wanderlustwoahs

[wanderlustwoahs]

IRELAND'S ANCIENT EAST

An Ireland must there is so much on offer in Glendalough and the surrounding area the question we had to ask ourselves was "can we fit it all in"?

We parked in the visitor centre carpark (eastern end off the valley) and embarked our journey and we were immediately indulged in Glendalough’s spectacular scenery. The visitor centre carpark did occur a charge of €4.00. Only later on in the day was it made known to us that if we had of parked in the Glendalough Hotel’s carpark for €5.00 you we could have redeemed a the carpark ticket as a €5.00 voucher towards our bill.

The National Park has a nine walking trails around the valley. These walks vary from a half hour stroll to a four hour hill-walk.

We headed off through the hotel grounds and made way to the ‘Gateway’. This is the stoned archway entrance into the famous 6th century monastic settlement founded by St. Kevin.

These astonishing ancient ruins is home to several church ruins, decorative crosses and an impressive 30 metre high round tower.

Known to us for the day as Rapunzel's tower. “Rapunzel Rapunzel, let your hair down” echoed through the valley on numerous occasions but it added to the fun. It is important you know this was actually where the monks could hide away, keen to keep their precious manuscripts from the hands of invading Vikings.

Leaving the monastic site we passed through the Glendalough oak woodlands and soon arrived at Lower Lake.

The Lower Lake is the smaller of two beautiful lakes set in the Glendalough Valley. Glendalough means “Valley of two lakes”.

We then took the boardwalk to the upper lake and the view of the valley from the boardwalk here were spectacular. There are some boggy areas, but railway sleepers have been put down and have good grips on them, so even in the rain, the hike has good footing. On completion of the board walk the trail was a little uneven but soon flattened out again at water's edge at the upper lake. (the western end of the Valley).

We absolutely loved exploring the natural beauty to be found there. It’s a lovely place to go for some leisurely strolls but if you’re looking for a nice long hike you can find it here too. It is a location that caters for all!

[wanderlustwoahs]

Running rings around Kerry

We have wandered the north, the west and now onto my all-time favourites the “sunny” south.

When I think of wanderlust woahs in Ireland, the beautiful county of Kerry springs to mind.  I travelled down from County Wicklow and let me tell you it is a long drive but planned well there are plenty of places to stop along the way. We chose to stop in cork to visit some friends and stopped by the Marina Market . I would highly recommend stopping there if you can stretch the legs, grab a hot cup of coffee or some delicious grub from one of the many stalls.  

Back in the car and we are on the last leg of our journey, if you have the option I would definitley suggest taking the passenger seat and gaze out the window and the natural beauty our beautiful island has to offer. The spin around the ring will have your jaw swinging with awh.  

What is the ring of Kerry you may ask? Well, it is a route. A trail. A road. But this is no ordinary road.

It’s a road that takes you through 10,000 years of dramatic history. It’s a road that takes you from deep forest to the crashing waters of the wild Atlantic. It’s a road through rugged, majestic landscapes: where wild stag roam and where tumbling waterfalls crash into crystal streams teeming with wild salmon. It’s a road that shows you the real meaning of a holiday in Kerry, Ireland. 

At the end of the corner filled country roads there is a small village which is what I can only describe as my idea of heaven. Derrynane at the foot of the Kerry hills. The most amazing beaches in Ireland are sprinkled all around this tiny humble village. It is so small you can't help think to yourself where the locals do their shopping.

When we arrived at the what looked like just the side of the road I saw the shimmer of the crystal clear water just on the opposite side of the cliff. O Carrolls’ cove in all its glory. Must admit parking is not great, park on the side of the road hope for the best kind of parking job. The sand was soft fluffy sand not the stoney beach in Bray we are used to. The view of Valentia Island, west cork in the distance , Ireland’s only beach side bar behind me serving up a nice pint of black ( or whicever your preferred beverage is).Valentia Island lies just off the Iveagh Peninsula. We played on the beach and explored in rock pools. What a wholesome wander we had !

