Saturday morning we were up bright and early waiting for the bus to pick us up to take us on our second group field trip. Our first stop was Diamond Hill located in Connemara, Galway. To reach the top of the Diamond Hill takes about two hours. A small group of us decided to take on the challenge even though it was very windy, foggy and misty. On the way up we ran into three young men who told us that there was noway we would make it to the top. We were offended at first, and thought they were underestimating our hiking skills, but as we kept hiking up the hill we realized that the men weren't trying to be mean and that they didn't make it to the top either because the wind so strong. I have never felt wind this strong in my life! I had to sit down, or else I was going to be blown off the hill. The wind whipped so hard that it hurt when it smacked me in the face and I felt like I was in the middle of a hurricane.The few brave hikers and I went as far as we could until we couldn't walk or see anything. That's when we decided that it was no longer safe to climb the Diamond Hill in the weather conditions. On the way down the hill the stones were so slippery, that I fell twice and was soaked and covered in mud from head to toe. Don't worry, I survived! I was disappointed that I wasn't able to climb to the top of the hill due to the weather forecast but I know that it's better to be safe than sorry.
The next stop on our field trip was Kylemore Abby. Pictures cannot do this beautiful place justice. The Kylemore Castle was build by a very wealthy Dr. named Mitchell Henry. Dr. Henry bought the land and built the castle for his wife, Margaret. The Castle has seventy rooms, but unfortunately we were only allowed to explore the main floor. After Margaret got sick and died while traveling in Egypt, the Castle was sold to a duchess and Duke of Manchester and then became a school for girls, and eventually the Kylemore Abby. There was also a beautiful Cathedral, garden and the mausoleum that Mitchell and Margaret Henry are buried in on the estate. There was so much to see in so little time and I felt like I could have spent a whole day exploring the Abby and beautiful landscape.
After Kylemore Abby we traveled to to Westport where we spent the night at a hostel that we had all to ourselves, which was refreshing for a a change. Westport was definitely what you would call a "party town" and was an exciting town to stay for the night. The next day we traveled to Ceide fields. The fields were very interesting because they are known as the most extensive Stone Age mountains in the world. Unfortunately, It was so cold and the wind was so noisy, that I had a hard time hearing the tour guide.Our last stop was knock Shrine. It is claimed that an apparition of the Virgin Mary and Jesus appeared at this location in 1879. I explored the graveyard in this location where there were several tombstone that claimed the person had been a witness of the apparition of Jesus. As I wandered the graveyards, I found a few of them that had my ancestors name, Higgins and wondered if we could be related. By the end of the trip I was exhausted and ready to get back to sleep in my own bed in Spiddle.
Thursday is the beginning of Spring break and I will be traveling to Prague, Dublin and London! I am ecstatic to have the week off from school and explore! Stay tuned for next week! For now, Slainte!