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The day after arriving in Galway we set out to visit the Kylemore Castle and Victorian Walled Garden. This was probably the first time we came face to face with the reality of Irish folks' form of directions. The people of Ireland are so very warm and helpful that they sometimes overinflate their knowledge of the terrain, how much time is needed to get somewhere and what roads to take. This was also the first time it really set in that Ireland does not have road signs to speak of......nope......no advertisements for tourist attractions, NO street signs posted, no signs that say "you're getting closer!!!!!!". If it was not for the GPS we would still be driving around the hiils of the Isle!
Oops, I digressed. What we thought would be a relatively short trip turned into a whole day but of incredible magic. The drive was beautiful.... hill after rolling hill carpeted in green and populated with sheep of all sizes and personalities. We drove and drove and drove and finally came to the side road which would take us to the Abbey only to find ourselves on a windy, bumpy, narrow (Ireland redefines the word narrow) road that went for even more miles. Finally turning one last bend we were overcome with the scene pictured above......breathtaking. As if sprouted from the mountain side fully grown was a dream-like Gothic castle fronted by a mirrored lake and sourrounded by nature at its very best.
The castle was originally built as a family home but never realized as such due to a history of misfortune. In 1920 it became home to the Benedictine nuns who fled Belgium during the WWI. For a while they used it as a private school for girls; the nuns still inhabit it and oversee the Walled Garden, the on-site chapel and the castle itself.
We brought a picnic with foods we purchased earlier in the day at Galway's farmer's market (Irish cheeses are fabulous and we enjoyed tasting and choosing for our lunch at the castle.) We walked along the lake front which was surrounded by in your face hills and row after row of different types of trees and flowers which we later found out had been imported from far away places. We had a tour of the castle which was a bit anticlimatic when compared to the aura of the building itself but the tranquility and spirituality of the interior was hard to ignore.
The day was passing quickly by the time we walked next door to the Victorian Walled Garden comprised of five acres of meticulously manicured grass, shrubs, herbs and flower beds. We were the only visitors in the garden which felt like a private showing of colorful gems. Sometimes hyper manicured gardens can feel stuffy and unnatural but this garden was peaceful and welcoming and a gift to the senses.
We capped the day off with dinner in downtown Galway at KC Blake's Brasserie which was housed in a medieval structure in the Latin Quarter. The building was used as the county jail from 1586 to 1810. Not the best food of the trip but we ate outside while watching locals and visitors blend together moving from pub to pub, taking the beer with them. The feeling was jovial and festive as it had been a warm day with lots of sun and people just couldn't get enough of the freedom great weather brings.
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