August 3 - Belfast, Northern Ireland
Once again we had the same tour as Jan and Tom, so we got on the same bus for the drive to the Grey Abbey. There are different stories about how it got the name. One says its from the grey garments worn by the monks. Another says it was from the many crows that would settle on the roof making it look gray from a distance. I forget all of the details, but it was founded in 1193 by a woman in thanks to God for delivering her safely to land after a storm at sea. The guides are all volunteers and they were good, if a bit talkative. One of them took the part of a monk and shared information in the form of a quiz. What it looked like when it was operating. Here's the "monk" The ruins were impressive The original abbey had an herb garden for medicinal purposes which has been moved now to the other side near ...