Retreat!

Dear Readers,
Sorry it has been so long I don't know what I'm doing with myself these days!

Anyway Tuesday two weeks ago we went on our TY Retreat! Amina on Tuesday and Emnet on Thursday. We headed for Glendalough Co.Wicklow. I had been there once or twice before but I had forgotten how truely beautiful that place is. Glendalough is a place where three valleys meet at two lakes. There you also find one of Ireland's oldest and best preserved Monastic Cities with Ireland's best kept round tower. St.Kevin the hermit was known to have lived there in a remote cave across the upper lake. So it serves great religious meaning, hence why we went there.

I couldn't get over the beauty of the whole place. The way the mountains were against the clear lake, the waterfall, the forests, and just the whole quietness and feeling of the place. It made me feel like I was on another planet, and the nature all around me was my only company. As cheesy as that sounds it's true! I loved it and would love to go back again sometime with my friends, family or on my own sometime this summer.

Lower Lake. Photo by; C.Dwan.

The day we went we had glorious weather! The sun was shining the lakes were glistening, the birds singing! It was perfect. The retreat was great and I really enjoyed it. We had a lovely women as our guide. She first brought us to a path made in the ground, the pathern of which was found on the back of a rock by a farmer some years ago. She told us to imagine our life so far, journey through our memories as we walk the path. It was good, I only thought of the journey we had been on so far through TY, one of the best parts of my life so far. We listened to the sounds around us, took in the smells and enjoyed the peace.

We then were brought to a well, here see talked to us about the importance of a well in medieval life, how it wuld be the main source of water and how it was the main social gathering place. I thought this very interesting and remembered wells I had seen before, like this one I'd seen in a small village in Italy. It was at the centre on the town, as if the town had been built around this one well. She also talked about water and how life depends on it and how people in our lives can be like the water we need to survive like a mum or dad or best friend. I liked this idea.

We then headed for a really nice walk to the edge of the lower lake, here again she talked how water can heal and give energy. We each took a cup of water in our hands and slowly let it drain away through our fingers healing our hands and giving us energy. Then it was time to set off on the long, hilly, walk toward the upper lake and the waterfall.

The waterfall was so loud, strong and powerfull compared to the rest of the place, but it didn't at all seem like it didn't belong. After we took a break and watched out over the lake, and of course took some photos!
We then headed to the other side so we could look across at St.Kevin's cave. You could see the outline of a small chapel and hut. The lady showed us where he would of crossed and told us about what he would have done there. After a while we headed back toward the city where we were shown the different part and told about the Round Tower that is famous to Glendalough. The fact that they could build such a stucture with no machinery is a story alone! They would have used it as a look out, bell tower, food store and a place to keep precious items like pieces of gold and more importantly books (since books were done by hand they were worth a lot and even more precious than gold at times).

Round Tower. Source

So overall I learned a lot about Glendalough and what it was all about. I really appreciated the beauty of such a national teasure, like I didn't before.

If ever in Ireland yous sould definety make your way to Glendalough, theres a great visiter centre walks there too.

Thank you,
Roisin.P.