St. Patrick's Day fishing

 In fairness, I'm not too big on St. Patrick's Day celebrations and standing amongst a million other people to maybe catch a glimpse of a parade going by. No thanks.

I do however love fishing, because the amount of people crowding is usually much less.

So this morning, after some time waiting for the Dodder fishing season to open, it was that time at last. And the solitude did not disappoint.

The river flows through Dublin, starting it's journey not too far outside Dublin. It flows into the Bohernabreena reservoirs and then abruptly enters the west of Dublin and flows down past the Aviva stadium and into the Liffey at the entrance to the Grand Canal. While not as famous as it's brother the Plodder, it is much more of a river than the Plodder. 

Angling on the Dodder is managed by the Dodder Angling Association and permits can be bought from most of the tackle shops in Dublin.

Near my home, the Dodder runs through at least three parks in close succession. This morning I decided to visit a spot in the Dodder Valley Park. It's close enough to cycle there, and in fairness, I would much rather park my bicycle right next to me on the river bank than park the car at the entrance and having to walk all the way down with the fishing gear in tow.

So I packed the donkey and saddled up.

And off to the river we rode on the "Fishmobile". 

I am very rusty when it comes to flyfishing. So I will chalk up today to getting the cobwebs out of the gear and re-discovering long lost muscle memory. But even though it was not a very successful trip if measured by the amount of fish caught, it was hugely successful in the clearing of the head and spending quality time in nature. There is nothing as soothing as the sound of a river. At least not today.

Wet Fly - Alexandra

 As they usually do on the clickbait headlines; "This fly is banned!!". And to be fair, it was apparently, because it caught so many trout. It is a lough pattern, but is also used for sea trout on the rivers. Bit of history:

It is a Scottish pattern that was originally called the "Lady of the lake" and was later renamed after Queen Alexandra. It was apparently so successful in the mid 1800's that is was banned on some waters.

The picture below is of a variant of the Alexandra as tied by Davie McPhail. I will link to his video below.

I have to say, though, that it is a beauty. 

The Alexandra pattern is as follows:

Hook: Size 8-12 Wet Fly Hook

Tying silk: Black 

Tail: Red ibis substitute or slip of swan, dyed scarlet. Davie McPhail's variant uses red Marabou.

Body: Flat silver tinsel 

Rib: Oval silver tinsel. Davie's variant uses thin silver wire

Hackle: Black cock or hen hackle 

Wing: A pinch of green peacock sword fibres with slips of red ibis substitute or scarlet swan tied on either side. Red tinsel in Davie's variant. 

I like the variant tied by Davie McPhail. I like his videos in general.

Hiking around Powerscourt Waterfall

 On Christmas Eve I felt the need to escape the maddening crowd and headed to Crone Wood just outside Dublin. From here you can hike up Maulin mountain on a loop trail. 

A plus on this route is that you have rather spectacular views of Powerscourt Waterfall on the way up. There is even a bench or two set up overlooking the waterfall if you want to have a bit of a rest.

There was a lot of fog about, and I found "Far over misty mountains high" stuck on repeat in my head.

The trek up to the top of Maulin Mountain was rather muddy, and when I reached the top, fog all around. So no spectacular views for the album. I did however get my picture of the cairn, as you do.

I might just return in the summer for some spectacular view photos.

The entire trek up the mountain and the associated video clips can be found on the newly created YouTube channel 😁. 

Oh look, here is a link: https://youtu.be/GGWnR-Y8j0U

I used the All Trails app for general navigation. My expedition can be seen here 

St. Annes Cemetery

 

When I visited Bohernabreena Reservoir and read up about the area, I stumbled across a name on a map. "St. Anne's Cemetery". On Google Maps someone left a "review" about how stunning the place is and "how did I not know of this"? 

So I was instantly intrigued.

So on a Friday off I donned my HiTec's and went searching for this hidden gem.

Following the reviewer's instructions I did not go through the reservoir but rather approached the cemetery from the upper road. A small road, almost hidden, leads from the lane down, through a rather apt gate, and through some farmland to the graveyard overlooking the reservoir.

