This part of Ireland was so dramatically beautiful and diverse. We started our day in Connemara, where we hiked Diamond Hill, a mountain within Connemara National Park. From there we had a view of the sea and many (or all) of the 12 Bens. At the top, we were fogged in by cloud after cloud, each moving so quickly that when I saw something I wanted to photograph and pulled my camera up to my face, the opportunity was gone because a cloud had shifted. Crazy! On the way back down we stopped for candy bars on the slope, with a view of Kylemore Abbey and stunning valleys. The hike was followed by our drive to Westport, the next and final destination before heading back to Dublin. This was another car ride where each view was more beautiful than the last, and we pulled over several times to get out and photograph and marvel at Ireland's loveliness. Once in Westport, we checked into our B&B and then went back out in search of a beach to explore (much like the previous day!) and ended up at the Bertra Strand, in the shadow of Croagh Patrick. This beach was windy and cold but rocky and wonderful too, and we again walked along with our necks bent down, searching for the most beautiful stones.
After our long day of walking, we got dinner in a Westport pub, where I *had* to get my last meal of bangers & mash of the trip ;)
I REALLY want to go to Ireland after looking through all your photos. I'm sad the sets are almost done! This one is particularly beautiful. I love the mountains and the sea and I miss them both terribly. You've done such an amazing job on all these photos!
ReplyDelete