IRELAND: MOHER, CASHEL AND KILKENNY

After visiting Galway, the Aran Islands and Connemara National Park, we rent a car to visit more fantastic places and landscapes in Ireland: the Cliffs of Moher, Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny Castle during the following two days.

Monday, 25 August 2008

• Galway (starting point)
• Cliffs of Moher
• Bunratty Castle
• Limerick (endpoint of the day)

That's the route we started this day. Our first stop was the Cliffs of Moher. We had arrived at Galway by plane and we returned to Dublin by car

Cliffs of Moher

Cliffs of Moher are Irland's most spectacular coastline. However they are less breathtaking than those of Aran Islands because here nobody can approach the edge

Standing 214 meters high and 8 kilometers long, this Cliffs boast one of the most amazing views in Ireland

Video in Cliffs of Moher. The day was so windy that my voice can hardly be heard

Bunratty Castle

Bunratty Castle near Limerick. This castle was built in 1425. Within its grounds is Bunratty Folk Park, which is a stunning recreation of 19th century Irish life, with farmhouses, two watermills, church, blacksmiths forge and village street which includes pubs, school house, and shops

Limerick

Night view of the Shannon river from the window of our hotel room in Limerick

Tuesday, 26 August 2008

• Limerick (starting point)
• Rock of Cashel
• Kilkenny (endpoint of the day)

Rock of Cashel

Rock of Cashel has a very ancient history, although only documented since the 4th century. The large Cathedral, ancient round tower and the very early Romanesque Cormac's chapel were silent witnesses to many important events of Irish history

St. Patrick's cross in Rock of Cashel

Another view of Rock of Cashel from a nearer point

The large Cathedral and the ancient round tower can be seen better here

Hore Abbey near Rock of Cashel surrounded by typical vast green fields of Ireland

Kilkenny

Built in the 19th century, St Mary's Cathedral has a fine tower 65 meters high and beautifully crafted altars

Kilkenny Castle was built in 12th century and its structure retains the lines of a mediaeval fortress. It forms three sides of a quadrangle. Three of its four original round corner towers still remain. In recnt years it was restored and opened to the public

There is a vast green area in front of the castle ideal to spend a pleasant time with children or friends

Located at the south-eastern end of the city, Kilkenny Castle is a magnificent building built on high ground beside the river

Our Break and Breakfast in Kilkenny was the white house on the right. And the sky-blue car which can be seen was the car we rent in Ireland. It was a Toyota Auris

After this journey from Galway to Kilkenny, we drove from Kilkenny to Dublin to spent there the two last days of our trip.

Finally, clicking on the next links you can come back to the other posts about this trip in Ireland:

• Galway and the Aran Islands
• Connemara National Park
• Cliffs of Moher, Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny Castle
• Dublin

Other great cities and countries I have visited are:

• Barcelona
• Berlin
• New York and Washington
• London
• Istanbul in Turkey
• Saint Petersburg
• Rome and The Vatican
• Paris
• Florence in Tuscany
• Lisboa in Portugal
• Madrid
• Venezia
• Dubrovnik in Croatia

• The Greek Islands and Athens
• Bruges, Ghent and Brussels in Belgium

• Helsinki and Lapland in Finland

• Tallinn in Estonia

• Tortuguero, Caribe, Arenal, Monteverde and San José in Costa Rica

• Marrakech in Morocco

IRELAND: CONNEMARA NATIONAL PARK

After visiting Galway and the Aran Islands the previous days, we spent a fantastic day in Connemara National Park. In this National Park we visited the Killary fjord, the Irland's only fjord and we enjoyed really beautiful landscapes, especially near the Kylemore Abbey, as you will see in the following pictures.

Sunday, 24 August 2008

Galway - Connemara National Park

This picture was taken from our coach a few minutes later after we left Galway. We were going to Connemara National Park

A typical picture of Ireland with lonely houses are surrounded by vast green fields under threatening clouds

Connemara National Park is a region where lakes are everywhere. These lakes give an special charm to this area

Our coach's destination was Kylemore Abbey. But before reaching this place, our guide and driver stopped two times to take some picture and this was the first one. We had to hurry up because he gave us only two or three minutes. Luckily it wasn't raining :)

Another picture of the landscape taken from our coach between the two stops we did before reaching the Kylemore Abbey


Our second stop was beside Killary fjord, the Irland's only fjord. Although this fiord looks like a lake in this picture, it really is a long narrow inlet of the sea

The Killary fjord is 16Km long and is home of mussel farms

Another photo taken from our coach. Landscapes were so beautiful that I didn't stop taking pictures from our coach

To take this picture our driver stopped but nobody was allowed to get off, so we had to take pictures of the Kylemore Abbey through the window of our coach

