We just returned from a 9-hour trip to the Antrim coast and back. It was amazingly, stunningly, incredible beautiful and dramatic, just what we imagined Ireland would be like. Best of all, almost no rain, and lots of sun. Just lots of green, hundreds of shades of green, all of it lush and deep, dotted with thousands upon thousands of sheep and cows. Lots of narrow winding roads, and ancient rock walls, and neat, tidy, small villages, and cliffs, rocky shores, waves, and deserted, clean sandy beaches. Absolutely perfect.
Perhaps even more than its physical beauty, the quality that distinguishes Ireland from other places is its absolute authenticity. It seems real and unspoiled, peaceful and timeless.
Because it was forecast to be rainy, and because it was a Monday and the schools are still in session, traffic on the route was extremely light. Often we were the only car on the road on a given stretch, which amplified the feeling of solitude in the countryside.
Our first stop was Portstewart, a small harbor town, where we had lunch on the seawall. (It seems we have problems getting out of the house much before 11 a.m., in part because we know it’s light until 10:30 in the evening.)
From there we drove along the coast to Dunluce Castle, the remains of a 15th century castle sited on a cliff directly above the ocean — so close, in fact, that a portion of it had fallen into the sea, taking, it is said, a number of servants with it. A splendid location, and cool old ruins.
From there, we drove on to the Giants Causeway. This is an area in which volcanic activity resulted in lava cooling into interesting, mostly hexagonal blocks, which were then work away by the sea into a large expanse of geometrically-regular basalt columns and steps. Designated a “World Heritage Site” by the U.N., it is something that has to be seen to be appreciated.
After the Giants Causeway, we drove on down the coast, stopping at the town of Bushmills (origin of the famous Irish whiskey) for coffee, tea, and snacks. We ate at a small coffee shop that served homemade cakes, including the most lucious, dark, rich chocolate cake, smothered in hot chocolate syrup. The tiny waitress said she ate a piece every day, but none of were sure we believed her.
Caffeinated, we drove further on, and found what turned out to be our favorite spot, an large, isolated beach, where we walked and lay in the warm, warm afternoon sun (the expected rain had never come), and the boys played frisbee. You could look out and see Scotland across the water.
A perfect day. The only bad thing that happened was that my son Will took a header into a thorny patch of weeds while walking down to the beach, getting some rather nasty cuts on his face and arms. He’s already looking better, though.
Finally, I leave you with a picture of me and Suzie. Do I look relaxed?
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