The Giant's Causeway

Finn McCool, an Irish folk character, got in a war with a giant Scottish character and they had a challenge to make a path across the ocean between the two countries and the famous Giant's Causeway is the result of that challenge. What a sight to behold it was! Unfortunately we didn't have long to spend there, it is about a mile walk downhill to reach the site and then a shuttle is the best way back up. Everyone in the Belfast area must have been there that day and the wait to get back was so long that I only spent about 5 minutes exploring the rocks and the geological site. A beautiful place near the ocean, where you could climb to your heart's content on the large stones. Something to see and I only wish I hadn't had to spend 40 minutes in the line to get down to get the bus to leave. But I've seen it and the way things go, who knows when I might be there again, with more time to spend. For now, what an experience it was!

The drive through the countryside did not disappoint at all. Many shades of green on the rolling hills in the countryside, speckled with cows and sheep along the way. So peaceful and so like all the pictures you see of the Irish countryside. Rock walls and blue skies and castle ruins along the way. So many castles here, so many in ruins, however many are still lived in too.

I was a little nervous about being in Belfast, after all the years that the 'civil war' made the news, but in the 10 years since the Friday Agreement was made, the different sides have settled into a peace that feels safe. It is hard to imagine the city the way it was during the 30 years of the conflict. We drove past a wall painted with a mural representing the different factions of that time and the wall was quite unsettling to me, although our guide felt it was a sign of the peace they have reached. So although Belfast is in Ireland, it is a part of Britian.

And after one more very long day, we returned to the port of Belfast, so sail away to more adventures.