Tollymore Forest and Hobbiton
I could not decide what my favorite place on Earth would be, but I have narrowed it down to these two!
Tollymore Forest National Park
I once stood in this same spot in utter awe at the sheer size of the trees in Tollymore.
The Hermitage, Tollymore Forest
I shivered as I walked through this sacred and special structure in the forest.
In 2018 I had the privilege of traveling to Northern Ireland with a lovely group of friends. Fun fact: Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom but regular Ireland is not (for reasons unbeknownst to me). While there, I was gifted the opportunity of a lifetime. I was able to traverse Tollymore Forest National Park, which is where C.S. Lewis gathered the inspiration for The Chronicles of Narnia. I have a deep love for this book series (the movies were great, but nothing will beat the books). My father introduced me to the series and helped me read them, but I have since reread them several times. I also have a deep love for C.S. Lewis and all of his works. That being said, there is something truly magical about Tollymore Forest. The leader of the trip I was on said, "There are some places in this world where the divide between heaven and earth is almost indiscernible, and this forest is one of them." Don't you just get shivers reading that? Tollymore will always hold a special place in my heart, and I only hope to go back one day to catch a glimpse of the great lion, Aslan.
Hobbiton (Matamata, New Zealand)
Hobbiton, New Zealand
This is Bag End, where I stood and lived my fantasy of finally becoming a true hobbit.
This is the aerial view of Hobbiton, which I think is just stunningly beautiful.
"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit
It's me. I'm the hobbit. No, really! According to an official tour guide in Hobbiton, to be an extra who played a hobbit in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (where the only acceptable way to watch is the extended version and I will take no comments on this), you had to be shorter than 5 feet and 3 inches tall. I happen to be 5 feet and 2 inches tall, so I am indeed hobbit size. In 2016 I went on a trip to Australia and New Zealand. While in New Zealand, which is a whimsical and beautiful country on the whole, my family and I had the chance to see the Shire, and more importantly, Hobbiton. This incredible landscape is part of the movie set used in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy (which should have only been one or two movies but Peter Jackson got greedy, but that is a rant for another time). As with The Chronicles of Narnia, my father showed me the incredible world of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth when I was young. I fell in love with the epic tale of the Fellowship and the incredible journey that ensued, and I hold the books and films near and dear to my heart. So, as I ran across the bridge and yelled "I'm going on an adventure" my heart was full and my tear ducts were overflowing. I stood inside the door to Bag End and could feel the air shift around my body, welcoming me, and I knew I was home. I had a ginger beer at the bar in the Prancing Pony and my soul warmed with the spice of the drink. The experience of being there and knowing I was standing where Sir Ian McKellen once stood and laughed was enough to make a grown woman cry, and I did. There will be nothing in my life so magical as those precious moments, and I am eternally grateful to have been there.
This is just so cool, Rachel: I grew up obsessed with both Narnia and with Middle Earth, so this post is a complete pleasure. Wonderful! I included it in the announcements today; it's so much fun to pick something every day to put in the announcements, and as soon as I saw this, I knew I had to include it Thursday link (especially since the first Storybook up and running in class this semester is Tolkien-inspired; Kev is working way ahead -- here's his project: Focuse's adventures in Middle Earth link). Maybe you will want to do a Narnia- or Middle-Earth-inspired project for class too! :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's so cool and I will check it out! I have definitely had the idea of doing a project inspired by them in the back of my mind, but I may just have to do it! Thank you for including my post in the announcement as well! I'm honored.
ReplyDeleteI have been enjoying Kev's project sooooo much. Bringing back lots of Tolkien memories; I need to reread those books... :-)
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