Glendalough
 

Glendalough

Glendalough

View near Glendalough

 
Lovely undergrowth in the forest
St Kevin's Church
   
The Parish Church of St. Kevin
Bluebells cover the forest floor in Glendalough

 
Scenic spot in Glendalough
Church of Glendalough
   
Sheep in Glendalough

Despite having gone out on a "mad one", we get up bright and early the next day. I woke up much earlier and could only think of going for an aspirin, which I eventually do when I wake up again for good. I get Laurence a drink of water, and we have a nice and quiet morning with his family. We have decided to drive down to Glendalough, a scenic national park that they like to go to.

Susan joins us on this pleasant ride that enables me to see the countryside, rather than only Dublin. As I swerve on curvy roads, face the incoming traffic on narrow roads and keep my distance from the stone walls, I can already appreciate the charm of the land. The pastures are bright green, and full of sheep, horses and cows. Luckily enough, the weather beats the pessimistic forecast and we are even somewhat too warm in the car. We have a nice conversation until they begin to wonder if we have missed the turn going west from the N81 heading south of Dublin. In fact, we were on the right track, and turn when we reach Hollywood, where we see some tourists taking pictures - surely Americans.

The landscape changes as we enter the national park. The mountains are barren, there are only tufts of brown vegetation, plenty of pale grey rocks and stretches of conifer plantations. As we drive down into the valley, with see the local landmark: a beautiful round tower standing 34 meters high since more than a thousand years. The scenery changes completely, to lush green, forests and bright yellow flowers. We cross a lovely stream and head into the forest, where a few rays of sun brighten lush ferns, moss and grass. We have a peaceful stroll towards the Parish Church of St Kevin, which Laurence and his family discovered by chance when they headed down into a pine tree forest.

As we begin to walk under the conifers, we see a beautiful prairie with a white horse adding even greater charm to the landscape. Authentic shamrocks cover the ground, bringing a touch of authenticity to this Irish stroll. The stone church appears between trees: Glendalough is where St Kevin established a monastery in the 6th century and had many followers until the village was destroyed at the end of the 14th century. The great weather makes the clearing even more appealing - I am surprised by the quality of the carvings in the stone. A charming wall surrounds the building, topped by grass, next to the stream: a picturesque location attracting a few bright blue flies and white butterflies.

As we walk on, the forest undergrowth is covered in bluebells, giving it a distinctive hue. We keep going until we reach well restored stables that now host a shop for locally made products, just when we were starting to be a bit hungry and thirsty. I was craving for a brownie... they sell some which won a national food prize! Outside, a small stone bridge leads back to a road, but we return through the forest. Having reached the small hill of the Glendalough village, I fall under the charm of these old dark stone buildings that come from the early Middle Ages. The church is stunning, especially with the backdrop of the forest on the hills. We walk by hundreds of gravestones from the past centuries, many adorned with the Celtic cross. Around the site, pastures with sheep and playful lamb are another sign of spring's blessing.


All of: Ireland
First time in Ireland | Rugby final | Glendalough | Quiet wrap-up

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