Beautiful Kylemore Abbey.
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Day 3: Galway
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
SCHEDULE:
7:30am Breakfast at the hotel
8:30am Depart for a tour of Connemara
11:00am Arrive at Kylemore Abbey & change into concert dress
12:00pm Full lunch-time concert in the Gothic Church of Kylemore Abbey
1:30pm Lunch on your own at the Abbey
2:30pm Sightseeing of the Abbey and Gardens
4:30pm Depart to Galway
6:30pm Dinner at the hotel
Written by Katy Kammerdiener
Today, most of us woke up around 6:00 or 6:30, though maybe some stayed asleep longer…
Breakfast was amazing, as almost all of us got the “Full Irish.” Now, let me explain this “Irish Breakfast.” Unlike much of Europe, the Irish do make a BIG deal out of breakfast. Sausage, eggs, salted ham, tomatoes, beans, and much more. It came with the basic continental breakfast, which was very good as well. That included bread, toast, jam cereal, and lots of fruit.
After breakfast, we went to the abbey, but on the way, we had a wonderful time listening to Sean Kelly, our tour guide for the day, describe the beautiful scenery that was laid out before us. He told us many things a way, and pointed out things such as the replica of the thatch house from Quiet Man, and one of girls had actually heard of the movie. There were many sheep set along the scenery, and the lambs of course evoked very female-like responses. Sean informed us that the proper word for “baby sheep!” was, in fact, “lamb”.
After seeing the rock-studded rolling green hills, as well as stunning ponds and lakes, streams and rivers, we arrived at Kylemore Abbey & Garden. After taking an extended bathroom break (only two stalls), we went to do a brief warm-up in the neo-gothic church. We did a 40-minute concert, with a full audience, and the spirituals were of course a hit with the locals.
We toured the gardens afterwards, and the rest of the church, and of course went shopping at the gift shop. Personally, I purchased a rugby shirt--the Irish Ladies Team--and after figuring out the weird sizes, I had to exchange it, but most others had no troubles.
We took the “scenic route” (it’s Ireland, it’s all scenic!) on the way back to the hotel (the short route was two hours.) Sean managed to acquire some turf, and we all (well, those of us not recovering from jet lag…) got to touch the fuel-providing material.
We made it in time for dinner, and it was raining. Our group leader decided to take us for a walk in order to see the town and shop, though very few shops were open. For those of us who didn’t know that the Girls Choir jackets aren’t waterproof, they quickly found out.
Some of us managed to get back to the hotel quickly afterwards, but others of us clustered in groups and took longer to make it back. We finally all made it back, but not before one of the girls bought a two-liter bottle of Diet Coke.
When we got back, Grace lived up to her name and ran into a glass door, trying to get out to the patio. Then we all went to bed. Well, in theory…
Beautiful Kylemore Abbey.
Lots of chances for scenic pictures at the abbey!
Ready to sing in the Gothic Church at Kylemore Abbey.
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