Connemara hikes, historic B&B, and more gorgeous scenery

April 13, 2013

Connemara hikes, historic B&B, and more gorgeous scenery

County Galway, March 25/26, 2013

Leaving County Mayo, we head into County Galway. Galway is I believe the third largest city in Ireland, known for good restaurants, and roaring pubs, and well, we didn’t go there. Remember, we concentrated on the countryside – but Galway gets rave reviews, so maybe next time. However, we certainly were not disappointed with our time in County Galway, just the opposite, yet more highlights from our trip.

We drove from Croagh Patrick to Louisburgh then on to Lenanne via the Doolough Valley (ok, this is actually in County Mayo, but right on the border with County Galway). There is a memorial to a famine walk that occurred in the mid 1800’s. Quotes by Ghandi and Desmond Tutu are etched into the memorial. Desmond Tutu walked this walk just a few years before apartheid ended in South Africa. In Leanne, (Killary Harbor, Ireland's only Fjord) we stopped at a woolen shop/museum. I bought a beautiful blue wool sweater (yes, I have entered the woolen sweater derby), which I basically wore much of the rest of the trip. (In fact it has remained cold, so the sales lady just cut the tags off and I word it right out of the shop). Took a side trip to Cleggen by the sea, a raod side shop, and a photo op stop at Kylemore Abbey on the way to Clifden and our B&B.

Mallmore House is our B&B for the next two nights. (just outside of Clifden) The house was built in the mid 1800’s. Donna describes the B&B. “Winding up the narrow lane with rock walls alongside and pulling up to a white pillared house with a bright red door was breath taking. Kathleen, the proprietor, was very welcoming. She is about my (Donna) age with 3, 20 something aged daughters. She has lived here since 1980. The long hallway with 15 foot ceilings and red print carpeting and red wallpaper was imposing. We walked into a huge bedroom with an off white marble fireplace and a bay window with a gorgeous view. The room has an incredible old huge wardrobe lined with paper that dates back to the early 19^th century. There are antiques scattered throughout the house from Egypt, the orient, Europe, Asia. We arrived and had tea and biscuits (Digestives) in the elegant but cozy parlor.” OK, I guess Donna was enchanted with the place. Me too, and it always makes me feel great when the accommodations turn out well, since I am the trip planner. Dinner that night at E.J. Kings, a Clifden pub that had early music, so we had trad music the whole time we were eating – fun.

Morning and yet another delicious breakfast served at our table in front of a sunny window in a beautiful dining room with 18 foot ceilings. Siobhan, Kathleen’s engaged daughter (to Peter, a handsome (according to Donna – I didn’t meet him) sheep farmer from Cleggan, where we were yesterday) waited on us. We visited with Siobhan about ideas for today’s outings and her wedding in May of 2014. She is to be married in Peter’s barn on his sheep farm. After breakfast we drove the Sky Road Drive, right outside of Clifden. Then on to Connemara National Park where we climbed to the top of the local peak, Diamond Hill, actually a fairly steep climb. It was cold and lightly snowing, but it rains in Connemara a lot, so many times you can be here and not even really see the mountains, so we count ourselves lucky as it is a beautiful area. On the hike, we meet Bernice and Francis, a nice couple from Dublin. Francis took all of the pictures of the two of us that I included below (good job Francis!). Drove back to B&B via the Insagh Valley. Dinner at Marconi’s in Clifden – the best mussels we have ever had as an appetizer, big bowl of mussels in a fabulous sweet/hot coconut milk sauce.

Clear night, big full moon, and there was frost in the morning. Inverter died this morning – so no more curlers for Donna for this trip. Lingered over a delicious breakfast, visiting with Kathleen and Siobhan before heading out for Roundstone via a walk along the white sandy beach and turquoise studded waters of Dog Beach. In Roundstone there was a burned boat at the pier – it turns out there was an Irish film crew filming an Irish documentary there – they had burned the boat the night before and were doing follow up scenes. Roundstone is home to the only full time maker of traditional bodhrans (a percussion instrument played in traditional Irish music).

Connemara, yet another beautiful place to visit and stay on this wonderful trip.