We reached finally the magnificent Kylemore Abbey after two hours of coach trip. Nestled in amongst the tranquil and almost idyllic mountainous landscape at Kylemore, we absorbed the relaxed paceful atmosphere while walking in one of Ireland's most romantic scenic areas

This neo-Gothic church built near the Kylemore Abbey is a real tiny Cathedral

This beautiful church was built by Mitchell Henry in memory of his wife, who died prematurely

The Kylemore Abbey was before a castle, the Kylemore castle, which was built by Mitchell and Margaret Henry had inherited from his father a fortune and used this money to built a magnificent castle with gardens where they could enjoy a calm and pleasant life with their nine sons


The Kylemore Abbey is located in a really beautiful environment, beside a lake and surrounded by mountains

During our return journey we stopped one more time to enjoy admiring more landscapes

After these days in Galway and Connemara National Park, we rent a car to visit more fantastic places in Ireland: the Cliffs of Moher, Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny Castle during the following two days.

Finally, clicking on the next links you can come back to the other posts about this trip in Ireland:

• Galway and the Aran Islands
• Connemara National Park
• Cliffs of Moher, Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny Castle
• Dublin

Other great cities and countries I have visited are:

• Barcelona
• Berlin
• New York and Washington
• London
• Istanbul in Turkey
• Saint Petersburg
• Rome and The Vatican
• Paris
• Florence in Tuscany
• Lisboa in Portugal
• Madrid
• Venezia
• Dubrovnik in Croatia

• The Greek Islands and Athens
• Bruges, Ghent and Brussels in Belgium

• Helsinki and Lapland in Finland

• Tallinn in Estonia

• Tortuguero, Caribe, Arenal, Monteverde and San José in Costa Rica

• Marrakech in Morocco

IRELAND: GALWAY AND THE ARAN ISLANDS

I have great memories of the days I spent in Ireland in 2008. The landscapes are wild and fascinating, people is really nice and kind and the towns we visited were charming. I strongle recommend this beautiful island to spend some lovely days.

From Galway Airport to our Bed and Breakfast in Galway we could begin to see, from the window of our coach, landscapes of Ireland like this one

Interesting places I visited in Ireland

1. Galway
2. The Aran Islands (Impressive cliffs)
3. Connemara National Park
4. Cliffs of Moher
5. Bunratty Castle
6. Rock of Cashel
7. Kilkenny Castle
8. In Dublin:

• Guinness Storehouse
• Temple Bar
• Trinity College
• Dublin Castle
• St Patrick's Cathedral
• O'Connell Street

Friday, 22 August 2008

Galway

After doing the check-in in our Bed and Breakfast we returned to the city centre of Galway to go for a pleasant walk. Before we arrived to the centre, we saw this small green area beside this river. We stopped there to take some pictures

From the same point of the previous photo, but this time looking at the sea, we took this panoramic image, where the Spanish Arch can be seen on the left

Here is me walking along the Shop Street in Galway. That afternoon there were a lot of people in the streets, so Galway was really lively

The Collegiate Church of St. Nicholas is the largest medieval parish church in Ireland. Founded in 1320, this Church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Myra, the patron saint of seafarers

Galway Cathedral is the last stone cathedral of its kind constructed in western Europe. As it was built with stone, this cathedral looks quite sturdy

Another view of the Galway Cathedral. Built in the Renaissance style, the money for the Cathedral was raised by the locals who purchased and donated each stone one by one

Eyre Square is a small park rather than a square and the ideal place to meet friends or to spend a pleasant time with children

Saturday, 23 August 2008

Galway - The Aran Islands

This is the view from Dún Arann Lighthouse and Signal Tower, located on the highest point of the island. We had rent a bike but the slope of the track was so steep that we had to walk up

Another view from the same point, but now to the left. This is the east coast of the island. The stone lines which can be seen in this image and in the previous one were the limits of the property of each family

This is the Dún Arann Lighthouse and Signal Tower in Aran Islands

Here is me with my bike jeje :) Then I think we were already absolutely wet because of the rain. It had been raining since we had rent our bikes 

Spectacular cliffs in the Aran Islands. There is no fence or wall which forbids somebody to approach up to the edge, how the man in the image has done. Although it can't be seen, here it's the Dún Aonghasa too, which is the most spectacular semi Circular Celtic Stone fort in Europe

Unfortunately the weather was absolutely bad. It was raining and foggy. With this weather we had to go down for twenty minutes up to we were required to leave our bikes. Obviously we had went as far as our bikes completely wet

After riding for a while we reached this place in the east coast of the island. This location is ideal for a family picnic provided that the weather was good

In the same place of the previous image, seals are clearly visible at low tide. This was our last stop. From here we rode up to pier and, after 45 min of ferry and 45 min more of coach, always wet, we reached our Break and breakfast for a hot shower :)

After this rainy day in the Aran Islands, the next day we would visit the beautiful Connemara National Park.

