WW Day 3 - Roundwood to Laragh

8.5 miles

ascent 1,221' / descent 1,677'

We woke to the sound of birds singing and lambs baa-ing for their mamas. How amazing is that?

Views from our room

Sun peeking up over the mountain. No real sunrises or sunsets Jo Anne. It’s still light when we go to bed and light when we wake up at 5:30. 

Sika deer in the yard 

Birds singing, sheep grazing…

I asked how many sheep they have and he said about 100. They receive a subsidy from the UK per ewe because wool prices are so low. 

This morning we were served a nice breakfast in the dining room. 

I had the porridge and gf toast. Kody had the veggie omelette, which I didn’t get a photo of because I was too busy scarfing down my own breakfast. 

View from the dining room

Front of the lodge

After breakfast and packing up, we were given a ride back to the trail by a different son. 

Deadly nightshade

Partridge berry

Lenten rose

Navelwort 

It was another glorious day and we seemed to be the only ones enjoying the weather, no school kids with blaring music to pollute the  atmosphere. 

I was surprised the sheep were eating the gorse, it is so prickly. 

Once again, it really was perfect walking conditions, and with a short day in store, we were in no hurry. We dawdled over the heather and bracken-covered slopes, met a few sheep who were also out enjoying the sunshine, and eventually descended down a steep grassy path back into the forest.

We scared off the lambs when we walked up. 

Welsh poppy

Primrose

Oxslip 

I understand that you might grow weary of seeing these photos, but I simply couldn’t resist capturing the beauty around me. Kody and I frequently share how deeply touched we feel when we take in the wonders of God’s creation. It’s unimaginable to think about how breathtaking the new earth will be in all its glory. It's truly mind-blowing! 

Little Fox running for cover in the gorse

Narcissus 

The photos below are a little gnome city in someone’s garden

Love the little guys climbing the tree

Even an hour or more of road walking couldn’t dampen our spirits. There was little traffic, and scenic views over the surrounding fields and towards the rolling hills that we’d soon be crossing. Sure enough, the path eventually took a hard right up a farm track, over a stile, and up the side of Paddock Hill.

Mountain Hut used by backpackers. 

Just a little bit of sheep poo. 

Into the forest 

Holly covered with tiny berries 

More shamrock

This stretch of woodland was quite small, but had a bunch of different paths crossing in every direction. Still, the Wicklow Way markers were frequent and obvious (I suspect people have got lost there before), and it wasn’t hard to stay on track all the way to the bottom where we emerged onto Military Road.

The boardwalks are for the bogs Cathie and we were so grateful for them. 

Bilberry

Greater Burdock 

Sycamore maple

It took about another 45 minutes of gentle and then steep downhill to actually reach Glendalough, which on a sunny Friday was a busy and noisy contrast to the quiet woodland we’d just left. It’s popular with both local and international visitors, thanks to the ruins of the monastic city that date back as far as the 7th century, as well as the two nearby lakes that give the village its name. Glendalough (glen/valley of two lakes).

Since we made good time on this shorter day, we decided to stay a bit in the village of Glendalough before heading on to our lodging, another two miles down the road. We'll be back this way tomorrow morning, but will have a much longer day, so will do a bit of exploring the monastic city now. There’s no charge to enter, so we joined the throngs wandering around the ruins for half an hour.

Glendalough is home to one of the most important monastic sites in Ireland. This early Christian monastic settlement was founded by St. Kevin in the 6th century and from this developed the “Monastic City”. Most of the buildings that survive today date from the 10th through 12th centuries. 

Gateway

The old monastery of Glendalough, which St. Kevin founded in the 6th century. and which flourished despite intermittent plundering raids until the early 17th, century. The main access through the wall dividing the monks from the outside world was through this double gateway-the only example of its kind still existing. It had a second story which must have made it look like a tower. It was probably built between 900 and 1200. Inside, to the right. is a large upright slab with a cross incised on it.

Glendalough Cathedral

This was the largest church in Glendalough, and one of the largest known Early Christian churches in Ireland. The church was originally dedicated to SS Peter and Paul, but ceased to be a cathedral in 1214. The earliest part of the church is the nave, with its projecting antae to support roof-trusses and its flat-headed west doorway with relieving arch. The large rectangular stones of the bottom courses may be 10th century in date, and the upper stones 11th century. In the 12th century the chancel with its finely decorated, though ruined chancel-arch was added, together with the sacristy, and a new doorway was inserted in the north wall. In the chancel are a medieval and some Early Christian gravestones, one with a double inscription asking for a prayer for Diarmuit and for Maccois. Nearby is the large monolithic St. Kevin's Cross of uncertain date.

