Giants and high adventure

Our second day had us setting out for two of the most well-known sites on Ireland's north coast - the Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. Unexpectedly we also experienced the best of Irish summer weather that day - sunny and warm ...and as these two places require a significant amount of climbng and walking to see the best views, we could not have asked for better!

The Giant's Causeway is made up of many interlocking basalt columns - the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. The more exciting explanation though, is that the causeway is the result of a bridge made by the giant Finn McCool to allow him to reach and battle his enemy acorss the sea in Scotland. We all like the legendary explanation the best!  ;-)

Kim walking in a giant's footsteps.

Taking the cliff path and stairs to the top, rather than the easy route.




The view looking back down the path to the Giant's Causeway.

The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge is just a short hop along the rocky coast and some of the most gorgeous photos I took this week were the result. It is a kilometre walk from the car park to the rope bridge, and we felt more like we were in a part of the caribbean than here in Northern Ireland.  Carrick-a-rede means rock in the road, and the narrow gap between the tiny island and the coast was just that...a stop in the salmon route each year. Fishermen for hundreds of years would string a rope bridge to the island to more easily catch the salmon passing by - now it is done only for the benefit of all the visitors to the area!

Florence would not cross the narrow swinging bridge, but stayed happily on the mainland while the rest of us ventured across. Once on the small islet and off the main path is a gorgeous grass-covered hill where people sat and rested after their trek ...staring out at the sea under the brilliant sky. Bryanna was desperate to get down to that aquamarine water and swim, it looked so enticing - but we held her back.

What a gorgeous day - the weather was not to hold but the next day would be as exciting and certainly more dramatic!