The Antrim Coast Part 2

Well first off I feel like I need to thank Dansko for making some of the most amazing clogs ever. I've almost walked the entirety of the Antrim Coast in them through quite the variety of terrain. But in other news, this weekend included my first pint and another trip to the coast.

On Saturday Mary Clare, Luisa, and I took the train to Portrush and started our day with a taxi ride to Dunluce castle. Last weekend we didn't get the chance to see the inside of the castle since we arrived after closing so we were excited to go back. We were pretty tired after chatting until 2 the night before but the firing demo did a decent job of waking us up- especially since we weren't expecting it! It was so neat to wander around the castle, especially since it was a pretty cold and stormy day complete with a raging sea below. I am loving living in a country where such old buildings dot the landscape- it was amazing to imagine how many people have crossed the castle floor before me.

^ This is where part of the kitchen fell into the sea! 

After the castle we walked to Bushmills for directions to the Giant's Causeway. The lady who gave us directions made it sound like it wasn't too far from the town so we decided to walk. While the walk was beautiful the road wasn't exactly pedestrian-friendly, so we definitely had to jump out of the road a few times to avoid tractors and buses. But I am beginning to think that Northern Ireland is best seen on foot; walking definitely gives you more time and freedom to stop and stare at the landscape. And it's always fun to wave at random people passing by!

The Giant's Causeway was amazing! I tried to understand the volcanic activity and such that created it, but it was a bit over my head. I'd rather stick to the giant story. There are a couple of variations on the story, but according to legend a giant living in Ulster named Finn MacCool built a path to reach his love living in Staffa, an island off the Scottish coast. But after a fight with Finn, one of his rivals wrecked the causeway to keep Finn from catching him. It must've been quite a run back across the causeway; I don't know whether a giant would be more graceful than me but I definitely had a few close calls while climbing around on the rocks!

Giants and volcanoes aside, I felt like the Giant's Causeway served as a testament of God's handiwork- at least in my mind :-) Looking down on the causeway it was easy for me to picture God piecing the rocks together. It was a good time to think and pray about God's presence in Northern Ireland. Our trip to the Giant's Causeway definitely served as a good reminder of just how small I am in this great big world we live in.

:-)