Finally, clicking on the next links you can come back to the other posts about this trip in Ireland:

• Galway and the Aran Islands
• Connemara National Park
• Cliffs of Moher, Rock of Cashel and Kilkenny Castle
• Dublin

These are the Bed and Breakfast and Hotels I booked in Ireland:

- Galway
Anach Cuain Bed and Breakfast
102 Father Griffin Road, Galway
Phone: 00353 91 588760
Mobile: 00353 86 1733407
Email: anachcuain@gmail.com


- Limerick
Jurys Inn Limerick
Lower Mallow Street, Limerick
Phone (+353 61) 207000
Fax (+353 61) 400 966

- Kilkenny
Banvilles Bed and Breakfast
49, Walkin Street, Kilkenny
Phone: 056 777 0182

- Dublin
Ripley Court Hotel
37, Talbot Street, Dublin
Phone: +353 1 836 58 92
Fax: +353 1 856 11 82

Finally other great cities and countries I have visited are:

• Barcelona
• Berlin
• New York and Washington
• London
• Istanbul in Turkey
• Saint Petersburg
• Rome and The Vatican
• Paris
• Florence in Tuscany
• Lisboa in Portugal
• Madrid
• Venezia
• Dubrovnik in Croatia

• The Greek Islands and Athens
• Bruges, Ghent and Brussels in Belgium

• Helsinki and Lapland in Finland

• Tallinn in Estonia

• Tortuguero, Caribe, Arenal, Monteverde and San José in Costa Rica

• Marrakech in Morocco

CATALONIA: SANTA PAU

Near the Pyrenees, La Garrotxa is a beautiful region in Catalonia where you can enjoy amazing landscapes, visit lovely medieval villages and walk through beautiful mountains and volcanoes.

During the three days we spent there, we enjoyed the following villages and activities:

• Castellfolit de la Roca
• Trekking in Sant Aniol d'Aguja
• Besalú at night
• Gorge of Molí de Murris
• Vall de'n Bas Viewpoint
• Santa Pau

Santa Pau is a medieval village of 14th century located in the heart of The Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa, with important elements like Santa Margarida Volcano, Croscat Volcano or La Fageda de'n Jordà (a beech forest).

Its walls, its  medieval Castle of the Barons of Santa Pau and its narrow and irregular streets give this village a distinctly medieval character.

In the center of the old town is the church of Santa Maria, with its imposing bell tower, built in the fifteenth century in Gothic style. Besides this church you will find The Plaza Mayor (Main Square) or Firal dels Bous, an arcaded square of irregular arches arranged around the castle, which makes it today one of the best preserved medieval squares in Catalonia.

Castle of the medieval village of Santa Pau in Catalonia

Romanesque church of Santa Pau with its gothic bell tower

Arcaded Square and church of Santa Pau

Typical houses of Santa Pau 

Bell tower of the church of Santa Pau and some of the arches arranged around the castle

Bell tower of the romanesque church of Santa Pau from its castle

Nice corner of Santa Pau in Catalonia

Narrow street of Santa Pau in Catalonia

 Relaxing views from Santa Pau

Near Santa Pau, inside the Volcanic Region of La Garrotxa there are more interesting routes like:

• Olot - Fageda d'en Jordà - Can Xel
• Joan Maragall - La Fageda d'en Jordà
• Santa Pau - Santa Margarida Vulcano - Can Xel
• Croscat Vulcano
• Montsacopa Vulcano
• Sant Feliu de Pallerols, route inside the village

Near this region you can also spend fantastic days in other beautiful places in the Pyrenees, like:

• La Vall de Núria
• La Vall de Camprodon
• Ripoll Monastery
• La Garrotxa - Olot -Vall de'n Bas
• Girona
• Banyoles
• Besalú
• Medieval village of Beget

If you liked these landscapes, clicking on the next links you will find links to other fantastic places in the Pyrenees of Catalonia, Andorra and France, like:

- Catalonia:

• Aigüestortes National Park and La Vall de Boí
• Aigüestortes and Llac de Sant Maurici National Park
• Castellar de N'Hug and Fonts del Llobregat
• Port del Comte
• La Seu d'Urgell
• Puigcerdà

- Andorra:

• Andorra and La Seu d'Urgell
• Andorra Vallnord Ski Resort
• Andorra Vallnord Arinsal and Arcalís
• Andorra Grandvalira Grau Roig Ski Resort

- France:

• Medieval village of Collioure
• Carcassonne
• Canal du Midi and Pays Cathare
• Gorges de la Fou and Coustouges
• Villefranche de Conflent

Finally, more interesting medieval villages and places you can visit in Catalonia would be:

• Pals and Peratallada
• Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery

• Siurana
• Montblanc
• Poblet Monastery
• Guimerà
• Solsona
• Cardona
• Rupit and Tavertet
• Pantà de Sau
• Miravet
• Mura
• Santes Creus Monastery