Belfast Trifecta... Part Two
Like other places we have visited, we booked far in advance to be sure to get in. The challenge is, guessing what time we will arrive within a thirty minute window! By skipping a couple of sights at the beginning, we were able to arrive about ten minutes prior to our window. We walked across the driveway… what a treat! Waves crashing on the shoreline…
By pre-purchasing our tickets, parking was included. There is a way to enter free but it is a crazy walk. After parking, we followed the directions on how to enter the facility… through the building and out the back door. A long path stood before us… it was downhill but that means we will have to walk uphill later! The view just outside of the building is of Portnaboe or Bay of Cows.
A slightly closer view… just above the waterline on the left top, is a rock known as Finn McCool’s Camel. Legend says this was a lively beast turned to stone and permanentely in this spot. In the personal device guide, we were told that at one time, the entire area was rolling hills. Now it is a bay… a very beautiful bay!
Getting right down into the thick of it… Barry seems to be enjoying his new toy! It’s usually hard to get him to take photos but this part of Ireland has inspired him to really try to catch the area from all different vantage points.
Most of the time, I am snapping away at the sights around me… this time, I was so happy to see hubby enjoy the views that I photographed him taking pictures! Kind of like a stalker, paparrazi! Who could resist this coastal area… powerful waves, interesting rock formations…
Onions… these rocks were described to us as onions. Over time, weather has stripped layers from the rocks. We spent a bit of time just taking in the view. Sitting on the rocks, feeling the crashing waves… enjoying wildflowers popping up around the marshy areas. So many types of rocks. This area leads into the actual Giant’s Causeway.
Geologists would go crazy here… it’s fascinating. There is much disagreement of how old this area is. Creationists and Christians have differnt thoughts because this is said to have been created 60 million years ago. Change is apparent. Weather has definitely left its mark.
Forty thousand interlocking basalt columns… resulting from a volcanic eruption. Stepping stones from the ocean to high on a hill… This area was declared a UNESCO site in 1986. In a survey, Giant’s Causeway was voted as the fourth greatest wonder in the United Kingdom. However, when I looked up the others that beat this spot out, it was Stonehenge (which we just visited) and Giant’s Causeway was always either first or second.
Yes! Second selfie in one day! haha… got him! It’s an amazing place so it deserved another. Our challenge has been to catch angles without people. On this sunny day, the paths were full of people heading in and out… and all around the formations.
Two legends on the formation of this area… the first, Finn McCool created this walkway to cross the Irish Sea. His rival, Scottish giant Benandonner, was on the other side. After they met and battled, Benandonner ripped up as much of the causeway as possible, leaving what we see today.
An alternative belief, though not the most popular or well known, is that the causeway was built for love. In a way, I believe this one more because guides in the 1700’s and early 1800’s shared this version. Over the years, it could have morphed into a war story. A poem was written about Finn McCool in 1830. It begins like this…
“Finn had fallen in love with a Scottish maiden. Sad that he couldn’t reach her, he walked along the shore, skimming stones out across the sea. Seeing the splash they made, Finn suddenly hit upon a plan - he would build a Causeway in order to see his love.”
The poem continues: Finn laboured all day, and made good progress in his task, extending the Causeway nearly haflway across the sea. Tired, he went home to rest, confident he would finish the job the next day. But sadly his Grandmother had other ideas. Afraid of losing him forever to Scotland, she used her magic to call up an enormous storm. The waves and wind lashed the partly-built Causeway and the rocks were torn apart. Finn awoke the next day to see his handiwork had disappeared.”
“Undaunted, he began to build a new Causeway. Once more the stones stretched out into the ocean, but that very night his work was destroyed. Finn tried again and again: the harder he laboured, the more violent the storms. Worn out, he made one last attempt, building on through the night.”
“The storms rose up around Finn, tearing at him with thunde and lightening, while wild waves beat at every rock he tried to lift. At last he reached the other side, but the trial was too much, even for a giant. Exhausted, he fell down and died in the arms of his beloved.”
Behind him, the Causeway he had built slipped below the waves for a final time. A mighty thunderclap sounded and Finn’s Granny climbed to the top of a hill to see what had happened. Horrified by what her magic had done, she turned to stone. She stands there to this day.”
We actually saw the stone a bit away from us, but didn’t realize the significance until we got back to the ship. So no photo of the large, hook shaped rock.
With Barry standing at the base of one side, you can see how tall these rock formations can be… from small footstones to large pillars. Our guide explained the process of their creation: Volcanic eruptions caused layers of basalt to form. Then erosion caused rivers to form. After that, more lava filled the river valley. As the bottom cooled, it began to slowly crack in even patterns. The next phase involved glaciers scraping the top layers of the rock. Finally, as things warmed up, the sea level rose and waves began to wear away the rock and further exposed to what we see today.
Across the bay, we could see more pillars. Unfortunately, I waited to take a picture on a few iconic perspectives but they were always full of people planted and having a picnic. Stonehenge monitored the site so everyone could take “tourist free” photos. Here, people climbed all over the rocks. It would have been nice to have a couple areas that were without (what I call) clutter.
The coastline and small towns in this part of Ireland… stunning. Curious, I checked out rental and purchase prices. For a three month minimum stay, a flat with oceanview is around 700 pounds. Not too bad! It just may happen that we will have the opportunity to take photos at all times of day, all types of weather… Our ultimate retirement plans include long stays in a variety of locales and cruises during low season. This will be added to my list!
