Ashford Castle, Cong, County Galway, Ireland

Ordered at the incredible Ashford Castle about 45 minutes north of Galway, Ireland.

Apparently it rains here all the time. You would never known that, as we spent every day lapped in sunshine during our say in County Mayo, Ireland. How could one enjoy these 300+ acres of gardens if it’s raining all the time? I didn’t exactly know, nor did I desire to find out.

Sleeping through breakfast seemed to be our routine as we stayed mostly on the Boston time zone…. Or at least, attempted to, while not letting the day pass us bye. But either way, enjoying the castles many amenities was on the top of our list every day.

The history and ambiance that resonated through each of the unique rooms inside the castle was almost like nothing I’d seen before – 800 years of history echoing around oneself was awe inspiring.

Noting the uniqueness of the sun, on day three, we decided to enjoy our lunch beside one of the main large fountains on the property, soaking up the sun and fresh air. An idyllic setting, inside and out. I had waited for this moment for many months, thinking the pandemic would prevent us from experiencing it. But here we were.

In fact I’ll be the first to admit that traveling during the pandemic internationally was way easier than I anticipated. Just follow the rules and you’ll simply have no issues. Of course, figuring out the exact rules might be a challenge of itself.

So peaceful. So relaxing. Escapism at its finest.

Bread. I’m not sure if I just missed the memo, or it the memo was never shared, but clearly Ireland is proud of its breadmaking. Every meal included multiple varieties of bread. Wheat, potato, fruit, nut, we enjoyed it all. And Ashford Castle literally encumbered you in bread products during every meal, their kitchen clearly baking up a storm, so I had high expectations as I saw the club sandwich brought out to us, resting on its side, giant toothpicks affixing it in the perfect position.

Well plated with ample options to choose from beyond the club, I appreciated the wholeness of this meal. Ashford’s kitchen decided to place all sandwiches on their side, using some of the largest toothpicks – or should I say, skewers – I’ve encountered… of course, this didn’t provide the easiest holdability, as I attempted to de-skewer the meal without allowing it to fall apart.

“Streaky bacon” was chosen instead of the Irish rasher I was accustomed to in their breakfast; not the best choice, knowing their local, more traditional bacon would have added a more unique flavor and less-fatty texture. The eggs we cut up uniquely, with the yolks adding a bit of unwanted dryness to the nicely roasted chicken. The lettuce, directly from their garden, was a standout – as was every single vegetable we encountered during our stay. My goodness, one didn’t realize salads could be this good, and that included the side dish as part of this club.

And the bread, of course the bread, perfectly toasted with just a hint of butter… although surprisingly, it lacked any additional sauces to bring this club sandwich together.

Baking in the sunshine – us, not the bread – we laughed thinking a sun tan wasn’t on our list of gifts we’d thought we’d bring home, we enjoyed our meals, the iced tea and iced coffee to follow, and spent the afternoon walking the gardens, discussing life and our many memories together.

Location