*I received a complimentary tour from Wild Wicklow Tour for the purposes of review.
One of the great benefits of attending the TBex Conference for travel bloggers is that you are able to participate in a variety of local tours and attractions.
Failte Ireland welcomed us with open arms, eager to show us all that Ireland has to offer.
I was picked up at the hotel by a big white coach bus. As the door swished open,
I was enthusiastically greeted by Denis as if we were long lost friends.
Denis is another great storyteller and quite the character.
He was our driver, our guide and our friend for the tour. He is the perfect ambassador for Ireland.
He entertained us with stories, riddles and secrets.
He had everyone on the bus connecting with each other and enjoying themselves.
You can tell he absolutely loves what he does.
He has that delightful gift of gab that the Irish are known for.
At one point in the journey, he stopped the bus just to greet a couple picking blackberries on the side of the road.
They lifted up the basket of their bounty and he popped a few in his mouth before setting out again. That's Denis.
We visited several different places and he made them all come alive for us.
It was a rainy and foggy day. Denis would point out into the mist and describe what we should be seeing.
It was just as good as actually seeing it.
And what we did see was breathtaking.
I'm still convinced that Ireland is a magic place, as if it must exist on some other plane.
The tour took us along the Irish coast and to Dunlaoghaire Harbour. We stopped at a local swimming spot. Denis is the one who told me of the health benefits of swimming in the Irish Sea. He claims to go himself every Christmas.
After a stop for some coffee and cake, we headed up into the Wicklow Mountains and to Sally Gap. This area is covered by a massive blanket bog. He showed us where they have been cutting peat for years which they burn in place of wood. He passed around a piece of peat. It looks like a rock so I expected it to be heavy, but it's not at all. It's very light. And the smell of it burning on a fire, it's like nothing you've ever smelt. It's wonderful and earthy.
The bog is a big sponge covered in wild heather.
The water trickles into streams which eventually become rivers.
Up here the water is colored brown by the peat it runs through.
It looked like a river of Guinness which seemed appropriate.
We stopped at the famous bridge from the movie P.S. I love you.
Many films (pronounced fill-ems by the Irish) have been shot in this area
including Excalibur and Braveheart. Denis told us that Braveheart was the most popular movie in Ireland,
because every single Irish person was an extra in the movie and they love seeing themselves on the big screen.
Soon it was time to warm up by a peat fire in a local pub and have some lunch.
I had this succulent Beef & Guinness Stew with mash and a ha'pint of lager.
Probably one of the best meals I've ever had and perfect on a grey Irish day.
It went perfectly with the smell of a peat fire.
After lunch, we headed to Glendalough to explore a 6th Century monastic settlement.
It was pouring rain, but Denis pulled out a stack of massive green umbrellas for us.
I quietly tucked away my little black umbrella and reached for one.
I opened up the big green canopy, just the right size to keep me and my camera dry.
I felt like a ghost myself treading lightly through the cemetery and the ruins of the church.
I was protected from the rain. The quiet sounds around me even more muffled by the umbrella.
I almost expected to see a priest in long robes walking between the tombstones.
Doesn't the white moss look like lace?
I walked around in my little protective bubble taking photographs. Periodically just stopping to take it all in. Denis pointed the way to our pick up point and left us. We were to follow the path to the Upper Lake where he would meet us with the bus. No one seemed to mind at all the prospect of a walk in the gentle but persistent rain.
I slowly got further and further behind the group
Eventually, I found myself completely alone.
I came upon a crossroad, a path to the right and another to the left.
I couldn't see which way the group had gone, but both paths were very well marked and led to the same place.
So, I picked one and started off.
I was in Ireland. Walking in the woods. Completely alone. With "Irish Sunshine" pouring down.
My beloved camera in my hand. Cocooned under the safety of a huge green umbrella.
Fog quietly floating down into the valley, hugging the rolling landscape.
I gazed around in wonder. Isn't that a song lyric?
I have never, ever felt so alive and a part of nature. I hope that makes sense.
It was pure magic and something I will never forget.
As I followed a curve in the path I realized that I was no longer alone.
I startled them with my clumsy footsteps and excited gasp.
They acknowledged me cautiously but I stood still. They then relaxed and continued eating.
They didn't seem to mind at all the clicks of my camera. I might have even talked to them.
Aren't they beautiful?
I never wanted to leave them or this place. Looking around at the misty fog kissing the treetops,
I wondered if maybe I'd actually traveled back in time. Would I emerge from the woods
to find all modern trappings of life gone, replaced by a simpler time? If only.
But, I knew I probably should find my group.
I didn't want Denis to have to send out a search party so I walked on.
I found the group by the lake sharing a bottle of Jameson Whiskey to warm the blood.
I made sure to get my share before boarding the bus to take us back to Dublin.
I think Denis has done this tour enough to know
the special mood that this walk instills in his guests.
Everyone was quiet, warmed by the whiskey and moved by the experience.
He turned off his microphone and drove us safely home,
traditional Irish music playing softly in the background.
It was an absolutely magical day.
When have you felt the most connected to the earth and a part of nature?
