Trip to the Wicklow Mountains

Today I took a rare trip to county Wicklow with my lovely friend Stephen with the intention of getting some melt and pour soap mix, and have a wee gander in the Wicklow mountains. I found this great shop called Bomar online, and it turns out Stephen's family home is mere meters from it. Luckily he drove, because it's literally about a 2 hour bus journey from Dublin to there, and I spend enough time on buses as it is.

We took a brief gander in the shop, and I came away with a sodium lauryl-free soap base (1kg) and ginger oil for €10. I'm ok with that. The shop had everything, aromatherapy oils, essential oils, base oils, soap mixes, moulds, and every kind of bottle and container imaginable. I can't wait to make some Christmassy soaps.

After our trip to the store we headed up and up for a drive in the hills. I have only briefly been to Wicklow before and, while I've been to Glendelough, I've never been in the mountains proper.  It was a gloomy day, but this just enhanced the bleakness of the landscape.

The Wicklow mountains are a predominantly granite landscape, with sparse foliage due to the high winds experienced. Winding roads reveal new treats at every corner, as acres of pine trees are replaced by corrie lakes, waterfalls or sparse foliage and heath for miles. We got out at one point and hung out with some sheep, but they didn't want to talk to us, so we proceeded.


The rest of the afternoon was spent driving, and catching up with my aunt and cousin, who I haven't seen in a few months. I ate mandarins and white chocolates and drank tea, and it was really nice. The funny thing is, last night was the first time I've had less than 8 hours sleep in months, and right now I'm absolutely exhausted. Time to go home to bed, I think. I'm going to give some creative writing a go first, though. I was at a zine launch last night, and they're looking for submission for the next edition. I never write anything decent, it would be good to challenge myself for once :)

I'll finish up with a few pictures of the Wicklow mountains to give you an idea. Stephen did take some pictures, but I don't have them, so the Wikipedia stock photos will have to do:

Lugnaquilla, Wicklow's highest mountain

Feral goat

Tonelagee mountain in the Glendasan valley, Wicklow Mountains

Deer on the slopes of Camaderry Mountain

The End of January

Well, January is almost over, and here's a few things that have been filling my time lately:

I've been enjoying, like everyone else in London, the snow and cold over the last week. The prospect of snow enlivens the school child in me. The prospect of a day off is just too much to handle. I think it's amazing how a touch of cold turns every grown-up into a 9 year old. People need to learn to let go of themselves more.

I don't have a 'job' job as such anymore (my life is slowly disintegrating around me), so I work a bit here and there at one or both of my jobs. Although I'm not earning as much as I want to be, I'm enjoying the whole days off and (even!) evenings free.

In my free time I'm packing my life up, getting estimates for shipping (turns out it's not cost effective to ship books which have only sentimental value), cooking delicious rhubarb and ginger treats, and making soap. My latest soap is pretty lovely if I do say so myself. I made it by smashing up my charcoal tablets into powder and mixing it with cinammon, almond oil and coconut oil for a moisturising, cleansing, sweet-smelling soap.

I have 9 days left in London, and then we're flying away, to Copenhagen to begin the next chapter. I'm making the most of it while I'm here. I'm going to have to go to Allpress at least five times before next week.

One thing I won't be missing is the coldness of Londoners, especially on the Tube. It wears me down. I was made for banter and smiling at strangers, not cold stares and not moving down the carriage and making use of all available space.

All pictures, as always, courtesy of Leo and his point and shoot.