgeous estate, consisting of this castle, a walled garden, a gothic church, and finally, a mausoleum with the original owner's remains, along with his wife's. The estate lies in the middle of nowhere, creeping out from a clearing like a beacon of beauty. Truly one of the most breathtaking sites in all of Ireland. Here are some shots from around the grounds.

Hey, there's me!

And as we were leaving, the Abbey was basked in sunlight, making for the perfect photo:

I am leaving Galway in 2 days, and I have had a lovely time here. A much quieter city than Dublin, I had the chance to walk the length of the whole town, down all the streets and canals, and explore the surrounding small towns. Galway is a charming town, full of young life (there's a big college here), lots of musical pubs, bordering the infamous Galway Bay. Here are some more pictures from around the city. 

The famous wall at the end of the Promenade which must be kicked.

Here is the beautiful Dunguaire Castle. Unfortunately, it is closed to the public, so this is as far as I could get.

Galway brews it's own craft beer, named Galway Hooker after the small fishing boats called hookers, that local fisherman still use in the Bay. Unfortunately (and kinda humorously), while local bars gladly serve the beer, they dont serve them in their glasses, as tourists have taken to nicking them :(  Luckily, my cheeky bartender was happy to oblige my request for the good of this blog.

I hope to be back soon, with more of the Irish countryside :)