So this post is a little delayed, but oh well. The Saturday after Saint Patrick's day, my friend Pam (who was visiting from NJ) and I took a day tour to County Wicklow, which is the neighboring country to Dublin, off to the south. Even though it is just a short bus ride away from the capital, Wicklow is a sparsely populated, heavily rural and agricultural area, and it is known as the "Garden County" of Ireland. Some people might recognize some of the pictures that I took from scenes in several movies, including "P.S. I love you," (though Pam had to explain to me some of the references, since I have never seen the movie) and "Michael Collins."
From Dublin, we headed South, and drove towards the Wicklow Mountains. There, we passed by the Blessington Lakes before we made our way to the Wicklow Gap. It was quite an impressive view from the top of the gap, and there was literally nothing for miles around us.
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| Blessington Lakes |
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| Blessington Lakes |
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| Wicklow Mountains, top of Wicklow Gap |
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| Wicklow Gap |
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After the gap, we headed to Gelndalough, a 10th century monastic settlement, which was founded by Saint Kevin. The name means "the valley of two lakes," and the settlement was set in a glacial valley, surrounded by forest, bog, rivers, and yes, two lakes. We took a short walking tour of the cemetery and to see the Round Tower. Since the settlement is considered sacred ground, there is a high demand for burial plots in Glendalough, and now, in order to be buried there, you must be related to someone who has been interred there. After the tour, we walked up to the Lower Lake and sat on the shore eating lunch, and enjoying the sun. It was a fun day, and it provided a very different take on the Irish landscape, departing from my normal views from center city Dublin.
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| The Round Tower |
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| View of Glendalough from the Lower Lake |
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| The Lower Lake, with the Wicklow Mountains in the background |
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