To get lost in Wicklow Mountains

When opened window fresh cool air filled the room with hope of happness. After a quick shower I put on my training boots to jump on the road in the National Park.

 I met my friend at the meeting point, the tour guide was a lovely lady with a warm smile on her face. During the road she mentioned about the historical places of Dublin and many information about the areas we are gonna see whole day long. I confess I wanted her to stop talking sometimes, cause of during all day trip with a woman who speaks all day is not good. the minibus were not crowded, just 9 tourists in that period of the Season.

The sun was up, it is an unusual thing for Irish people at that time of the year, was lucky to see her almost whole day unless count to hide behind the clouds when she wants to play a game. But I know she was somewhere and looking at me.

I usually feel hungry too much inthe morning and eat a lot, I ate what I bought with a stomache which doesn't know how to feel full.

Our first stop was Killarney town, with a small brook pass the town, ducks were dancing on the river with a way of  synchronized, they were making a long V on the river while pink flowers falling down over water by the hand of wind. It was fastinating to wacth every leaf was falling down slowly by the calm wind and ducks' show on the river ans smelt fresh air into my lungs while eating home made cholate is bought from a cholate shop.
After pass the bridge you reach the castle to see the view of town. You don't want to miss to see Killarney Castle before you leave that town.

Less than 13.000 people live in this town, so it is easy to see every corner of and found many interesting things for eyes to look for a new thing like cholate shops, flower disigned shoes, an old Photo Studio.

But for me to visit  St. Maria's Catedral(1842-1855) was the best, seemed to say "Hi" when I see between crowded streets, for first look I walked down the stairs of an old house and shot a picture to being an eye blink. Than we approached, Maria was calling me to come inside, a few residents were praying inside and the windows made by stained glass and shaped figures from bible. Also fresh cloves in red, yellow, violet colours, icons,  St. Maria's images. I met the priest and had a nice talk about church and Turkey.

If you would like to see each colour of green, gorses(yellow flowers in that period of year, april), old trees with covered moss, old churches, plain bright lakes near the forest, rivers are in Wİcklow National Park, all together, every things are included without paying money. You just need your eyes to see how magnificant this scene, heart to feel the peace, feet to explore how many maginal small or big things are in this flora, ears to listen symphony of the nature with whistling reddy, birds, warm breeze.

I swang a brunch of an old tree, he opened his arms widely to hug me, I held him tightly, put a kiss on his cheeks, stayed there for a while and shared my happness with him like a child who has a smile. I run, jumped, climbed, smiled, laughed in this nature, just flet that I am walking into a old times landscape picture and going to meet my love under a tree and have a picnic with him and touch the love there. I gave my lanscape of my camera to Wicklow as a gift and promised to visit again. My friend was taking my funny photos to try to take photos.

Afterwards we need to have dinner to be full of energy for the new day's adventure in Ireland's mistery.

Explore Dublin around River Liffey

At around 12 o'clock I woke up and opened the curtains at once, a brillant day was waiting for me and that made me so happy. I wished  good wheather before I came, cause all Seasons are generally rainy here. The city was sorrounded by the sea is ready to show me her talent, I might to go for the appointment soon.


I wore my precious clothes to look good to my lovely city, and than by train I went to city centre and met one of my friend to stroll around the Dublin together.

First attraction of the city is River Liffey lays down the whole city like a long plain carpet, with many bridges to connect north and shouth part of the city like a zip. More than 1 million people live in the capital with a 4 million tourists who come from around the world every year.

 On the river you can sail by boat for a short trip, if the weather is good you can have a chance to reflection of the view on the river. And always you see seagulls to say "welcome to Dublin" to you with their screams.

While walking near Liffey I saw a bar that is decorated many diffrent things on the screen, it took me inside with its hand with a gently way. It was Lanigan's Pub. It was a magical place took me inside and I was speecless to tell what feel there, just look walls, ceiling, tables, people faces like a person who is a hypnosis mind. It seemed to too many things everywhere but if you look deeply you can see a lot a detalied things make you feel happy while you staying in Lanigan's Pub with Irish music. People usually come here chat and watch football here. We ate traditional Irish breakfast. Tea with milk, boiled pinto beans, ham, cherry jam, butter, fried egg, mushroom. tomatoes and fired bread. People have happy faces who choose to come here.


