Day Two, Part One: Clare to Connemara

I usually forgo the traditional Irish breakfast and fill up on brown bread and toast (with much butter and jam). Toss in a yogurt and I am happy. For my first breakfast of the trip, I included a huge bowl of porridge. The rest of my party enjoyed their inaugural bacon, sausage, eggs, and puddings. High marks to the baked goods.

We lingered in Ballyvaughan most of the morning. I liked the Hylands Central Hotel - free wifi, comfortable beds, tasty breakfast. Ballyvaughan is a great town, too. Regan mentioned that it reminded her of Ireland in 1995 (our first trip to Ireland together). We would like to return, probably purchasing this property.



The only item on our day's agenda was tea with the McDonaghs in the afternoon, so we leisurely made our way to Connemara. It was a perfect, sunny day for the drive. As we drove through Galway City on our way to Spiddal, I felt like J.M. Synge. Well, I would have felt like J.M. Synge had I read his "Aran Islands and Connemara" before the trip. I had never been to this corner of Galway. Spectacular scenery along the north Galway Bay coast.

Regan snapped this photo outside of our lodging, Pádráigns in Furbo (a "suburb" of Spiddal). 80 km/h? Yikes.