It is difficult to believe that you are, for all intents and purposes, still in Dublin. The peace and quiet soothes the soul. And the grave yard is ridiculously picturesque. Overgrown in some areas with new gravestones popping up here and there.

Standing there I was reminded of one of my favourite books; "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman. If you have not read it yet... shame on you.

 If I could choose a place to be buried, it would be here.

Looking deeper into the history of the site, it seems that it once housed a church, of which only one portion of the wall still exist. The site was actually called Kilmesantan, meaning Church of Santan and was dedicated to St. Santan. The church was in use until the late 1600's but was then abandoned and fell into ruin.

Remaining portion of the church wall

I absolutely love this place. If you take your time and look around there are some surprises looking up at you from the grass and some newer gravestones standing between the old ones gives a nice contrast. But for me, the best part is the peace and quiet.

Bohernabreena Reservoir

I was off for a couple of days after the Easter Weekend and decided to explore around the Bohernabreena Reservoir one afternoon. 

Alright, so let me give you the lowdown on the Bohernabreena Reservoir. Picture this: tucked away in the scenic Dublin Mountains, this reservoir has a pretty fascinating backstory.

Back in the day, way back in the late 1800s, Dublin was booming, and the city needed a reliable water source to keep up with all that growth. So, they came up with the genius idea of building not one, but two reservoirs: Upper and Lower Bohernabreena. Construction kicked off in the late 1800s, and by 1887, the Lower Reservoir was up and running, supplying fresh water to thirsty Dubliners.

But here's where it gets interesting. Fast forward to the 1930s, and Dublin's thirst had grown even more. So, they decided to build a massive dam to create another reservoir: the Upper Bohernabreena. Construction took a while, what with the whole World War II situation slowing things down, but by the 1940s, the dam was standing tall and proud.

Today, these reservoirs aren't just about quenching Dublin's thirst, they've become a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, with folks flocking here for everything from fishing to hiking. Plus, the stunning views of the surrounding mountains ain't too shabby either.

There is a decent walking route around the reservoir, but keeping one eye on the weather I decided it might be best not to venture too far. Did not have the brolly with me, after all.

I started from the main carpark, which is only 15 cars big, and ventured up to the lower reservoir. There were some signs along the route reminding me to take it easy.

A section of the dam wall was closed, so I could not walk onto that. I could however get onto the section above the spillway, and I have to say the rushing water is very soothing.

 

I hiked to the upper reservoir from the lower. There are some brilliant wetlands next to the road with an abundance of birds. It is not nearly full summer yet, in fact, I wonder if it will ever be summer this year, and already the birds are aplenty.

The ducks were having a little nap as well...

 I did not walk around the reservoir, although there is a clear walking trail around the reservoir. I will however be back to explore that. Because it was a work day, it was deadly quiet around the reservoir. The birdsong was clear and I really enjoyed the hike. 

There were some fishermen doing the fishermen thing and I came across some walkers / hikers, all being much faster than I am. No worries.

Fisherman doing the Fisherman thing.

I had my cameras, do photos were plenty. 

I did not even scratch the surface of this beautiful area. I only hiked up to the dam wall of the upper reservoir. There is still the entire ring route around the upper reservoir to explore. 

The route I took

 On the to-do list then!!

Naas Harbour

 The wife and I drove out to Newbridge in search of a market. We found it, but was not impressed. We heard about a farmers market in Naas, and drove over there. Mheee. So we walked around and explored the area. 

Just off the main road there is an old harbour on the Grand Canal. An absolutely lovely little corner of Naas. I can definitely recommend a visit.

Dublin Harbour - Great South Wall

This morning Narina and I got up at the crack of dawn, literally, to go and watch the sun rise over Dublin Bay. Our chosen vantage point was the Great South Wall of Dublin Harbour. Interesting "little" structure that has you walking almost 2km on the wall, ending up deep in Dublin Bay.

