Spring has finally arrived in Ireland. The jonquils and heather are in bloom, the wild rose has buds and baby leaves and today is the second day of cool sunshine. Here’s hoping it lasts.
In the meantime, I’m feeling the urge to get my garden cleaned up and beautified. Bring on the weekend!
Over the weekend, I went to Dublin for a Massage. Over much of Europe, a tradition of sweethearts has taken hold since the early 2000’s, where the sweethearts affix padlocks to bridges. Here in Dublin, being just 10 days after Valentine’s Day, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were plenty of Padlocks of Love with messages in “sharpie” markers written on them attached to the historic Ha’Penny bridge.
While skies were overcast (and we had many a snow flurry), I thought it added to the lovely idea of two loves locked together despite the bad weather and the turbulent waters rushing in the River Liffey below.
The thing is that it’s quite controversial – and they’re not sure to remain. The city council has ordered that the locks be removed – because they are potentially damaging to the bridge.
City Council cuts locks off bridge
I suspect, however, that even if cut off, the sweethearts will return to continue the tradition – in the name of Love.
30 KM north of Dublin, along the M1 into county Fingal, and out toward the coast is a small town of Skerries. Skerries isn’t a particularly big town, nor is there anything particularly different about it in the town center. There are pubs, shops, and the typical Irish curving town main street. What is interesting about it is that not far from the main street of town are two gorgeous “Holland style” windmills which are located, along with the mill pond, in the town’s main park.
Opened year round and restored by the Fingal County Council, the mills are pretty spectacular on a sunny day and allow for views of the coast and off shore islands. There’s tours 7 days a week, a handful of crafts at the visitor’s shop, and they often have the two windmills (and the watermill – there’s been a watermill on the location since the days of Henry VIII) working during tours. There is a nice little cafe, plenty of ducks to feed if you choose to take a stroll around the mill pond, and a farmer’s market on Saturdays featuring organic foods.
If you’d like more information on Skerries Mills, you can see their website at: http://www.skerriesmills.org/
If you’d like to read more about the nearby New Bridge House and gardens, please click here.