this girl went glamping!

Originally the girls in my office (Alena, Jodi and Sue) and I planned to visit Belfast this past weekend.  Unfortunately this particular weekend wasn't entirely safe to be in the city as the Protestant Orange parades take place on July 12 each year.  So instead we decided to go glamping! And by we, I mean I was so overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the idea of "glamorous camping" that the other girls didn't have the heart to tell me, "No!" We made a road trip out of our weekend and got lost in the Irish countryside following the brown signs that indicate a place worthy of a few extra kilometers of driving time.

Along the West Coast of Ireland we stopped at a coastal village called Strandhill.  Sue had arranged for us to have seaweed baths and steams in a well known spa called Voya. I had never been to a spa, let alone had a seaweed bath, so I was a little weary about what it would be like.  When I thought about slimy, green algae I could only envision using it as an instrument to win a water fight in the ocean. It seemed a bit silly to go sit in a bathtub full of seaweed when you could just as easily walk across the street and have a sit in the cold saltwater.

To my pleasant surprise the baths were not cold but warm and incredibly relaxing.  The seaweed was smooth and soft, anything but slimy as I imagined. Of course with all the seaweed we looked swamp things or in this case an ocean things, not exactly glamorous!  After being caught in a rainstorm on the walk from the parking area, the warmth of the bath was a welcome respite from the chill.  Strandhill reminded me of a smaller, quaint version of my home away from home in New Hampshire.  The slate gray ocean water lapping against a beach dotted with rocks made for exploring, left a calming effect in my soul.  We had a thought to jump in the ocean after our baths, but I made do with putting my toes in.  

Beside Voya was a little cafe and bake shop which was recommended, called Shell's Cafe.  We stopped here for lunch before jumping back into the car for our journey.  What I loved about this place was the decor.  It reminded me of sea glass.  The cool colors and relaxing atmosphere were beachy and wonderful.  They had colanders hanging as light fixtures and mason jars holding wild flowers on every table.  Mismatched chairs and a menu of homemade breads, organic coffee and locally sourced produce make this a must-see for anyone planning a future trip to Ireland.  

On a wim, we decided to head to WB Yeats' grave as we were making our way to the Pink Apples camp site(who couldn't love that name).  While driving Sue and Jodi started reciting "The Lake Isle of Innisfree" a Yeats poem, which was ingrained in them during primary school. 

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

W. B. Yeats, 1865 - 1939

I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, 

And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made: 

Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee;

And live alone in the bee-loud glade. 

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;

There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow, 

And evening full of the linnet’s wings. 

I will arise and go now, for always night and day

I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;

While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey, 

I hear it in the deep heart’s core.

Those two made it as far as the first stanza and couldn't recall the rest. His grave was at a small church in Drumcliffe at the foot of the Benbulben mountain. What was of interest to me was the inside of the church. There was no center aisle. The pews were wooden and connected in the middle leaving no room for a pathway. In all my life, granted it is only a short 24 years, I haven't seen a configuration like this. Another fact worth mentioning was his wife's name, George. After seeing this I had a craving to read a Nancy Drew mystery novel (or twelve) from my childhood.  Visiting Yeats's grave and the live recitation of the Lake Isle of Innisfree led to a detour to visit the actual island Yeats describes in the poem.  

All this time our cell phone service was dreadful, luckily the SAT NAV always knew where we were or we would be up a creek without a paddle.  As we were traveling the winding grass-lined country roads big, brown signs pop up randomly advertising(sort of) an Irish Heritage site of interest.  As we we had no time frame or arrival times at the glamping site, we followed quite a few for fun.  Now these signs would appear at intersections pointing you in the correct direction and then disappear for a considerable amount of time.  So we just trusted that we would eventually find these destination spots.  In doing this we happened upon the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen.  Okay, so it is the only waterfall I have ever seen. 

As we pulled into the carpark, which was surrounded by a sheep farm (don't worry Em I didn't bring you a new pet!)it started to drizzle.  Luckily Sue pulled us from the car or we never would have seen this amazing natural beauty.  The trek took about five minutes but it was worth the damp layer of clothes for the view.  Our last stop before Pink Apples was the Lake Isle of Innisfree. This was the most backroads driving I have experienced so far in Ireland. It honestly felt as if we were intruding on someone's private property as the road was completely deserted and turned out to be a dead end(which we found out the hard way!) As we rounded a corner, the road just stopped. At the edge of the lake. We almost drove onto the dock. Now there was a sign indicating this situation, but it was hidden by the overgrown bushes on the left side of the paved way. See that little yellow/gold sign there? At the point where you could read this sign, the warning was inconsequential.  It would be common sense not to drive into the lake.  After this little detour, we headed straight for the campgrounds. 

We covered so much in just the beginnings of the trip, that I'll give y'all some time to digest it all and maybe do a little googling to see a bit more.  I'll tell you all about Jessie, Martin and Agnes tomorrow.  Happy reading!