Ashford castle

​We continued on and about an hour later we arrived at our destination, Ashford Castle.  Wow!  We drove up to a gated entrance where a uniformed porter offered a warm welcome.  As we drove through the gates and up the winding driveway we were transported to a different world.  There were green lawns and lush trees surrounding us as we approached the bridge taking us to the castle where we would be spending the remainder of the afternoon and the evening.  We were greeted warmly by all the staff as they welcomed us and escorted us to our room.  We had a surprise upgrade to a two-level suite.  
 
When we entered our room for the night, we were simply amazed.  We had a living room with a gas fire and dining table set with chocolates for us to enjoy.  The view from our room was of the gardens and lake.  We had two bathrooms on this floor with heated floors.  Upstairs was our bedroom which was in the turret of the castle.  The bedroom walls were green velvet and matched our bedspread.  We had a walk-in closet with fully stocked minibar and another bathroom ensuite.  Simply unbelievable!!
 
While it was tempting to sit and enjoy our luxury accommodations we wanted to explore the castle.  We set out to walk the grounds and take in the beauty of the lush surroundings.  There were tall, beautiful trees set in woods, then there was an opening to a green field dotted with sheep and then there were beautiful gardens.  It was one delightful discovery after another.  We were so enthralled that we took photos of everything we could.  
 
We had dinner reservations in the George V dining room and knew it would be special.  The waiters wore tuxedos and knew our names, greeting us personally one after the other as we were taken to our table.  While it was formal, the staff were so warm and kind, making us feel at ease.  Dinner included toasting with champagne then cured mackerel and langoustine tartare, followed by sautéed cod and slow roasted pork belly.  We had cheese and grapefruit soufflé for dessert.   
 
After dinner, we went to the lounge and enjoyed listening to the lady singer with a beautiful voice singing melancholy songs like “Danny Boy” with accompaniment by a pianist.  After she finished her last song we moved on to the bar and enjoyed after dinner drinks for a while longer.  I just didn’t want the evening to end.  It was that good.