Today was a long and busy day full of plenty of adventures. This morning we woke up to continental breakfast at the Belfast Youth Hostel where we spent the night. Afterwards, we loaded our stuff onto a charter bus and headed out on a tour of The Giant's Causeway area. On the way to the Giant's Causeway we stopped at Carrickfergus Castle, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, and Bushmill's Distillery. After all of that we returned to Belfast at 5:50, just in time to catch the 6:00 bus to Dublin. Upon arrival, Sam led us to our hotel where we were able to put down our bags and wander around the block where our hotel is, looking for a place that took credit cards and served food at 9:00 at night. We finally found a hole-in-the-wall pizza place that served pizza, chips, dip, and a drink for €5.00 a person. Someone made the comment that in Northern Ireland, you can't even get a drink for €5.00. Now, we are full, sleepy, and ready for bed.
Carrickfergus Castle was home of William of Orange during the Battle of the Boyne on the outskirts of Belfast. We did not go in the castle because they charged admission, but we wandered around the outside and took a few pictures. In front of the castle was a life sized statue of William of Orange, who is said to have been four feet tall. Luke decided that it would be fun to measure how tall William of Orange was in comparison to me. I'm just excited I'm purportedly taller than a king. Afterwards, we drove two hours along the coastal rode to the area around the Giant's Causeway. While riding along, we passed many fishing villages, salmon farms, and beautiful landscapes. From the coast, we could actually see the country of Scotland, and at one point we were only twelve miles away from the Scottish shore. The coastal road was absolutely picturesque, and I finally began taking pictures with my camera out the bus window because I couldn't resist capturing the absolute splendor.
When we made it out to the Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, the sunshine we enjoyed this morning began fading. We didn't walk across the rope bridge either because it also cost an inordinate amount of money, but we got some absolutely beautiful pictures of the coastline and enjoyed tea and cake in a cafe. While we were in the cafe, it began to snow, and it snowed intermittently the rest of the day. Our next stop was Bushmill's Distillery where we stopped for thirty or forty-five minutes to have lunch at their cafe. To complete our day tour, we ended up at the Giant's Causeway.
The Giant's Causeway was created when lava rock hardened in hexagonal shapes forming intricate patterns along the coast. In ancient times, the people believed that these rocks were actually remains of a city of giants that once lived there and the rocks that moved out towards the water were remains of a road that led to Scotland. Another story says that Celtic Giants from Scotland and Pict Giants from Ireland would have wars, and one Celtic Giant fell in love with a Pict Giant, so his wife burned the Giant's City so that her husband would not cheat on her again. Another one of the formations that lends itself to stories are a series of long rocks on the side of the cliff that are called The Giant's Organ because they are in the shape of a pan pipe. The legend says that this pipe was left behind by one of the giants.
Something I found particularly fascinating due to my obsession with Tolkien is that a lot of the rocks along the cliffs jutted out like doors and windows into the face of the cliff. It reminded me of the secret door into The Lonely Mountain. I think this was especially true since the road up to the cliffs and the Giant's Organ made me reminiscent of the mountain walks in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. While we were touring the Causeway, the snow got heavier, creating an even stronger Middle Earth feel to the area. Needless to say, I was enamored. In fact, the pathway reminded me of the poem from the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring, which goes:
The road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began
Now far ahead the road has gone
And I must follow if I can
Pursuing it with eager feet
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet
And whither then? I cannot say
I can understand why the area was called The Giant's Causeway. The sheer magnanimity of the coast would make even the largest person feel small. But I think it is nice to be reminded of how small we truly are. Dr. Seuss wrote, "A person is a person no matter how small." There is a humbling beauty to realizing there is a wide, wonderful world that is greater and more lovely than we can ever know, and more importantly that we have a creator who is wider, deeper, higher, and bigger than our world can even depict is as humbling as it is comforting. I think sometimes we think about the largeness of the world as being scary and intimidating, but in reality, it should be a comfort to know that God is greater than even the Giant's Causeway.
Amen!!! Pictures are gorgeous....
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