The amazing untouched natural Irish landscape brings a sense of inner peace, calmness and happieness. What an amazing place to switch off and reconnect with family, friends and nature. 

#Wanderlust #SliceOfHeaven #Family #Ireland

[wanderlustwoahs]

Sunset at the Cliffs

Leading on from our post about the north of Ireland and the Giant’s Causeway, now we will look to the wild west!

The Cliffs of Moher have to be one of the most picturesque places to visit in the country. To start my journey there I first made a beeline to Galway city, with its quaint cobbled streets to  amazing tradition Irish pub culture, it is the perfect place to stop and explore after a long drive from the east coast. Stop, visit a pub of your choice for a warming coffee (or pint if you’re lucky enough to be in the passenger seat), a bowl of fresh Irish chowder and even drop in for some shopping in one of the many shops along the famous Shop street in the city. 

The Wild Atlantic Way

 After resting a refueling in the beautiful Galway city we then turned our eyes southwards toward the magnificent cliffs but in front of us we faced an hour and a half drive on one of the most beautiful roads in the country. Unfortunately when I say beautiful roads I do not mean that they are flat and designed very well, they are in fact bobbly, potholed, uneven and quite narrow. What they lack in road surface they more than doubly make up for in some of the most outstanding views of the Atlantic ocean you’re likely to find anywhere. Not only are the views of the Atlantic phenomenal but you also get to drive through another incredibly unique sight to see in Ireland which is the Burren. It is a rocky harsh landscape made up of limestone which has been eroded by thousands of years of being bashed by the harsh Atlantic conditions. The Burren is also home to some of the most extensive cave systems we have in the country in the Aillwee caves which would be ideal for any thrill seekers out there looking to go exploring. 

The Cliffs at Sunset

On arriving at the cliffs the only thing you need to pay for is the cost of the ticket and at 7 euro per person and free parking we cant complain. The visitor center is fantastic and is filled with information about the history or the cliff and its surroundings. If you decide this this trip is for you I cannot recommend enough to plan your trip around the sunset. I think the picture speaks for itself.

All in all this trip can be done in a day which makes it a perfect excursion if you’re not in the country for long but still want to be able to hit all the big sights and fancy getting out of Dublin City. This is one of my favorite day trips because you can pack so much into the one day and they are individually amazing, but to have the chance to get them all in in one day makes it a great explorers dream. 

[wanderlustwoahs]

A Giant leap to the Causeway.

This is a definite see in Northern Ireland. We parked in the carpark but skipped the visitors centre to keep it on the cheap! We visited in late July mid afternoon. The blue trail involves a bit of a walk but nothing major that reflected blistered feet! This is the route from the carpark to the stones.

We did not complete the red or yellow hiking trails but they are known to be pretty impressive. Our party of four aged 4 years old to 65 years old spent a good hour on Giants Causeway exploring the hexagonal Columns.

What is the Giants Causeway? No it’s not home to a Giant…but imagination is a powerful thing while at the Causeway! The 4 year old tip toed across the stones in caution to ensure she did not wake the giant whose feet she could see in the far off distance.

This incredible landmark was constructed from a volcano eruption over 50 Million years ago, the name ‘Giants Causeway’ stemmed from an irish myth surrounding two Giants one who lived in Ireland and one who lived in Scotland.

So it be told the Scottish giant experienced outrage and ripped up chucks of Scottish land and hurled them into the sea and soon a bridge was constructed to cross the sea, you can find out more on this myth by visiting: https://www.thegiantscausewaytour.com/the-giants-causeway-story/.

It is an amazing place just waiting to be explored, Ireland’s weather is unpredictable so be sure to have an extra layer available and a raincoat to pop on. Even on a clear skied day the coast can still experience wind gusts and rough seas!

We know sometimes a heel can make an outfit but for the exploration that’s in it make sure to wear a flat shoe with grips!

We could not stop taking photos, check out our photo dump and then try tell us it’s not a must see!

Can’t wait to share our next must see woah!

#greenbutton