InterTrav

Day 5 – June 9, Part 1

We left Belfast and headed north along the Antrim Coast and Glens toward Giant’s Causeway.

Along the way, we made a quick stop at Carrickfergus Castle, which has stood guard over Belfast Lough for more than 800 years. Our guide mentioned a “life-size” bronze statue of King William III nearby. When Jamie and I stepped off the bus and saw it, we couldn’t stop laughing. 😂 Not as “king-sized” as one might expect. 😬

From there, we continued along the Antrim Coast and Glens. This area is designated an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), and it was easy to see why. The coastline, rolling green hills, and little harbors along the way were beautiful. (Just don’t start counting the many sheep. 🐑😴)

We also stopped at Carnlough Harbour, a charming little fishing village that was every bit as picturesque as you’d expect.

Eventually, we reached Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its thousands of interlocking basalt columns formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago. Science explains it as geology. Irish legend says the giant Finn McCool built it. Either way, it’s incredible.

The weather forecast was originally bleak, but we got lucky and had gorgeous weather, which made the experience that much better. The landscape almost doesn’t seem real. Photos can almost capture the beauty, but they can’t capture the feeling of standing there.

After exploring, we stopped in Bushmills to pick up lunch and enjoyed a picnic on the coach ride back to Belfast.