Ardmore House has developed a walking
path out to the cliff edge. It’s a good morning wake up walk and Anna does it
twice. Once with her mom and Sean before breakfast and again with her grandparents after breakfast. More Spectacular Views.
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| Clifden Bay |
We’ve notice placards protesting
against salmon cages and now we see them floating in Clifden Bay, (the cages not the placards). The concern
is not with land-based fish farms but these cages in ocean waters where they
could be a threat to wild salmon and the coastal waters.
The Antrim Coast is as far north as one can go
in Ireland. One must pass out of the Republic and into Northern Ireland. We
leave the land of the leprechaun and arrive in stodgy old England. Gone are the
stone fences along with the friendly people. We can feel the difference.
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| Salmon Cages |
Long road trip today. All the way to Belfast,
BUT there will be rewards at the end of the trail.
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| Traveling Companions |
The picturesque north coast is reminiscent of
our Oregon Coast. Sea stacks and rugged inlets. We find three places worthy of
our limited time.
We skip the 45-minute tour at Bushmills
Distillery, instead do a bit of a walkabout among the old buildings, view the
stacks of casks and the copper vats and end up in the gift shop where with a
whiskey purchase we are able to personalize a bottle’s label.
Next stop is the reason we hustled through
Bushmills. We didn’t want to miss, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. The bridge was put into place in 1755 by
fishermen wanting access to the island known as the Rock in the Road
(Carrick-a-Rede). Migrating salmon passed by on their way back to the rivers
Bann and Bush to spawn.
The bridge remains but the salmon are few these
days.
A lengthy path threads along the cliff tops and
we walk in the wind and sunshine to a booth manned by a supportive individual
who encourages hesitant bridge crossers with coaxing words. He ensures an even
flow of walkers and tries to deal with the uncertainty of many.
It’s a 60-foot rope and plank span stretching
100 feet above the sea. Uncertainty is reasonable. And the wind is blowing.
We are brave crossers and enjoy the views and
sense of accomplishment on the other side, even though we recognize we have to
cross the bridge once again to return to the mainland.
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| The Other Side |
One more must see: The Giant’s Causeway. Soon
after we step out of the car it starts to rain. We pull up our hoods and walk
down the ½ mile paved walkway. (Sean jogs the entire way and waits atop a stone
column ‘til the rest of us arrive.) When we near the bottom the rain stops and
the sun appears. Perfect.
Along the coastline, countless hexagonal shaped
basalt columns of various heights are tucked close to one another in a mosaic-like
pattern. The whole scene looks manmade and legend has it that a giant is
responsible. However, geologists disagree and claim volcanic eruptions are accountable
for the display. The columns dominate the shore and then disappear into the sea
where we’re told the columns continue underwater.
PS: if you arrive after 6pm the visitor’s center will
be closed but you won’t have to pay a cent for parking and you’ll have the
place to yourself.
We sleep tonight in Belfast at the unremarkable
Holiday Inn Express. Big city, tall buildings. Dinner at Villa Italia.
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