connemara.

alright, alright - been busy and am trying to be on the computer the least amount possible, so things are getting a little backed up here. last friday (the 15th) we went for a trip around connemara, which is across galway bay from ballyvaughan. whereas the burren is full of alkaline limestone rock, connemara was formed by acidic volcanic rock so the landscapes are vastly different. in connemara the boulders all look like they've been folded over themselves again and again - so beautiful. also, we don't have any bogs over here in the burren, but connemara is full of peat bogs and above ground rivers. the colors of the grasses there are all brilliant oranges and deep reds - crazy how different places just miles from eachother can be. it was overcast and slightly misty all day, but we made a nine hour long loop going north first, then down along the west coast and finally inland back towards galway and around the bay to ballyvaughan.

we stopped in the little town of leenane early to have a tea or coffee and for gordon to read us a bit about the history of connemara, including the famine and cromwell and those sorts of things. above is looking out across the bay. like ballyvaughan, leenane's also sort of a one-intersection type of town.

gordon bestowing his wisdom upon us.


puppy! there are the most beautiful dogs here.

this is the only fjord in ireland! lots of seafood harvesting going on.



here are a few of many, many piles of peat that have been cut up and left to dry.
kylemore abbey. this was built at the height of the famine for someone's selfish wife, ignoring the thousands of people starving to death on the hills surrounding their vacation home. ouch. now it's a benedictine community for nuns.








we stopped in clifden for lunch. and i had the best panini of all time. goat cheese, black currant relish, other goodies... mmmmm. above are max in his white jumpsuit and then katie and brian. that pub was so good!!


we stopped at this magnificent beach in the afternoon, despite the drizzle and more crazystrong wind off the ocean. the sand here is quite different than most places because it's actually made of seaweed. when the seaweed dies in the ocean a part of it calcifies and then gets washed ashore and forms this weird sandless beach.


there was a big stream running into the ocean from inland.