FEBRUARY 28
Glendalough***Wicklow Heather***Kilmacurragh Arboretum
Today we drive to
Glendalough (Irish:
Gleann Dá Loch, meaning "glen of two lakes"), a glacial valley in County Wicklow which is renowned for its Early Medieval monastic settlement founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, a hermit priest, and partly destroyed in 1398 by English troops. The
Visitor Centre has a 20-minute video on monastic society in medieval Ireland.
Exhibits at the Visitors Centre.
St Kevin's Church; the
Cathedral ruins.
The
Round Tower;
carved crosses.
Church ruins.
The
Wicklow Mountain National Park and the
Lower and Upper Lakes in the background.
Stopped at
The Wicklow Heather, a local restaurant, for some Irish Stew. Its ceiling and walls are decorated with antiques.
Next stop was the
Kilmacurragh Arboretum which has plants in its 52 acres that are so rare that they may be the only one or two of their kind in Europe or even the Northern Hemisphere. Different areas of the arboretum are devoted to trees and shrubs different regions so that you find yourself in Chile one moment and the Himalayas the next. It also has a huge collection of rhododendrons.
FEBRUARY 29
Dublin***New York
Today we fly back home. It was all in all a nice vacation with interesting historical sights and good food at a few wonderful restaurants.
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