Nora's England/Ireland Travels 2002
Sligo, June 13, 2002
Whew. We're back on line at last. The rain is unrelenting here. Have seen wet every day since leaving Maryland. As many times as we've been over here, I've never had such a chilly, wet visit.
Drove around Sligo some more yesterday, and visited Parke's Castle on Lough Gill. Amazing country, gorgeously rehabilitated castle. And though it was gray and wet, it was so dramatic, looking out over the misty lake and the cloudy mountains. Lots of woodland here, and would've enjoyed a hike in better weather.
We cut the day short, and went back to our own castle for tea. Must say that this establishment needs much improving on nearly every level. The spot itself is stunning. But that's about it. It's cold, clammy, shabby--and not in a charming sort of way. Big, empty rooms that need furniture and art and flowers. Did see some flowers, dead ones, in the lobby. LOL. Obviously from the weekend wedding, and no one thought to dispose of them or care for them. First time I've seen wilted, dead flowers in a hotel.
We had a nap, went down to dinner, packed and looked forward to getting out the following morning.
You can handle the weather if you've a nice place to relax. Shabby lodging, lousy weather equal annoyance.
Up and out in the morning, dragging our bags down many flights of stairs. Desk can't get credit card machine to work, phone don't work, staff is few and far between. But we finally manage it all and head out, taking a detour on our way to Galway to see Carrowkeel where there are passage tombs.
God, the flowers. Never can get over it. Lupines that have to be four feet high, in every color. Huge tumbling bushes of purple petunias, snow-in-summer dripping over stone walls.
We follow tiny signposts along windy roads, biding good-bye to Maeve's lump on the way. Turn off on a skinny, bumpy track between steep hills and grazing sheep. Peat bogs and rocky outcroppings. High, high, hills and our little ditch. It was wonderful.
We have to stop to open and close a sheep gate, and continue on, through potholes and puddles, up and up and up. I see yellow gorse and slices where they've cut the turf, and sheep that aren't the least bothered by our car. And islands of yellow iris. Can't figure out how they got there. We hit a little turnaround and park, high on a hill with a view of the surrounding hills and mountains, the layered gray sky, high, wild grass and bogs. And not a soul but us.
We walk a bit, but the wind is brutal--feels like winter--and it's about to blow me off the road. I just go back and sit in the car and look out over Sligo. We do see some impressive cairns above, but it's too nasty for the hike. It's enough just to bump along this ditch of a road with the sheep and the gorse.
Further south we stop at Boyle Abbey. One of the best preserved of its type in Ireland. I look around, read the literature, and think what a hard, austere life the monks led. Prayer and farming. That was about it for them.
We cut west. We drive through some of Roscommon, and stop at a little ruin of a fairy, with a cemetery off the road. A lovely, lonely place I actually like better than the big, impressive abbey in Boyle. I see some Sweeneys buried there, and think they might've been cousins.
We slice through Mayo, all gray skies, soft light, green hills and stone fences. It sprinkles rain on and off, but nothing major as we drive into Galway.
Many roundabouts take us around Galway City, and we find Glencoe Abbey. Even the sight of it lifts our spirits, as its tidiness, its rather regal spread before Lough Corrib makes us feel we'll be fine here for the next eight days.
Gorgeous gardens, well tended, and an impressive set of stairs to the entrance to a lovely little lobby. It smells floral and fresh rather than dank and musty. Ahhhh. We're welcomed and shown up to our room immediately. Lovely pencil sketches framed on the walls, nice carpet, stunning antiques. Flowers that still live in their vases.
And our suite is gorgeous, with a sweeping view of the lake and gardens. A lovely big bed with an airy duvet rather than the little plank with threadbare blankets of our previous stop. We're told Hillary Clinton stayed in this suite on her visit, and if it's good enough for her, etc. There's a fireplace in the parlor, and the showers have hot and cold water--the last place you scalded yourself whatever the setting. Big cushy chairs, pretty colors, a lovely fruit plate to welcome us. We're SO happy to be here.
We go down to the bar--two of them here--and have a little bit of food and drink. Restored! Tonight, we've booked dinner in the dining car on the property--the same one used for filming Murder On The Orient Express. Should be fun.
Weather remains doubtful, but we'll be happy enough to hunker in here for a day, read or write or meander, and maybe take a trip into Galway City for shopping.
Lots of smiling faces here rather than the few sort of frantic ones we saw on the small staff in Sligo. I'm going to go enjoy my view.
ADWOFF > Nora's Travelogues > England/Ireland 2002 > Sligo, June 13, 2002
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