We were not disappointed. As luck would have it, the sun rises right over the Poolbeg Lighthouse that is perched at the end of the pier. Needless to say, the area was plastered with photographers who clearly wanted the shot of the sun kissing the top of the light house. I might actually come back to do that myself.

But for now, I will live with the photo above. Good enough for now. Thank you iPhone.

Halfway along the wall there is a swimming area on the right hand side, allowing you to have a dip  in the balmy Dublin bay. Not today, methinks. Not sure what the water temperature is currently, but I have a feeling that it is too cold.

 I will leave the swimming to the Half Moon Swimming and Water Polo Club for now.

At  the end of the Pier is the lonely lighthouse. A plus is the vantage point that you have here for watching the Ferries (and I assume other ships) entering the harbour. They come past very close. You can almost touch them.

And then heading back to the parking area you get this absolute stunner of a view. This one begs to be sketched or painted.

I will have to come back here with my camera gear. Just too much niceness here not to come and snap away! I would also like to see one of the large cargo ships come into the harbour!

Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin

 

I have loved this building since I first saw it. In my mind, the most beautiful building in Dublin.

The sheer size of it is enough to take your breath away and the way it is lit up at night is spectacular.

The cathedral was build in the early 1000’s and is an absolutely beautiful example of Gothic architecture. I love the intricate towers and spires.

When I worked in Dublin in 2002, we had a function at Dublinia which is housed in a section of the cathedral known as the Synod Hall. That was an experience I will never forget, and I hope to visit the museum one of these days.

I have never been inside the cathedral itself. That is something I hope to change as well shortly.

I am a sucker for Wikipedia when it comes to looking for things… go ahead, give it a try – Christ Church Cathedral

The cathedral’s website is here and you can find Dublinia’s website here

Visit to Bray

 So on St. Stephen’s day the weather let up and we were able to do a quick trip to Bray for the afternoon. I really love Bray beach, and the way the sun came and went it really made some photograph fun.

In the summer months Bray is usually teeming with people, but during the winter months it is more manageable. That said, it was quite busy.

As an added bonus, there were some, almost proper waves. A rare enough site in the Irish sea, and definitely something I miss from South Africa.

The Bray Harbour is home to a Swan Sanctuary. This I never knew. There are 60 muted swans at home here. You can read more about them on their Facebook page

More info on Bray can be found in Wikipedia. There is also a website dedicated to the town at Bray.ie

Easter Break - Port Elizabeth

 Typically, when we decide to go on a quick, short, holiday break, the heavens will open and it will start raining. No difference this weekend.

We flew down to Port Elizabeth for the Easter break. Just to get away, and for the wife and mother in law to visit family. 

Arriving in PE, it was raining, so we got into the car and drove around, looking for something out of the ordinary. We came across the Grass Roof restaurant which has, wait for it, a grass roof. Nice food, good service. Would recommend.

In-between the bouts of rain, the sun did sometimes show it's face. The plus side of terrible weather is that the beaches are all but deserted.

We did the obligatory visit to the PE Aquarium where Enzo got to handle a Python. The face says it all...

 Nariko was absolutely fascinated by the Penguins, and I am sure that, if she could, she would bring one with her back home. I wonder if it would enjoy the pool?

With the mother-in-law visiting her brother, we headed out to Jeffreys Bay, because you always have to go for lunch at the Kitchen Windows. This is our favorite restaurant in the area. Absolutely love it.

I can definitely recommend this one. http://www.kitchenwindows.co.za/

The view from our table at Kitchen Windows

Enzo spotted a super tube in Jeffreys, and there was no stopping him. Cold on no.

The rain let up for the last day or so, and although not too toasty, it did turn into more holiday weather. So off we went. Ice cream on the beach and some fun in the waves.

While we were on the beach an photographer came past and asked if he could take a photo of Enzo and Nariko for the local paper. We said yes, no problem. Not thinking much of it. When we got back Narina's uncle sent this picture across. You know you enjoyed your holiday when it makes the papers.