An Unexpected Adventure

As I'm still on holiday this week we thought we would go to nearby Glendalough this morning.  When we got there the weather was a bit miserable - misty and showery.  On the spur of the moment we changed our minds and decided to drive on  - doing a circular route of about 50 kms that eventually brought us back to the Sally Gap behind our house.

While we were still in Glendalough I was greatly taken with this hedge.  It reminds me of something from Alice in Wonderland!

I absolutely adore this part of the world.  To me it is the landscape of myth and legend with its swaths of green forests, misty peaks and rolling moors.  

Instead of the Tuatha Dé Danann, however, all we did manage to see were sheep.  They can be quite friendly and curious and we stopped a couple of times to say hello. 

The only blot on the countryside were these electricity pylons, marching across the valley like a dance of giants,

We followed the road through valleys and forests . . .

And came to . . . 

Hollywood!!  There is even a sign proclaiming the name on the hillside

How cute is that?

We stopped at nearby Blessington to buy rolls and cheese and cold meat to take back home for lunch and looked for the road back to Roundwood,  On the way we came across the most beautiful little fairy forest I have ever seen.  

My camera does not do it any justice at all - I can't seem to capture the light and details of these forests.  Perhaps I should have played with the settings a bit but I don't think I would have got the results I was looking for whatever I tried.  This forest was breathtaking - I wish I could give an impression of how special it was here!

I loved these little stone steps that gave access over the wall from the road.

Just above the banks of the river was this quaint little church.  I really like its decorative tower.

When we got to the Sally Gap we were on familiar ground again and the road brought us back to where I took the photos posted last week.  (these mist covered mountains are home now to me) 

Somtimes the best adventures are the unplanned ones!