The Bay of Galway

Chuck and I popped out of bed this morning in Ballina and took a short walk.  It was brisk.  First, we visited the beautiful waterfalls near the hotel, then on down the street and looped through a park.  We were ready for breakfast. One of the breakfast offerings was blood pudding (no thanks!).  We meandered south through the countryside.  We saw small pastures of sheep or cows with fences of stone or hedge.  Stopped at Westport which is a village that has been awarded the 'tidy village' award.  The Super Valu grocery was a small but very complete store where we grabbed a coffee to-go and a brown scone for Chuck and wandered up and down the mainstreet.  We got back on the bus and headed to Kylemore Abbey.  We passed peat fields where blocks of peat had been cut and were drying.  Also drove along the only Fijord in Ireland.  There were summer homes on each side of the seawater fijord, mussel beds below barrels floated in the water and lobster beds below platforms. The Kylemore Abbey was a huge stone castle built in 1867 by Dr. Mitchell Henry as a gift to his wife. The castle was purchased by the Benedictine Community in 1920 and turned into a convent and a boarding school for girls.  The school was closed in 2012.  The public rooms on the first floor were open for touring along with a Gothic church.  However, the highlight was the largest walled Victorian garden in Ireland.  It was spectacular especially with the plump pears and apples hanging on the trees along with ripe vegetables, beautiful flowers, and herbs.  We had a lunch of soup and bread.  Chuck had a savory scone this time.  On our way to Galway, we stopped at factory that processed Connemara Marble.  We were shown examples of all the different colors of marble quarried in the area.  Tonight we are in Connemara on the Bay of Galway.  We can look out our window and see the sea.  Today was simply gorgeous weather--blue skies and shirtsleeve weather.  The natives are in shock.  It is time to sign off.