Victor's Way
Ireland is full of amazing parks and we show some of them here on the blog like here, here, here, here , here, here, here, here, and here. And today we'll take you to one of these parks but this one is different from anything we've shown you here. Victor's Way (in County Wicklow, 1 hour drive from Dublin) is a very special and unique place. It's 20 hectares of great nature and destined exclusively for adults, it was designed to be a space of reflection, contemplation and meditation. In this magical park you will find dozens of Indian sculptures and figures that aim to question you about the values of your life. Each piece has plaques bearing the name of the sculpture and a lot of information about what it means. Be sure to read them, the experience will be much more complete and intense. A nice advice is to take it easy and without any hurry. Go with very comfortable footwear suitable for uneven terrain and sometimes a bit wet (remember, we are in Ireland). As soon as you get to the parking lot, you see the sign below. Already at the entrance we find Victor himself, the founder of all this wonder, who kindly warns us that if we do not have change, we can pay at the exit, in the small shop.
The admission price is €5 per adult to help maintain this fabulous park. But there is no one charging you. You put the money where the sign indicates and enters through Victoria's Gate.
After passing through the Gate, we see a large lawn area and in the distance we can see the first sculptures. We went on a rare day of splendorous sunshine.
The first sculpture we find is that of Lord Ganesh, one of the greatest Indian deities.
This is the Cobra Throne known as The Wisdom Seat, the snake symbolizes the feminine principle of life, wisdom and fertility.
And we are just at the beginning of this journey, we soon see signs that indicate "Enchanted Forest", "Path of Meditation" and "Forest of Sculptures".
Throughout the park there are many benches that invite for a rest or a reflection amid the trees. And walking along the trail we find the sculptures.
According to some information we got, the sculptures represent the 7 stages of life development and it took 25 years to be made in India. It all started when after living in India for more than 30 years and becoming a monk, Victor (who is German but lived in Ireland for several years) decided to come back and set up the park to try to convey to people everything he had learned during those three decades in which he was a monk.
This is the self-realization according to the plaque that is in place, some sculptures have other name on the site but we will reproduce the names we have seen there. And in fact the name is what matters least, what counts here is what it represents for each one of us. Remembering that there is a lot of information in each of the sculptures.
This is Split Man and represents that extremely uncomfortable feeling of being "split" ....
Dark Night of the Soul is the largest sculpture, more than 4 meters high, it is the figure of a Buddha Fasting. It is made entirely in one single piece of bronze. And be sure to notice some extremely curious details. Behind the Buddha is a cell phone!
There are several areas with lakes, too. This piece is called Ferryman and is in the water. See how impressive. Do you know when you swim, swim to try to reach some goal that is almost unreachable? This is the message that this sculpture gave me at first.
In the small islands of the lakes there are also sculptures
Shiva is meditating on the water, conveying a great sense of stillness.
These are the Stupas, monuments where the cremated remains of important Buddhist monks were placed.
Toward the end of the park we see the figure of Eve, who represents the caring and careful mature woman.
And do not forget to do the Forest Bathing which is nothing more than an intense moment of immersion and contemplation in Nature. Through these specially designed beds for the Forest Bathing you will be immersed in the tranquility of the forest absorbing all the energy of nature, trees, wind, sun and animals.
There are precise instructions on how to perform this bath, or use as you wish, but be sure to try this experience that is relaxing and invigorating at the same time. Spend about 10 minutes there. It is really worth.
And when we leave there is a small shop with Indian items that is serviced by Victor himself. There we bought a Singing Bowl that through its relaxing sound has the ability to positively change the brain waves.Como está muito claro no site, este não é um lugar para ir com crianças. O próprio próprio Victor deixou muito claro isso na nossa conversa. Afinal ele criou o espaço para adultos. Conhecer o Victor's Way é uma experiência única e imperdível. Se quiser ver o próprio Victor falando sobre o seu parque clique aqui. E clique aqui se quiser seguir a canal do Victor no Youtube.
We also talked briefly with Victor who, in the first words, proves to be a very interesting person. He said he created the park for adults who are in midlife crisis and who want to reorganize and improve their lives. For him the place is a monastery. He said that he runs the place in the summer months only (the park will close from October 1st) and that he would travel to India and did not know if he would come back ... As it is very clear on the website, this is not a place for go with kids. Victor himself made that very clear in our conversation. After all, he created the space for adults. Knowing Victor's Way is a unique and unforgettable experience. If you want to see Victor talking about his park click here. And click here if you want to follow Victor's channel on Youtube.
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