"Labor Day" weekend

Monday 4 sept

Introduced Regis to both work sites and met with new construction supervisor Paddy Carroll today. Will spend the week getting everyone up to speed in anticipation of being out of the office and on site effective next week. Again I say, “YAY”!

Sunday 3 sept

Toured Wicklow Mountains by bus, experiencing a bit of the countryside this gal form the states associated with Ireland through John Wayne’s “The Quiet Man” and similar films. Very beautiful, and for the first time since arriving, could imagine myself staying, tucked up into the hills within walking distance of one of the tiny towns I saw, living as the “quiet woman” (okay, perhaps THAT’s a stretch!). Friends who’ve already seen more of the country suggest the Wicklow area’s just the start and the west will be even more enticing…..plans to go that direction are underway even as we speak….

Caught one of the brightest rainbows I’ve yet seen anywhere, seemingly within hands reach (sans leprechauns or pots o’ gold spotted) on a rise overlooking a portion of 5000 acres held by the Guinness family, replete with a mansion on glacial Loch Tay (Lake Tea), named for its tea (or perhaps Guinness?) color, whose sandy beach looks like the head of the country’s most popular stout. The mansion sits at one end of a beautiful extended valley with mist rolling over the mountains (3000 ft at the highest, but dramatic relative to the surrounding area), or in our case “blowing stink” (lead boots would’ve been helpful!). The Beatles’ Paul McCartney was inspired by the surroundings and penned the song “Yesterday” while walking the paths of the Guinness mansion/valley as a visitor there in the early 60’s.

Continued on through wide fields of “the blooming heather” heralded in many an Irish folk song, much of it topping bog where peat is still cut and dried for “fuel” in standard fireplaces (versus wood, a rare commodity for steady heating of a home here, with only 2% of the country “timbered” at this point in time (per our driver….facts/figures not verified ).

Interesting related facts: Deciduous trees are indigenous to Ireland; the conifers seen here are not, a purported bone of contention with some local environmental groups seeking to maintain the natural flora and fauna of the country. The “tea” color of the water in this area, which could easily be misconstrued as polluted, is actually produced as water flows/ filters through the dense natural vegetation that makes up the bog fields. Carrying the Guinness theme a step further, the falls and steams in this area look a bit like a steady cool stream of Guinness….quite the image/mirage for a thirsty hiker (or “hill walker” as they are sometimes referred to here), yes?

On to Glendalough (glen-da-lock), or “valley of Two Lakes in English, site of a sixth century monastic settlement, a fair share of which remains intact today. Pictures from this point on were visual only (camera battery died ), but a collection a pictures at http://www.bamjam.net/Ireland/Glenda.html will give you a feel for what the layout was like. A round 110 foot tower dominates the remains, and is typical of such towers built in monasteries around the country. Beyond suppositions about its height and purpose is the impressive nature of how it would have been constructed in the sixth or seventh century. Amazing to ponder for this builder “wanna-be” today . The “cathedral” ruins feature an older section whose “floor” is laid with flat tombstones and has no windows; the gable end of a Romanesque style room added later is dominated by a jagged edged oval “window” standing testament to the stained glass art once held there. Cemetery areas stand flank the cathedral and tower and are still in use today; when the last members of two families in the area are laid to rest there, the grounds will continue untouched for an additional 50 years….readable headstones/tombstones date back to the 1600’s, and the remains of founder St. Kevin are said to be there as well, from the sixth century. I continue to be captivated and humbled by the history reflected in the stones of the buildings in the myriad places like these that I see…..history come alive yet again…. A final stop in Avoca afforded the opportunity to watch weaving as it has been done by the Avoca Mills since 1723. Several of the looms on the premises are in excess of 150 years old, in full use today, and as a textile artist, fascinating to see in operation. The mill yields a plethora of high end goods made from all natural fibers, and distributes to locations both local and worldwide.

A leisurely ride back to Dublin with glimpses of the sea and rolling farm and pasturelands giving way to Georgian home and estates on the city’s south side completed the day. A final note: perfect winding roads for a bike ride….four motorcycles “group riding” spotted en route, and imagined the possibility of absorbing the views that way….mindful of sheep, cows, horses, and mountain goats (spotted four at the upper lake at Glendalough!) having the right of way, of course!