Bandon Trip: Part I

Today me and my roommate Kyla decided to go out and explore the town of Bandon as a few of our friends were in Paris and wouldn't get back until the afternoon.  I was a little nervous as I kinda randomly picked the place and we were going on a Sunday so I wasn't sure how much there would be to do.  But we had a pretty fun day.  Just the ride there was gorgeous and it's really starting to feel more like fall (although the temperatures haven't really changed).

Bandon's Catholic Church

Bandon's Protestant Church

When we got to Bandon one of the first things we noticed was that there were three churches.  This didn't include the Methodist church of the Jehovah's Witness church (although that one was for sale).  Sadly we couldn't get a good look at one of the churches because it was chained up.  We wondered if it was condemned or otherwise dangerous.

A Well Cared for Grave

We were pretty sure that one of the other churches was Catholic and the other was Protestant.  We spent the most time at the Catholic one as we wandered through the large graveyard.  It was really interesting to see the differences between graveyards in the US and in Ireland.  The plots in Ireland seem to be much more separated.  There also tended to be more permanent things left by the graves.  I think in the US you're more likely to see bouquets of flowers while in this graveyard there were potted plants, small statues (including one of hands which I found creepy), toys, and plaques.  Also by some of these graves were little ledges that said things like "Sit and Talk a While."

Anyone Know What These Are?

After the first church Kyla noticed some odd road markings.  We're still not sure what they're for, but our current theory is that they're to make you slow down.

The Bandon River

The Bandon River was gorgeous (if not very deep).  We saw lots of birds (mostly ducks and seagulls, but at least one swan!) and the trees and stone work on either side made it perfectly picturesque.

By the way this is my 50th post!