On tuesday we went to Glendalough for a retreat. It was just Amina and a few people from Emnet who couldnt make it today. We got the bus down, and it was roasting because there were no windows! Thankfully we discovered an opening in the roof that we wedged open with bottles for some air! When we arrived we saw loads of other groups of people and buses. We met our tour guide who broiught us over onto the grass away from the other people. We had to do this dance type thing where we put our hands on the ground and felt the earth. Then we did a reflective walk around a big symbol which was marked out as a labyrinth on the grass. We saw St. Kevin's Well and then we went into the centre. In the centre we watched a film about the foundations of the monastry in Glendalough and the life of St. Kevin. After that we went outside again and went on a big walk up a hill. We saw this gorgeous waterfall which ran along the hill for ages. It was a tough climb, but thankfully we got to sit down for a rest at the top. We then walked down the hill and ate lunch on picnic benches. It was surrounded by trees and the mountains and the lake made it very picturesque. After lunch, we went on a walk up by the lake and saw St. Kevin's bed, a tiny 2mx1m cave in the hillside. We also saw remains of an early monastic settlement church. We then went to the graveyard, where we saw graves both ancient and recent, and many high crosses. The main feature was the round tower, which the guide said was like a metaphor for our lives, because it has seven windows for every 10 years of the average person's life.
Overall it was a good day, it was nice to get out in the fresh air rather than being stuck inside all day :)
