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Published: September 11th 2016
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At 10:30am on September 10th the twelve API students and our Irish family; Finn and Kevin and their kids Owen, Aisling, and Roisin, boarded a bus that just fit all of us and we started our journey out the the wild lands of Connemara. Before we got way into the land we stopped at a market on the side of the road. The market was one of people coming together and trading farm animals. We saw chickens and ducks, goats and sheep, even two dogs. People were bartering and buying, checking livestock for health conditions, and speaking in Irish. A group of us became particularly smitten with a little puppy. The other dog with her, I assume it was her mother, kept putting her paws on my leg and staring into my eyes with her deep brown ones. It reminded me of the unconditional love a dog gives. It blew my mind that people were trading these dogs, giving them away. But, then I remembered it is different for them, this is their way of life. Being there we were able to get a glimpse into the world of farming and the country.
I had a manager at the
Dining Room
Kylemore Abbey's set dining room grocery store I worked at and she was from Connemara. She used to say people would call her a "wild Connemara girl" and after visiting I can see why. The land is wild in both senses of the word. Going from Galway City the land was pure wilderness. The people out there leave it to it grow how it is supposed to, rather than how they want to see it. The rolling hills and wild heather were spread out across an impossibly large landscape, land as far as the eye could see. It's the kind of beauty that cannot be explained. Even pictures don't do it justice.
We started at this little cafe that had a trail that led to a hike we had planned for the day. Everyone was in the bathroom so I wandered a little. I turned a corner and what was there on the hill over a stream? Just some goats hanging out. It was wild.
Every step on this hike gave way to a new view. We were all trying to capture the beauty with our cameras, impossible of course. At the split some of us wanted to go to the top while
The Wild Hills
I witnessed this view in person and I still think it looks like a painting some continued on the less strenuous trail. The wind was picking up the higher up the mountain we got, but the sun was still shining so we pressed on, literally pushing our bodies through the wind. Like Mt. Washington in New Hampshire, we got to one spot and we were like, "we made it to the top!" Just kidding. we still had a huge peak to scale. The sky was getting dark. Out in the distance we could see clouds and what looked like sheets of rain. Oh no, it looked like it was coming right for us. We pulled on our raincoats and continued on. The wind was insane. It was so strong I was afraid I was going to lose my jacket trying to put it on. Rain drops splashed down on us wit surprising force. We were determined to press on, but alas we realized it was too dangerous. I mean we basically made it to the top right? On our way down we realized just how dangerous it was up there. The rain and wind combined with wet rocks and the sheer steep decline of the mountain was a recipe for disaster. Someone would have gotten
The Chapel
Built for Margaret Henry by Michell Henry when she unexpectedly passed at the age of 45. hurt for sure. Although it was sad we had to turn back, it was the right decision.
We loaded back on the bus and drove a short way to Kylemore Abbey were we ate a hearty lunch. We didn't really know what Kylemore Abbey was except that it was a castle we could go in and visit. The grounds of this abbey are stunning. The castle itself provides an imposing and glorious view. It's exactly what you would expect a castle to look like. I expect it is a smaller castle than those of the time. We went inside and fell silent. The detail put into building this masterpiece was so precise. The carvings within the walls were handmade and each one was different. The house was so beautiful.
We then visited the church built for the woman who lived there by her husband when she unexpectedly passed. It was so small but so beautiful. It was quaint and peaceful.
A bus took us over to the gardens where the environment was perfect. I wanted to dress up in a light cotton dress with a sunhat and drink tea in the middle with cucumber sandwiches. Every piece
The Gardens
This was only one part of the gardens. of grass and flower was perfectly manicured and mowed. We went to this little cottage and we saw what the gardeners manning the gardens would have lived.
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