Sunday 22 June 2014

The 6 day trip to Ireland (Day 4 afternoon) - The Wicklow gap and the lakes of Glendelough - The 13th of June 2014


We soon found ourselves driving up towards the Wicklow mountains, having had a brief stop at the gap. I don't think the two photos I took are able to transmit the feeling I had as I stepped out of the bus. 

The real colours of this stretch of the Wicklow National Park and the smell of humidity couldn't be captured ... and then there was the historical weight of the area, which despite not being seen either, was felt in the form of  "revisited" historic accounts which couldn't be dissociated from what my eyes could ... this forested glacial valley was the hiding place and stronghold of a number of Irish rebels who fought against the British troops in the past.

That was also the location where a number of well known classic movies and TV shows were filmed - Braveheart, King Arthur, The Tudors, P.S I love you, to name just a few and according to what the guide told us it Daniel Day-Lewis (one of my favourite actors) lives somewhere in the area and is often seen cycling around.

















We continued towards the Lakes of Glendalough where something rather similar happened - looking at the photos now I realise they definitely do not convey the real feeling of the area and the magic beauty of its scenic views.




Glendalough which stands for "glen of the two Lakes" is a glacial valley in the county of Wicklow. It is mostly known for its early Medieval settlement founded in the 6th century by St. Kevin, a hermit priest, being therefore one of the earliest Christian Monastic settlements in Europe.
















We didn't have but an hour and a half to explore the whole area and the fact that to walk to the Upper Lake and back would take us no less than one hour Mia and I just visited Saint Kevin's round tower (a 300 metre high tower built of mica-slate interspersed with granite and with its top story four windows facing the cardinal points), Saint Kevin's church and the cemetery very quickly before making our way through the forest path towards the Upper lake.




































We felt this spectacular region would have required a lot more time to be fully appreciated once the views were breathtaking and the whole track worth having been done at a different pace. 


















An unforgettable experience, which will certainly allow us to keep some fondest memories ...








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