Fairy Land

Today we set off with Anna, Sylva, and Norah to Brigit's Garden, an enchanting place less than an hour's drive away on narrow roads through the Connemara. (That's the traditional Irish-speaking area in the west of Ireland.) We saw several gray Connemara ponies along the route and had to pull over more than once as we met an oncoming vehicle so we could squeeze past each other on the road.

Brigit's Garden did not disappoint any of us. The girls donned their fairy wings and frolicked on the fairy hill and found evidence of a tree swing in the woods. We all marveled at the sun dial that tells you not only what time it is but what day of which month it is, and cheered when the sun moved into a patch of clear sky so we could see it work. The adults especially appreciated the beauty and symbolism of the gardens that celebrate each of the four seasons and the Celtic festivals that mark their beginnings: Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine, and Lughnasa.

We headed back to the small town of Spiddal where Steph found a knit wool "knee rug" (lap blanket) which she will haul around for the next two weeks as her special Irish memento and Ellen found a few special souvenirs as well. Then back to Park Lodge Hotel for a lovely dinner prepared by Anna.

It was a brisk day, a bit windy at times, but we saw patches of blue sky much of the day, a sight by no means promised at this time of the year on the west coast of any landmass.  We had clear views of Galway Bay at sunrise from our bedroom and again on our way back from Brigit's Garden. Much to be grateful for in that regard, though I can't share photos yet since the ones I captured are on my camera again, not my phone. But below is a photo of a postcard from Brigit's Garden, in the hope that it will give you some of the flavor of that place.