到Ｇalway度假时，參加Ｃonnemara& Gone Tour 之遊，沿途路愛爾蘭的湖光山色，既遼闊又美麗，尤其是Kylemore Abbey〈凱勒摩爾修道院〉與世隔絕的清幽景色，讓我記憶極深。
甫從遊覽車一下，這座依山傍水的古老灰色城堡，遠遠地矗立眼前，吸引了大家的目光，大家都嘖嘖稱奇，彷彿眼前是個美麗的仙境般！
沿湖而行，到了正門口，買了門票，記得是12歐元，開始了探險之旅。
藍色的蒼穹映著藍色的湖水，沈浸在這裡，彷彿，世界都靜止了，只剩下這一片幽深的藍----。
發現這兒佔地極廣，主要以古堡建築、教堂和花園為三大參觀主題，其他如步道、小徑，處處讓人有驚喜之景。
走累了，沿途有座椅供你歇息，坐在湖邊樹下歇息，微風輕拂，新葉飄香，我感覺到前所未有的幸福，可惜這裡的旅館已歇業，不然住在這裡，一定可以享受到更多自然的芬芳
我先參觀Gothic Church ，這是城堡主人Mitchell Henry為紀念其早逝的妻子Margaret而建，教堂以當地的大理石 仿英國Norwich大教堂而建，這座歌德式的教堂十分小巧可愛，一個人坐在裡面，感覺十分寧靜。
這座城堡外型十分恢弘，佔地很廣，內部設計精美，可以看得出第一任主人Mitchell Henry對整個房子布置的用心，現在第三任主人是比利時來的天主教本篤修女會，本來這兒還有女子寄宿學校，但三年前已停辦，現靠手工藝品和修道院參觀門票維持，當然教會的樂捐也是重要的收入。
主牆上掛滿歷年來Mother的照片，Mary Margaret Funk是現在的會長。
Kylemore Castle was built as a private home for the family of Mitchell Henry, a wealthy doctor from London , whose family was in textile manufacturing from Manchester, England . He moved to Ireland , when he and his wife, Margaret, purchased the land around the Abbey and became a politician, and was also an MP for County Galway from 1871 to 1885. The castle was designed by James Franklin Fuller and Ussher Roberts. Construction first began in 1867, and took one hundred men four years to complete. The castle covered approximately 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) with over 70 rooms and the principal wall was two to three feet thick. The facade measured 142 feet (43 m) in length and is made of granite brought from Dalkey by sea to Letterfrack and limestone from Ballinasloe. There were 33 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 4 sitting rooms, ballroom, billiard room, library, study, school room, smoking room, gun room and various offices and domestic staff residences for the butler, cook, housekeeper and other servants. Several other building including a Gothic cathedral and family mausoleum containing the bodies of Margaret Henry, Mitchell Henry and a great grand nephew.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kylemore_Castle
懶人我，其實是搭shuttle bus到花園的，花園的花剛種，並沒有預期花團錦簇的美景，不免有點失望。
草原上用繩編的黑面羊，乍看和沿途所見的黑面羊雷同，大概小朋友看到就會忍不住爬上去騎吧，可惜那天全車全是上了年紀的法國老人家，車上嘰嘰呱呱講的全是法文，讓我有身在法國的錯覺！
咖啡廳布置得很雅致，可惜時間有點趕，不然再這麼美麗的仙境喝咖啡，應是不錯的享受！
花園內各式各樣的椅子，是走累時最好的歇腳處。我東坐坐，西坐坐，其樂無窮，覺得他的藝術性應大於他的功能性吧。
