Day 28 -Glendalough

 This is virtually our last day as a tourist in Ireland, so I chose a lovely destination  for our travels today... Glendalough.

(Perth viewers please note it is pronounced Glenda-lock over here)

The Heritage Ireland website describes this place as follows...

In a stunning glaciated valley in County Wicklow, in the sixth century, one of Ireland’s most revered saints founded a monastery. The foundation of St Kevin at Glendalough became one of the most famous religious centres in Europe.

The remains of this ‘Monastic City’, which are dotted across the glen, include a superb round tower, numerous medieval stone churches and some decorated crosses. Of particular note is St Kevin’s Bed, a small man-made cave in the cliff face above the Upper Lake. It is said that St Kevin lived and prayed there, but it may actually be a prehistoric burial place that far predates him.

Glendalough

It is also part of Wicklow County which is commonly referred to as the garden of Dublin.

It's a beautiful part of the country and the drive takes you through tall trees and ferns and green bushes that come  right down to the road.  It reminds me driving through the Dandenong Ranges in Melbourne,  but it's so much greener!

There are gorgeous  little streams that cascade over rocks and make a gurgling sound as they do. 

Glendalough stream. 

It's so different to the mighty rivers that might run once a year up in the Pilbara,  and these streams are very small compared with the Swan River in Perth or even the good old Yarra River in Melbourne. 

But they are beautiful  none the less...

One place we stopped was called The Meeting of the Waters... where the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers meet to form the Avoca River

The Meeting of the Waters

As noted in my blogs before, there's a famous song that goes with this place... one that my Mum learned as a child..

The Meeting of the Waters song

Speaking of the Avoca River, we also stopped at the town of Avoca, probably  better known to many as Ballykissangel. It was one of my favourite  programs back in the day and very popular in Australia

Assumpta's pub 

View from the bridge in Avoca

So after our tourist session, we have driven straight down the M11 to Wexford again so Bern can visit her brother.  We will be going in the opposite  direction tomorrow  as we head for Dublin, to prepare for our flight home on Tuesday afternoon, arriving home in Perth on Wednesday  evening.

It's been a lovely day today.... it will give me strength  for the dreaded re-packing that lies ahead!!!