Ireland: Part Three and the Giveaway

***To view the photobook of our trip, click here***

After spending one night on Doolin Brandon and I headed for Galway. We took a more scenic tour through the Burren which ended up being just a whole lotta nuthin'. We didn't stop at the scenic parts of the Burren to take pictures, we just sort of sped through it all. Before we knew it we were in Galway. For some reason I wasn't expecting Galway to be so damn big but it was. It was almost as big as Dublin. I had agreed to meet Mrs S. in Galway and we chose the King's Head pub, right in the middle of the shopping area of Galway. But Google Maps doesn't exactly show that the shopping area of Galway is skyscrapers and one-way streets. Thank God for our GPS. We found a parking garage and went shopping.

The shopping area in Galway is actually really nice, though there's quite a few high-end stores that we don't shop at. Because my flat iron wasn't working I was determined to get my hair fixed for that evening's Trad on the Prom show. So I found a cute salon and made an appointment for 4:30. We were scheduled to meet Mrs S. and her husband at 3 so we made our way over to the King's Head Pub. They were a bit late showing up but we didn't mind. We just sat at one of the outside tables and did some people watching. When the S's showed up we went inside for a few drinks and chatted. Unfortunately my hair appointment came too quickly and we had to say goodbye but it was fun getting to meet them!

This may sound silly but my hair appointment was one of the highlights of my trip. Those Irish hairdressers put my stylist to shame. For 30 euros I got a shampoo, blowdry and style. The chairs they had at the shampoo stations had massagers in them. The hairdresser offered me tea while I got my hair done, massaged my scalp during the shampoo and did one of the cutest (and quickest) styles on my hair. I was out of there in no time and we headed to our B&B to change into our evening gear.

After getting spruced up and setting up the tripod for a picture of the two of us we headed to the Salthill hotel for dinner and the show. Dinner was a fantastic 4-course meal with wine. I must mention here that Brandon and I don't drink wine. I hate the taste, it's so bitter to me. But I obligingly sipped on my wine throughout dinner (while holding my breath so the bitterness wouldn't shock me so much). Brandon was doing the same but about halfway through his glass he got this "fuck it" attitude and decided to just get it over with and downed the other half in one gulp. Classy. Then, of course, because he hadn't eaten anything for a while the wine kinda went to his head and he decided wine wasn't that bad after all. So he drank the rest of my wine as well. I don't even know why I take him out in public anymore.

So after our dinner we waited for a bit in the lounge until they were ready to start seating people for the show. It turned out to be a great show with music, singing and dancing (think Riverdance). I was just a little disappointed they didn't play Galway Girl, considering we were in Galway. But oh well. The show ended late and we went straight to our B&B to sleep.

The next morning we left Galway for the Connemara region. It's so completely different than Southwest Ireland. It's not as green but it's still beautiful. The mountains look more rocky and rugged and the scenery just looks more....wild. That's really the only way to describe it. We were headed for the Kylemore Abbey and on the way we saw a sign for the Quiet Man Bridge. The Quiet Man was a film that John Wayne played in. He was pictured on this very bridge and there was a signpost with his picture on it. Brandon and I decided to pull out the paddy cap I had brought my grandfather and replicate the picture. A bit touristy but it was fun. I also took some pictures of a pair of swans on the pond over the bridge. Little did I know that they had 5 babies with them! I noticed them as I was looking at the picture on my computer when we got home. I'm so glad I took the picture, they were so cute.

So we finally made it to Kylemore Abbey after dodging sheep walking along the road (being very careful not to hit the lambs that were snuggled on the warm pavement) and it was a very beautiful sight. Unfortunately the weather was crummy but we managed to walk through the gardens of the abbey without getting rained on. The nuns that live at the abbey (there's only 9 there now) grow their own herbs, vegetables and fruit in the gardens. After visiting there we went for a tour of the "house" (the abbey itself is offlimits). The Kylemore Abbey was originally built as a house and only in the early 1900's did it get bought by the nuns. There was also a Gothic church where the original owners of the house were buried. We walked to the church but didn't take many pictures because by then it was raining.

After Kylemore Abbey we headed to.....the castle! The Ballynahinch castle, the highlight of our trip and something we had been looking forward to for a very long time. I must say that we weren't disappointed. The reception area had a huge woodburning fireplace (we later found out that almost every room had a fireplace) and the reception was lovely. The butler showed us to our room which was on the newer wing of the castle, quite a walk from the main area but with its own private parking area. It was a bit amusing to park our little Fiat Panda among Jaguars, BMW's and even a Rolls Royce. The butler helped us with our bags and we were stunned when we walked into our room. It was a little slice of heaven. We had floor-to-ceiling windows with a door that walked out onto a brick patio and a view of the river. Our room had three telephones (one next to the toilet!) and a superb bathroom with a shower/tub combo as well as a separate shower. The tub was so wonderful, much longer than the American tubs you see. It had to be almost 6 feet long as my toes could barely touch the other end when I was in it. This was great for Brandon who's 6'4". We had a king size canopy bed and it was so nice that Brandon didn't even complain that the covers were a very feminine pink. We absolutely loved our room.

After getting unpacked we walked around the inside of the castle for a bit, checking out the enormous sitting rooms with fireplaces. Then we went into the pub for lunch. I ordered a cappacino with biscuits and got a cappacino with cookies (I forgot we were in Europe). Then for lunch I ordered the seafood chowder which was delicious as it came with the shells in the chowder. Yummy! After lunch we walked the castle grounds for a bit, walking along the river and the roads that led to the castle.

The next two days were spent doing absolutely nothing. We inquired about fly fishing lessons but that was 220 euros for just half a day...way out of our budget. Brandon and I drove around a bit, heading into Clifden once, but for the most part we hung around the castle. We ate lunch every day in the pub, I always ordered their roast beef sandwiches or the seafood chowder, and Brandon always tried something new. The late afternoons were spent lounging by the fireplace reading the books we brought with us (mine was Harry Potter of course). Then we'd go back to the pub for dinner (the restaurant was a little too formal for us). I ordered Irish beef and Connemara pork during my stay and they were both excellent. We also tried their homemade ice cream which I loved and homemade mint sorbet, which I didn't like. It was very overwhelming and had too many mint leaves in them. Our evenings were, again, spent by the fireplace or reading in bed. By the end of our stay our clothes stunk of smoke and coal because we had spent so much time next to the fireplace. But it was worth every penny. I would definitely go back if we get a chance.

And now for the giveaway! I gathered a few different things from Ireland for my giveaway and I hope you like them. They are:

A 2012 calendar of scenic Ireland
A box of shamrock shortbread cookies (Brandon and I ate a few boxes of these on our trip and they were delicious)
A Grow-Your-Own Four Leaf Clover kit
A bar of Heather and Moss soap, made in Ireland
Bonus: A free 8x8 Shutterfly book coupon code (must be used by July 30th)


HOW TO WIN:

Open to residents worldwide. Each entry must be left in a separate comment, otherwise it will only count as one entry. If your entry is not linked to a Google account please be sure to leave a valid email address along with your entry. If the winner does not respond after 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.

Mandatory Entry

Leave a comment stating what you would do or see if you took a trip to Ireland. **You must do this entry first or all other entries will be deleted!**

Additional Entries
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2) Blog about my giveaway and leave your link in the comment field
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Entries will be accepted through midnight EST on Monday, June 27, 2011. A winner will be selected on Wednesday the 29th. Good luck to all!