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Wild Wicklow on wheels

Today I got out into the countryside.  I decided not to go to the west as it was going to be a 12 hour day at least and a rushed one at that.  Next time I will base myself on the other side of Ireland and go from there....when next time will be who knows....I booked a tour with Wild Wicklow Tours which my airbnb host recommended.  I got a seniors rate for 25 Euros which worked for me!  I was picked up at the Dun Laoghaire (pronounced Dun Leery) ferry terminal just down the road from me so that was handy.

We drove over to the end of the seafront about a five minute walk from here so people could take photos and visit the Joyce Tower which of course I had already visited.  Then we get back in and he's talking about a coffee break....what?  So we stopped for a coffee break at a cafe/gift shop for half an hour - I was a little ticked at this but once this was over the tour picked up and in the end was fun.  Our driver/guide was a bit of a crazy fellow and I say that in a good way as fun crazy is all good. 

Our first stop was a look out to see the hills of Wicklow...suitably broody.  It had started out sunny but clouded up during the day...but no rain!

 

Next up was the bridge from "P.S. I Love You" - where Hilary Swank gets lost and meets Gerard Butler (all the females swooned - now I must rewatch the movie so I can see the scene again!).  None of us could figure what she was doing out there in the middle of nowhere but there you go..wouldn't be a story otherwise would it?

You won't see a view of the bridge as you had to walk down a slippery slope...

Me and the driver...man I need to dye my hair...the last hair cut took all the dark stuff!  Then again no one questions me when I request the seniors rate!  Damn, they actually believe me.

 
Next up was Sally Gap...location for "Braveheart".  The Guiness family owned a home on the lake.  Also filming for The Viking TV series (which I must watch!) is filmed here...as you can see very broody as well...


On the right by the lake is the set for the Viking show - they are building a village.  Also the house is hidden but apparently the Beatles and Stones partiaed here with Tara Guiness back in the swinging 60's. 
We then stopped for lunch at a pub...vegetarians cover your eyes....they had a carvery so I had roast lamb and it was YUMMY.  I was more excited to have the carrots and beans though - I hate salads (well most of them) and I have trouble getting my allotment of veggies on the road so this was great. 

After lunch we headed to Glendalough (means "valley" and "lake" - there are two lakes in this valley) which is the home of a monastery founded by St Kevin (yes really) back in the 6th century.  It became a monastic city and the tower still stands while the rest is in ruins.  Very interesting.  I remembered this vaguely from back in 1978...I know I got a shitty picture of the tower back then too.




A bag piper?  He was busking just outside the cemetery but sadly I had no money on me.

The Round tower - with a nicer background..
We then were given the option to walk to the Upper Lake to take photographs and John, the driver would pick us up there. (two couples did not listen/misunderstood so we had to find them elsewhere but that's a whole other story...) So we set off on a 30 minute walk....

View of the tower from our walk


Oh dear....

Glimpse of the lower lake...

And here we are at the Upper lake....I remembered this from back in 1978 as well..


On the brochure we were supposed to visit a whiskey distillery but instead got a shot of whiskey on the bus..works for me.  Before you knew it we were back in Dublin,,

Once back in Dun Laoghaire I celebrated with a marshmallow cone from Teddy's (the only place to buy ice cream in Dublin so I hear) which is a two minute walk from where I am staying.  The fellow messed up my cone so said I could have it for free or he would do another one.  I don't have a Scottish name for nothing.....guess what I picked?  I double checked - those little brown bits are cookie crumbs...so he told me anyway....

Twas a grand day so it was!  Now back to packing up for tomorrow I am up to the North..to visit Belfast for four nights....can't wait!!! 


Comments

Bleam2002 said…
Beautiful, Laurie. Thanks for sharing your wonderful adventures! Your cheeks must ache from all the smiling these places make you do.
May 6, 2015 at 4:56 PM
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