The Ham Nomads

18 May 2014. <IE> Glendalough, & Wicklow Mountains, Co. Wicklow —

Woke up to the tune of a 3-wheeler (Billy Connelly style) motorbike being tested up and down our street! Wasn't too early, so we didn't mind, but it was Sunday morning after all! Got moving, and shifted the van to the waterfront (for the view) before we had our breakfast.

Checked under the hood of the van and found one of the fuse holders from the recreation battery totally burned out. Will need to get this seen to ASAP -- till then, the torch option will be the go, with the vehicle battery being used on the few occasions we need to re-ignite the gas refrigerator (which can stay off while we are actually travelling, as we are only doing short hops at the moment) -- don't want to risk draining the main battery!

Main Gate

Cross at Main Gate

Monastic Settlement

Decided to go a little inland to Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains. There's an old monastery there, dating from St Kevin who died in about 618AD. The monastery was active until destroyed by the English in 1398, but remained a church of local significance and a place of pilgrimage. The surviving buildings -- a gateway with an inscribed cross just inside to mark where the site of sanctuary begins, a round tower (typical of Irish monasteries), a cathedral, six other churches, and sundry other buildings date from the 10th to 12th centuries. The graveyard, on the other hand, is still in use today! This is one of the mast popular tourist destinations in Ireland, which was evidenced by the traffic today, in spite of a little rain -- there were busloads of tourists and at least sixty other independent vehicles with day trippers. It felt like Bourke Street on a busy day!

Path up to St Kevin's Cell

Path to Upper Lake

Upper Lake

We spent about 4 hours there, then had a cuppa in the van and decided on our next destination. As we were in the Wicklow Mountains, we decided to push on towards Hollywood on the other side of the mountains where there is the Athgeany Stone Circle, another ancient monument.

We have pulled off for the night in a layby near the foot of the mountains approaching Hollywood, having driven through the Wicklow Gap. As we write, the Wicklow Mountains are disappearing in misty cloud.

Distance driven — today, 30 miles ( 48 km ); to date, 1,266 miles ( 2,038 km )