Tag: coast

Carrick-a-Rede

SDSpivey

I awoke early this morning, and I saw that the car parked in front of me had left, so I took the opportunity to back the car into the street and turn it around so I could back up the steep hill and park in front of the apartment. This made loading our bags into the car much better, but the car groaned mightily trying to go up the hill.

We had to leave Derry for Belfast. We had been to the Giant’s Causeway a few days ago, but had over looked the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge nearby. With a small detour to the trip, we headed out to the north coast, yet again.

As we arrived, the sun was just starting to peek out against the clouds, enough that we could see mainland Scotland better than before, plus it was larger.

The map sign showed puffins on the little island past the rope bridge, but they are either too small to see or too good at hiding.

It was only a 1km hike down to the rope bridge, but it was a lot of up and down the hills.

Once across, the grass is lush and green, with small white and yellow flowers all over, plus a golden moss or lichen covers the rocks. Very pretty, but also slippery.

After our hike back, we went into the “tea room” to get something. We both had corned beef sandwiches and a drink. My drink was a lightly carbonated elderflower beverage. It was a bit strange tasting, but not bad.

We then drove down to Antrim, to see the Antrim Castle. Slight problem, the castle burned down in 1922, so there is only a stepping stone outline of where the castle was. Lame.

Near the castle site, there is a hill with a trail circling around to the top. We went up, but there wasn’t anything there, not even a statue or plaque. More lame. Even the view up there wasn’t that great, it looked down on 2 grassy areas and a brick wall.

There were some gardens to browse around, but we had already seen several that were much better.

Time to head to the apartment.

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Footsteps of giants

SDSpivey

We started off going to Dunluce castle, but just before getting there, there was a large pull off area. What the heck, let’s stop and see what is there.

Not much really, but it was pretty. It was also very cold and windy. The only benefit was that we could just make out Scotland on the horizon, just the Isle of Islay. We could just make out the Dunluce ruins from there as well.

We drove around the corner to the Dunluce, but they wanted too much admission for such a small place.

Next up, the Giant’s Causeway. Not much to say about that directly, except they are mostly long hexagonal, pencil-shaped rocks, that formed as the lava cooled.

There was a long downhill walk to get to the rocks on the shore. The cold wind was biting. Once down to the formations, the wind mostly was blocked by the surrounding mountains.

There is a walkway cut through the formations, to allow access to the next “beach”. There are many coins jammed into the cracks in the rock, like a wishing well. Many of the coins had corroded from the salt and now are pushing the stones apart.

About 45 minutes into our trip to the Beaghmore Stone Circles, we realized that we had missed the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. Oh, well, maybe we can still see it later.

We reached the circles and listened, there was silence. The sign stated it was the darkest sky in Northern Ireland, which probably means the furthest from any city.

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Donegal

SDSpivey

We packed up and left the freezing cottage this morning. They only seem to run the boiler for a few hours at a time, so the place never gets “warm”

We stopped off in the city of Donegal, at the Donegal Castle. It was more of what we would think of as a house, but it did have a wall around it. We arrived a bit early, they weren’t open yet, so we had to stand in the drizzle. Can’t complain much, the weather has been mostly clear and warm (for Ireland).

Then we went to a home in the National Park, Glenveagh Castle, again, not a castle, just a manor house.

On the way, the terrain changed dramatically. We were on a road with a bit of greenery next to it, but everything else we could see was brown and “dead”. Probably just hibernating.

Glenveagh went through several owners throughout the years, including 2 different Americans, who became the Earl of the house.

I was following the Google directions, but we were on the wrong road. Actually, it wasn’t a road, it was the bus path to the castle. I saw a bus coming, so I backed up a few dozen feet to a wider spot, so they could pass. The driver stopped and informed us we were going down the wrong path and redirected us to the car park. Turns out I was was almost there.

We had a long wait for the house tour, so we spent time walking around the gardens, still in the drizzle. There was a large group of 12-14 year old girls, obviously on a field trip. Fortunately, they were not part of our house tour, but there was a bus tour group that was, so it was a bit crowded.

There is a watch tower on the coast, almost straight north from Glenveagh, the Horn Head. I have no idea why it is called that, but it was cold and windy.

There was a small stone “hut” where the sentry would stand out of the wind and rain, while searching for invading ships.

I was uncertain if the car was going to make it up the steep road.

We stopped off in the nearby town at a cafe for lunch. I decided to try the Sprite. They have Fanta orange, but it is more like Tang. The Sprite wasn’t labeled at diet, but it had no sugar. I kind of feel sorry for a diabetic who comes to the US and drinks a regular Sprite, they would spike their blood sugars.

We tried to see another castle, but we arrived just before 5 and the gates were already closed. Bummer.

We then headed for our new “home”, well home for at least for a few days, in Derry/Londonderry. There is an ongoing dispute what the name of the city is or should be. Check Wikipedia for an interesting tale.

The place we are staying is at the very top of a very steep hill. Think San Francisco streets and multiply by 2. The roadway is too narrow to turn around, so I have to back down into traffic, no big deal.

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