August 1, 2013 - Bus Tour of the Wicklow Mountains south of Dublin.

Dianne and Joseph wanted to see some of the Irish countryside so we took a bus tour of the Wicklow Mountains nearby and just to the south of Dublin.

 

Above, the lady who owns this house does her own topiaries in her garden and sells fresh hen and duck eggs to passersby.

Above, storm clouds over the Wicklow Mountains. Looks like it will be a rainy Irish day.

Below, the home of Oscar Wilde in the Wicklow Mountains.

The mountain heather throughout Ireland and the Scottish Highlands blooms only in August. Here, it is just starting to bloom behind Elaine. In a couple of weeks the whole mountainside will be covered in purple flowers.

Above, wild cotton growing in the Wicklow Mountains.

Below, Elaine is standing on the first bridge over the Liffey River which is the large river that flows through the heart of Dublin. Hard to believe it becomes such a large river in such a short distance. The little stream in the picture to the right of Elaine is the head waters of the Liffey River.

Below is the lake that lies on the Guinness property. The family owns the lake and all the land around it. It is temporarily being used for the TV series, The Vikings. There is a small Viking village built on the sand below with Viking boats in the harbor.

Above, the Hindu chapel on the Guinness property. One of the members of the family, the one known as “the hippy,” is married to an Indian lady so a chapel was built for her on the property.

A stop for lunch before visiting the ancient Abbey at Glendalough high in the Wicklow Mountains. Below, the entry to the Glendalough Abbey grounds. President Obama was here for a visit when he attended the G8 summit in Dublin this year.

Above, the cemetery grounds around the Abbey and the tower built for protection. What appears to be a window in the tower just above Edward’s head is actually the door. The door is about 20 feet off the ground. A ladder allows access then the ladder is pulled up behind the monks where they wait out attacks. This is another abbey destroyed during the reign of Henry VIII when he destroyed all catholic abbeys and monasteries that did not convert to Protestantism.

Ancient inscription now very difficult to read. Below, the window behind the alter.

Above, note the use of the Celtic Cross also known as the High Cross. This cross was created to lead the pagan people to Christianity. The pagans worshiped the sun, so a sun was superimposed on the cross to lead people to transfer their focus from the sun to the Christian cross.

A chapel on the abbey grounds with a stone roof over 1,000 years old. It is still dry inside the chapel.

Below, the small “Priest’s House” where monks were laid out at their death. A sort of lying in state for monks to say their farewells.

The stream that separates the abbey grounds from the town of Glendalough.