Last Great Escape

This past weekend was a three day 'bank holiday' weekend here in Ireland. Periodically during the year we get 3 day weekends known as bank holidays. They are often associated with an old holiday - May Day, Halloween, harvest, etc, but we don't know all the roots. Travis is convinced sometimes they are just because everyone needs a day off to go play (especially during the summer!). If you recall we took advantage of the May bank holiday to scurry off to Scotland, for the June bank holiday we stayed closer to home (no more ankle swelling plane rides for me thank you) and drove out to the Galway/Connemara area for some R&R.
We've been out to that part of the country before, but had skipped the busier sections and did more hiking/scenic things. This trip we massively splurged on a stay in a fancy-schmancy castle and headed for the big tourist attractions in the area.
Our hotel was unbelievable, we did feel we got our moneys worth! I would definitely recommend it if you feel like splurging - Ballynahinch Castle http://www.ballynahinch-castle.com/ Our 'room' was bigger than our current apartment, with a truly huge bed. Also a dressing room and bathroom that was bigger than most decent hotel rooms! The bath was so big Travis opted to go for a dip, he could quite comfortably stretch out - while watching TV on the built in flat screen bathroom TV. The service was impeccable, the food stellar, and none of our bizarre requests even merited a batted eye!
We did day trips from the castle to Galway, the Aran Islands, the Burren, and the Cliffs of Moher. All were quite lovely, but I will admit we looked forward to going back to our weekend castle home each night. We lucked out with the weather, normally the west coast is quite damp, we experienced blue skies and mild temperatures the entire trip.
Now it's back to the daily routine again, I'm packing our few belongings in anticipation of the move next week and Travis is back working on staying sane at the plant. My mobility is rapidly declining, good thing we're getting closer to arrival day! Travis and I can't wait to meet the new one, although I will admit I'm a little worried about the activity levels - the baby never seems to rest and I'm pretty sure that won't change once he joins us!
There are just a few pictures from this weekend -