We want to arrange new day's plan to join a Wicklow Mountains daily tour, it is to do it by coming into a tourist information centre and buy where you want to go with a reasonable price and tour guide.



It is not that easy to be away from to buying things from any touristic shop, they are everywhere and with their facinating types of presents as if t-sorts, pens, notebooks, magnets, key-holders, funny hats, basic typical Irish fluts, ofcourse mugs, sweaters e.t.c.


We felt sunshine upon our shoulders whole day long and thanked her to let us to be dried while walking all steps of the city with a silly happy smile on our faces until we caught by unexpected heavy rain and run away towards nearer shelther to keep ourselves dried before have dinner in a tradional restaurant to eat traditional soup and lamb in Flanagan's Restaurant. Than I said "bye bye" to my friend and left to meet tomorrow morning again.


While you exploring the city you don't miss to see The O'Connell Monument  and Dublin Spire in Lower O'Connell.St. The O'Connell Monument  has built to remember the Irish leader Daniel O'Connell. The Dublin Spire is  one hundred and twenty metres tall and three metres wide, is design like a flag.


After a long day walking I deserved a hot tap and sleep for the new day's daily Wicklow Mountain tour.          I closed my eyes with an amount of countless happness on my face and falll into sleep in peace.

The Geograpy that is my Soul Settled Down, Ireland (First Sight with Ireland)

For so long I have been thinking to visit an island country that is Ireland since my college year. I have almost deep feelings to be attached with the country which is my next destination for a new stop while travelling.

Irish Music, Irish culture, Irish nature, Irish people are familiar for me since I was in university, that time I promised myself to visit this lovely amazing country one day. It was my dream was gonna be real one day as a saying " Every dream find a soul that makes it real". It become real on the 21th of April 2012.

Two months before my trip I bought the ticket from Aer Lingus, which is flies directly from Izmir to Dublin and takes 4 and half hour with non-stop flight. For people who live in Izmir like me it is brillant idea to fly half of the price.

First I would like to give some general information about Ireland first to have an idea how I am gonna fall in love this small country, less than five million people live in Ireland,  sourrounded by the sea as an island, between west and east takes moreless 4 hours by car, highest point is above 1000m, everywhere is green and tones of greens, plain area for riding a bike, people have smiley face and gentle to others, music takes me to the  top of the mountains and remind me freedom.

In 1921 established as a Rebuplic of Ireland apart from North Ireland. North Ireland belongs Great Britain after Rebel and civil war.

I was really excited before I started this one week journey, actually this happens to me every time when I begin, a few days until the flight I feel misirable, upset, don't know what I should do. For the first time I was bringing a back pack with me, it is better than luggage if you stay more than a week in a place and change the places like me, it is easy to carry and make your trip comfort.

When the plane landed it was dark outside, midnight, Dublin was sparkling like a million stars, whole lights look like a plain  sky is streaming below us. It was fasinating to catch Ireland with nice, cloudless, clear sky, I shook my hand to the city a nd smile; "I am here darling to see you" I said that afterwords.

In the airport there was fair about "Faces of Ireland", it was nice to meet people faces first when I took off.

Till Costume Office everything was allright, I was taking photos, the officer wanted me to erase them untih he noticed they haven't taken in security area, unfortunately some of them have gone. I was really stupid to put the others passports, flight tickets in the back back, luckly he let me take them out of the backbag. Ireland met with me like that, with a silly smile on my face, happness in my heart.

It takes half an hour to reach the city centre by bus or taxi every 20 minutes during the day.

Fist I need to have a hot shower to get relax after long flight and wanted to drink Cider as a special drink for Irish people. I really liked Apple and Pear Cider mostly.  Most of the bar away from city centre are served last drink at 12:00am, if you want to drink more you need to go to city centre near the River Liffey that opens to Irish Sea. People usally like Guiness but I didn't like this dark tradational beer, I prefered to dienk Cider or Murph's. After a one hour quite walking under a warm breeze air without rain and drank Cider I ma ready to leave myself to the  arms of sleep around 3:00am.