Wander With a Purpose : Causeway Coast

Today was an amazing day!! We started out bright and early (though whoever came up with the expression "bright and early" mustn't have been from Ireland because 1. the sun doesn't rise until after 8:30 and 2. the sun probably isn't shining even if it has risen) and hopped on our favorite big green bus: the paddywagon. And though we enjoyed half of the tour, the REAL purpose of our jaunt on the paddywagon was to get ourselves to Northern Ireland. Getting to Northern Ireland was a trickier feat than we had first thought. Accessing bus and train schedules once you cross the boarder is hard, and we couldn't find anyone that was able to tell us a reliable way to get to the causeway costal hiking path. Ugh. (I had an easier time navigating through countries with languages I didn't understand than trying to find us a way to Northern Ireland.) And that's where Paddywagon Tours came in -- they had a tour that went right up to the giants causeway, which was in the middle of our intended hike route. Excellent.

We got on the bus with our wonderful driver and guide, Val, and thirty one other passengers. Our first stop was at The Dark Hedges -- which means nothing to me, but if you are a Game of Thrones fan, this is one of the many sites in Ireland where the show has been filmed. Though the place held no significance for me, it was a really pretty walkway with amazing old trees. The stop here was only twenty minutes, so back on the bus we got and we were off to the next stop: Carrick-a-Rede bridge.

This. This is the beauty of Ireland. Don't get me wrong: the music and dancing and food and people and Guinness are wonderful and fun and entertaining -- but the countryside and the ocean paths: these are the peaceful places, the beautiful places. We got off at Carrick-a-Rede and started our mini hike along the cliff side. The views were stunning. And as an added bonus, it was not yet raining and the fog had cleared, so we could see all the way to Scotland! We approached the bridge and in single file line walked across the old rope bridge spanning between the cliffs of the two islands over the turbulent turquoise water below. I could tell you it was scary and that I was nervous to walk across, but the experience was too lovely to be anything but exciting. We explored the island and after a while walked back across the bridge and took the path back to the bus.

Next we went to the Fullerton Arms for lunch. We sat with a couple from Rhode Island as we enjoyed Guinness stew, bangers and mash, and burgers. There was quite the cast of characters on our bus: many people from the US, some Australians, an Italian family, a girl from South Africa, and a young Spanish couple with a child of about three. The Fullerton Arms also boasted of some Game of Throne connections having one of the doors on display as you enter the pub.

Finally we made our way to the Giant's Causeway. What an amazing experience!! What is the Giant's Causeway? Well, if you ask a scientist, they will tell you about volcanic eruptions and tectonic plates and thousands of hexagon shaped basalt columns stacked like honeycomb. But if you ask anyone else, they will tell you about Finn McCool, the giant who built the Causeway: Finn McCool lived in Ireland while his rival Benandonner lived across the causeway in Scotland. He built the causeway using stones from the coast to bridge the gap between them only to discover that Benandonner was a much larger giant than he! He rushed back to Ireland with Benandonner in pursuit; Finn's resourceful wife hatched a plan wrapping her husband in a blanket and having him lay by the fire. When Benandonner arrived at the home and asked for Finn, she told him Finn was out but he was welcome to wait. Spotting the giant wrapped on a blanket on the floor, he asked who this was, to which the wife replied: Finn's infant son. Fearful that if this was the size of his baby that Finn would be larger than he, Benandonner fled back to Scotland, destroying the bridge as he went.

The view from the Causeway was majestic: the ocean crashing on the volcanic rock, spraying salt water up into the sky; the cliffs jutting up into the air creating a bowl through which the pathway wove; and the honeycomb of stepping stones crawling out into the ocean at varying heights, tourists climbing and clinging as strong winds threaten their footing. I loved it there -- I could have sat there all day ... except it began to rain and the wind picked up and the temperature dropped making the return up the path more welcome than had the day remained peaceful.

This was the point at which we left the group and marched to our new home for the night: they Bayview Inn -- less than an hour of easy walking. As the name would suggest, the inn is right on the ocean and our room faces the waves. The room is spacious and clean and comfortable. After checking in and hanging up our soaking clothes and gear, we took a well deserved nap before going to the restaurant for dinner.

And now we are back in our room settling in for bed. Pictures:

The dark Hedges