Donegal

As I've mentioned, my mom and her friend Susie came to visit me for a few weeks to help me pack up everything and to travel around and see a bit of Ireland. They got here on the 20th of May and we spent the first few, surprisingly hot, days of their trip in Galway. Since the weather was so nice, we spent most of our time outside, wandering around the farmer's market, strolling the promenade alongside the bay, and just exploring the streets of Galway.

After that, we started the first bit of our Ireland exploits in the Northwest area around Donegal. The area in the North is very rocky and filled with steep mountains. It isn't as green as some of the other parts of Ireland but it is still very impressive. While in Donegal we visited the city's castle, drove around and saw some nice landscapes, and stopped at a few iconic landmarks. The best part of this outing, however, had to be our accommodation. We stayed in the most beautiful castle just a few miles outside of Donegal. It is called Markree Castle and it is almost 400 years old and has been completely restored and turned into a hotel. The building itself is gorgeous and the inside is ornately decorated with everything being kept as close to the original design as possible. The grounds of the castle were also really amazing and so much fun to explore.

Markree Castle and Grounds:















After our short visit to Donegal and Markree we came back to Galway, moved out of my apartment, and set off to see the rest of Ireland. More to come later!