May 16

May 16 Ireland 2016: Day 4

Today was quite the day. We woke up in Sligo and ventured down for breakfast. Everyone got porridge but me and I did something crazy. I tried black pudding. Weird.

Sligo breakfast compete with black pudding

I don't even want to think about what it was, so I'll skip the ingredients. Google it of you really want to know.

From breakfast, we loaded up the stuff into the car and went shopping for the morning before getting on the road. Mom and sis bought souvenirs and sent postcards, but most interesting was our trip to a local woodworker.

The thing that makes this so unique is its name. You see, my sister's married name is Quirk, so naturally when she saw it, she was thrilled. This was the coolest stop in Sligo by a long shot! He regaled us with stories about Ireland and Celtic folklore and proceeded to carve us done small wood pieces just for being there. My guess is its because my sister was family.

Beautiful triskellion hand carved at Quirke's shop in Sligo, Ireland

Wandering around, we found shops and interesting things to look at and made for the car. We set the course for the Quiet Man Bridge outside of Galway and ended up stumbling on something amazing.

Apparently, Ashford Castle has been completely renovated and now boasts a hotel. Unless you're staying in the hotel our are scheduled for afternoon tea, you are not allowed inside. You can, however wall the grounds.

Gorgeous gates of Ashford Castle in southern Ireland

The grounds are expansive to say the least, but gorgeously maintained and meticulously groomed. We loved strolling through the gardens.

Perfectly groomed gardens at Ashford Castle in southern Ireland

All the way inn the back of the gardens is a falconry. That's right! Ireland's School of Falconry is housed on the Ashford Castle grounds. They were long closed when we showed up, but it was still a neat facility.

Ireland's School of Falconry at the back of the Ashford Castle grounds

After what felt like the largest plot of land any of us had walked, we ambled back to the car and made for the bridge again after some debate over lodging for the night. We eventually agreed to wing it and hit the road. Mile after mile of rolling hills and waterways, we ended up at the bridge.

It takes about thirty seconds to experience this icon of American cinema and then you're stuck with "where do we go now?" Back on the road we went and ended up in Galway running about looking for a hotel room.

My mom looking in a B&B website trying to find someone to answer the door

Along the way, we see this gorgeous abbey that's been renovated into a hotel, so of course we stop. We know it'll be more than we can afford, but why not, right? The worst they can do is tell us no. So, I asked who's going in to check and I was, of course, nominated.

This place is pretty ritzy, ok, so understand I felt underdressed to be in there. I got out of the car and pulled out my lip ring, straightened up my hair and such a bit before walking in. Turns out it was too expensive, but the point of the story is that on my return to the car, what do I notice about myself? My buttons are mismatched! That's right, I just walked into a 200 Euro a night hotel with every effort to look presentable and all with a crooked button down shirt on! If you look closely in this picture, you can tell. The left side is lower.

The gorgeous gates at Ashford Castle and a cop of Tim Horton's coffee, complete with a mismatch buttoned shirt that no one noticed all day!

We struggled but eventually triumphed. Thank you pirated internet connection from the parking lot of a hotel that was booked and had free, unsecured wifi. We were officially good to go.

Now, we're resting up in our massive room, built for 4 and we each have our own bed!

Tomorrow should hold true to the adventure theme as we're headed to the Cliffs of Moher and then onto Cork to catch our flights Wednesday morning to London. Shoulda be another fun filled day.

Thanks, y'all!