A couple of weeks ago for my birthday, I convinced my motley crew of friends to take the day off and enjoy Ireland in a way most tourists never experience it...on a blissfully sunny day! Seriously, the 1st of October was a day nicer than any day during the summer this year. Being the birthday "shield maiden", I got to decide our activities for the day and despite a bit of initial hesitation the day didn't disappoint.
Road trips are the modern day equivalent of a Viking voyage. Think about it! You gather together your merry band of friends to go to pastures new(think Ragnar Season 1 talking the boys into heading Wesht) to see what can be seen, to hear what is to be heard and for whatever other mischief can be had along the way. Mind you, not so much about the pillaging these days though!
With all onboard, we headed for Blessington, Co. Wicklow. The drive alone with it's amazing views(or to quote one Mr. Clive Standen, "stunning vistas") was worth the trip. No wonder they chose Wicklow as their main location for shooting the series.
These road trips/expeditions also serve as a bit of a team building/trust exercise where one learns new things about their group of friends. For instance, when your friend(ahem, Peter) tells you he has a fear of open water, he means it in a general sense not just a swimming sense...So when you go ahead and book a boating excursion for the day and he willingly goes along with it, it serves as a measure of just how much your friends trust you despite their crippling fear. Poor Peter was so nervous he was literally clutching the sides of our vessel with a death grip until he got used to it. We also learned that while Darren is a good skipper(and a little too fond of being called Captain), when it comes to rowing, his dreams of Olympic Gold won't be realised as he'll never be making our National Team. And Tara's just a good sport in general as you'll see below. Also, she's quite the Kate Winslet impersonator as it turns out. There may have been a few Titanic moments that may also have included a rendition of My Heart Will Go On that the guys may never forgive us for...but that's a different blog altogether.
Before you go right ahead and view the vlog, here's a couple of things to note:
*Unfortunately due to some colourful language used by one of our crew(ahem, Tara and Darren), this video is unsuitable for viewers under 16.
*The challenges of taking on the role of director, producer, narrator, improvisational script writer, prop manager, location scout, talent manager, casting director, animal handler, stunt coordinator, director of photography, camera woman and co-star may have lead to a lack of visual finesse(aka a considerable amount of time with the camera pointed at a bridge that at no point throughout Season 1 to 3 features in Vikings in any way, shape or form, despite the amazing landscape around us that was far more picturesque).
*No dragons, sheep or fish were harmed during filming.
* I'd also like to take a moment to pay tribute to a vital member of our team that sadly didn't make it back to shore with us, Mappie. Last seen drifting downward to the bottom of Blessington Lake Siggy/Jessalyn Gilsig-stylee(ahem, Tara....this also may or may not have been the cause for the aforementioned My Heart Will Go On outburst), despite a heroic effort to save it that Darren reckons came close to me falling face first into the lake. Lies! I just do my own stunts. I had the situation well in hand.
This is the last picture of Mappie taken roughly an hour before it's watery demise. Happier times. R.I.P Mappie
* Lastly, I'd like to thank the good people of Blessington Boat Hire. They are great to deal with and very friendly. I highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for something a little bit different to do on a sunny day. It's a great way to see the area at your own leisure or if you like a spot of fishing. There's also loads of little sandy areas to pull in, hop out and have a little picnic.
#LikeAViking
Title Quote: Season 1 Episode 2 Wrath of the Northmen
Floki to Ragnar
