Day 6 - Ireland 2013

This morning after breakfast we had a went out to Kylemore Abbey and Gardens.  We drove through the Connemara Region.  There were beautiful mountains on each side of the valley that the Abbey is in.  This is the area where "The Quiet Man" with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara was filmed in 1952.  As you can see we had wonderful blue skies all day.

 

On our way we stopped in  Oughterard because a couple of people needed a pharmacy and some needed to use the ATM.  One woman only brought US currency with her!  Some of us who had Euro's did a little retail therapy.

 

 

 As we drove to the Abbey we passed Killary Fjord.  They farm raise salmon in the fjord and there is also a boat tour that can be taken.

 

Beneath these buoys are five or six cages of salmon.  You can just make out a boat of people who are out there attending to the fish.

 

 

We had about 2.5 hours at Kylemore.  Some of us quickly grabbed a bite to eat in the cafeteria before starting out on the hike to the Abbey.  I went to the Abbey and then past it to the church that was built on the grounds.

First glimpse of the Abbey

 

I would have liked to look at the gardens, but I missed the shuttle and it was too far to walk and get back from in the 20 minutes I had left.  So I left that for another trip.

Tonight was the grand reception for the opening of the International Quilt Festival of Ireland. We had a champagne reception  at the Galway Bay Hotel.  We had a lovely dinner and Eleanor Burns received a beautiful crystal bowl.

Eleanor and Bonnie have both been staying at our hotel, so we have had the opportunity to see them and breakfast and visit with them.  Eleanor also went with us out to Kylemore Abbey as well.

After dinner we attended a program at the hotel called "Trad on the Prom."  Short I think for Traditions on the Promenade.  It was a wonderful Irish variety show.  They has 5 members in the band, 3 males dancers and 3 female dancers.  The music was wonderful and the dancing was good as well.  I picked up a couple of cd's from one of the pipe players and the girl percussionist, who was wonderful.

Champagne reception at Galway Bay Hotel. Almost 80 degrees this day.

It was a wonderful evening and got to meet women from all over the world.