Our first morning awakening in Belfast was quite a surprise- it appeared to be roughly 10-15 degrees colder than Edinburgh and Dublin (and 40-50 degrees colder than home). So cold, that we found our car covered in a thin layer of ice we had to scrape off with initially, our fingernails...until I realized we could also use our credit cards. We scraped enough off the windows to make a cute snowball for Ryan. :-)
I will say that at the point that we were laughing and scraping, we had no idea what a special day was about to unfold for us. I think we were almost tired of driving at that point, and would have been thrilled to spend a day walking around Belfast, checking out political al fresco art work. However, there were a few reasons we decided to stick to the plan- our Lonely Planet guidebook had a stunning picture on it's cover of the Causeway basalt columns that were intriguing, and nearly every single webpage for Belfast visitors highly recommended a day trip to check them out. Even visitors in Dublin signed up for tour bus day trips to visit the Causeway.
Giant's Causeway was not far- it was 61 miles to the Causeway Coast from Belfast. However, it is a nearly 2-hour drive, thanks to the roadways heading there being the usual narrow, single carriageway, 343,827-roundabout experience. The views were nice, but nothing we hadn't seen for days- lots of green pastureland and farmlands all nicely parceled out by neatly-trimmed hedges...gazing sheep...
Once we got to the Causeway, we parked our car nearby, and hoofed it down the pathway for the 15-20 min walk from the visitor center to the basalt columns near the water. When we got there, it was fuh-reezing with a strong coastal breeze that had me dusting off the old SWEDEN hat (it may be brighter than a My Little Pony parade, but it cover my ears and I LOVE it) to stay warm.
The Causeway has about 40,000 basalt hexagonal-shaped columns that interlock together and extend out above the sea floor. We had seen something very similar in Iceland about ten years ago, but the area was about the size of small home and did not extend above the ground. I remember it was called 'Church Floor' (as it was thought to be one), before realizing they were basalt columns. I'm unsure of how they formed, but it is N. Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage site, and largely considered to be one the best places in the world to view them.
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| The walk down to the sea/columns |
It was probably just under a mile to get to the columns, but then once you do...the area is massive. Even if twenty tour busses descended upon the area at once, you would be able to easily get a snap without others behind you.
We were lucky to get there early, and saw maybe only 3-4 others checking out the area.
As stunning and fascinating as the columns were- they were just one attraction of the area. Once we had our fill of the columns, we jumped back on the path and headed what I think was north as we were headed for a lookout area.
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| Please note the happy and gay walk on my part! |
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| Soon, the causeway became a tiny blip behind us, as we walked up the trail |
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| This outcropping of columns along the way are called 'The Organ,' and if you look closely, you can see just how large they are if you can spy Rich and Ryan! |
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The path led to an area called 'The Amphitheatre,' but on the way, we spotted stunning cliffside views
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| I told Rich if he ever gives me the 'ol heave ho, this will be my Match.com profile pic. I just loved this area of the trail (which closed just ahead). |
We did something a hair naughty on the trek back (which wasn't long, maybe a mile back to the columns, max)...I had really wanted to take a set of steps back up to the top of the cliff. These steep 162-stairs are called 'Shepard's Path.' However, the steps were closed/blocked off due to a landslide. But we could see multiple folks going around the fencing and taking the stairs, so Rich urged me to 'just do it'. As much I really wanted to, I hate to break rules like that...well, that's not true. I don't mind breaking rules, I had getting caught/humiliated. But I figured he was right- and we decided to hoof it up the stairs. I was so glad we did! The rockslide was a tiny 5-foot section with maybe a hundred rocks piled up that were very easy to dodge and navigate around with zero risk.
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| The cliffside trail offered another perspective of the area and we loved it |
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| We got the enjoy the aerial view of the causeway below |
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| My joy could not be contained after ascending to the top of the stairs, and I was inspired to do an Irish jig in celebration. The joy and pride on Ryan's face is evident and speaks for itself. |
Our next destination, which we hoped to get to before it got dark (the sun set at 4pm daily in both countries), was called The Dark Hedges. It was popularized after it was featured on a scene from the Game of Thrones. Basically, it is a stretch of road where a former owner planted over 200 trees on the road leading to his property. Today, less than half survive, however, in the right lighting and angles, still offers a beautiful backdrop.
By this point, it was approaching the later afternoon, and I was starved. We found a cute cafe at the hedges and ordered some 'jacket potatoes,' scones, sandwiches, etc. Delicioso!
Our drive back to Belfast was for a specific destination - the Crown Liquor Saloon, which is a Victorian-era bar that is owned N. Ireland's National Trust. It has many features well preserved, and still in use today- ten snugs (booths) for the more conservative guests during the more reserved/conservative periods...original gun metal plates for striking matches to light up a cigarette...antique bell system for the snugs to summon staff...gas lamps...carved ceilings...stained glass windows, etc.
Everything I'd read indicated that the bar was not only packed/busy most of the time, with both visitors and locals alike. Reviews indicated needing to get there hours early for a seat, the frustration of poor service since they were so busy, etc. Since I work for a restaurant group that often has hours-long waits at most properties for dinner, I figured we'd go just before happy hour...when it would be at its slowest.
We left The Dark Hedges and drove straight for Victoria St to the pub, and luckily, got there without incident. We even found a parking stall only 1/4 mile away...and miracle of miracles...managed to snag ourselves a snug (after offering to clean it ourselves, as it had recently been vacated)!
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| We also checked up the upstairs dining area, which was beautiful, but not from the Victorian era! |
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| We had literally just eaten a few hours prior after our long hike at the Causeway/Hedges...but since we had to get there before it got crowded, we found ourselves ordering a lite dinner. Ryan had a full steak dinner, and Rich and I split some garlic bread and an apple tart. It was all not bad for pub fare! Was service good? Nope! We cleared our own table, and placed our own order...but we didn't care! We were IN, and we had our coveted SNUG, and ambiance was well worth the self service! ;-) |
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| Directly across the street was this building, which was the Grand Opera House, and a stunner! |
Our day started with a bang (the Causeway) and ended with a bang (the saloon), and was truly one of the best overall travel days of my life. One was nature-focused, and one was architectural...but together, they created one of those foreign experiences we live for!
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