Cathedral

Round Tower

Round towers were the Campaniles or Bell Towers of Early Irish Monasteries and were used to summon the monks to prayer. This tower is 100 feet high and has six floors with wooden landings-now vanished The top story has four windows, and the other upper stories have one each. The door is almost 12 feet above ground and was presumably reached by means of a movable ladder which those inside could pull up after them to prevent an enemy from entering the tower. The use of the hole jusi above ground level is unknown. 

This Round Tower was probably built some time between 900 and 1200.

Looking up at the round tower

Inside St. Kevin’s church 

The outside of St Kevin’s church

Kody's checking out the inside. 

St. Kevin's Cross

Priest House

St. Kieran's Church

Despite attacks by Vikings over the years, Glendalough thrived as one of Ireland’s great ecclesiastical foundations and schools of learning until the Normans destroyed the monastery in 1214 A.D. and the dioceses of Glendalough and Dublin were united.

We had lunch at a food truck located at the monastic site. Vegetable soup with brown bread and gf lemon cake. Kody had a fudgy brownie with hers. 

Chaffinch waiting for us to drop something 

And a chocolate dipped cone from another food truck

With a longer day tomorrow, it was time to stop dawdling, head on to the Inn, and make some serious progress on my blog for the rest of the night.

We are staying at the Tudor Lodge tonight. Unfortunately check in isn’t until 3 and it’s only 1:30. 

The grounds of Tudor Lodge have been meticulously landscaped to create a beautiful, peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. We can unwind on the generous stone terrace, or lounge on the riverside patio and deck which rests directly beside and overlooking the Avonmore River, which is what we did while waiting for time to check in. Listening to the water, watching the ducks floating downstream and the birds singing, who could complain about that?

The Lodge is reminiscent of a rustic country cottage. With its bright whitewashed walls and wooden ceiling beams, it is both inviting and serene.

After cleaning up and resting for a bit, we walked into the village for dinner at Lynham’s Hotel. They serve traditional Irish fare among other pub food. 

I had traditional Irish corned beef with buttered cabbage, creamed potatoes, carrots and parsley cream sauce. It was delicious!

Kody had a homemade vegan falafel burger with lettuce, tomato, sweet chili sauce on toasted ciabatta bun. On the walk back to the hotel she said to remind her that she doesn’t like falafel, so you might surmise how good her’s was. 

Today's Stats:

Miles - 10.7

Steps - 26,052

Ascent - 1,726’

Time - 3 hrs 52 min

You know what? The more I check out 1 Peter 2:11, the more curious I get. So here we go...

Peter talks about how we’re loved by God, but he also mentions that we’re sojourners and exiles. In the Amplified Bible, he uses terms like aliens and strangers, which mean the same thing. They refer to someone who’s just passing through a foreign place on their way back home. That kind of person sees life differently than someone who’s a permanent resident.

For instance, travelers don’t usually follow the customs and standards of the place they’re in. To avoid offending the locals, we might temporarily pick up some of their habits. While we’re in Ireland, we’ve figured out that there are things you shouldn’t do or say. Like, they drive on the left side of the narrow roads, so we go along with it while we’re here, but once we’re back home, it’s back to driving the American way (which is the correct way, right? 😄). As citizens of heaven, we might adopt some worldly ways if they’re not morally questionable. But we definitely live by a different set of standards—God’s Word. This transient mindset really shapes how we go about our lives.

When we face death, we tend to become less attached to this life and start living more with heaven in mind. That’s certainly what happened to me after I lost my sister, then my mom, followed by my dad. Howard Hendricks once said, “Most people think they’re in the land of the living, heading toward the land of the dead. But the truth is, we’re in the land of the dying, heading toward the land of the living.” Jonathan Edwards, when he was young, made it a point to think about death and what comes with it all the time. It might sound a bit grim, especially nowadays, but I think it’s a biblical perspective. We’re aliens and strangers here, on a journey toward eternal life with Jesus. We need to keep that mindset, always remembering that we’re not here forever. Our true home is with Him, and we should live like it!