Connemara

Today Katie and I headed north of Galway to an area called Connemara. I am not a huge fan of bus tours ever since the Great Stonehenge Incident of 2004 (let's just say it involved questionable blueberry yogurt, a windy twisty bus ride and 3 friends who didn't want to be anywhere near me for the rest of the day). However, Galway has some great bus tours to places that would be impossible for us to go without a car and at a very affordable price (ok, now I sound like a commercial).

Anyway, after last weekend's fabulous Burren tour, I was excited to head to Connemara. Our first stop: A gift shop about 20 minutes down the road from Galway. Ok, I thought, nice chance to get some postcards and stretch our legs. Next stop:...... a second gift shop! I was beginning to feel like we have been put on a tour of gift shops- all selling the same thing. There was also replica of some house that was in some movie that I had never heard of. Right, ok.... next stop: GIFT SHOP! Ok ok, it wasn't that bad because this one actually had a castle attached to it! Ok, not attached but you get the idea. We had a lovely visit at Kylemore Abbey, a Benedictine abbey that was once a "castle" built in the 1860s by a wealthy English politician. It was absolutely spectacular there- misty mountains, neo- Gothic architecture, lust green trees. There was also a Victorian garden on the side which beautiful plants, flowers and paths. Though the tour was perhaps a bit heavy with giftshops, overall it was fabulous!
Our guide told us that this water was used to make Guinness and as such was called "Guinness Falls" but I am not sure that I believe him.
Weather can be unpredictable. There was just enough sunshine for us to get off the bus, for Katie to take my photo, for me take the camera from her... and before I could hit the shutter, it started pouring buckets and pour Katie's photo was ruined.... or improved, depending on how you see it because I find her face just priceless.
Lovely views
Lovely Views

Victorian Garden at the Abbey in the rain
Abbey grounds
Abbey
Kylemore Abbey
Kylemore Abbey
Misty Mountains
Lovely flowers
Gorgeous!
We really liked these flowers.
Inside the greenhouse