Day 9- June 19th

June 19th - The Glen and Giant's Causeway

It was 6:30 when we woke up on June 19. We were getting an early start that day, because we had a long way to drive. We had our complimentary breakfast at the Blackberry Lodge B&B, the cute little place we had stayed at the night before. We quickly packed up our things, and left at 7:00 on the dot. Leah volunteered to drive, since she was the only one of our group who was actually awake. The rest of us slept the whole car ride.

The Glen - Nature
We got to The Glen, our first destination for the day. The Glen, a “microvalley” carved into the side of Knocknarea Mountain, is said to feel like a whole different world. The myths surrounding the mountain make the valley seem even more surreal. A rock formation at the top of the mountain, Queen Maeve’s tomb, is said to be the final resting place of a mythical queen.

This fills the visitor’s head with fantastical reasons as to why the tiny valley existed. The entrance to the spot is guarded by a rusty iron gate so innocuous that most visitors to the mountain pass over it. However, we knew what to look for, so we were able to find it with no trouble. We wore rain boots, because many people had said that the glen was muddy. They were right, and we were glad to have the footwear. As we stepped into the place, even Hanna put down her camera to stare in awe.The glen had towering limestone cliffs going up to 60 feet above us. The walls were 40-70 feet apart. The little cliffs were covered in ivy and fern fronds that brushed our shoulders as we passed. Any fallen trees had been overtaken by dark green moss. The beautiful trees loomed over us, but not in a threatening way. It felt more like they were comforting us, or welcoming us to the secluded spot. We were all alone in the valley.

It stretched about three-quarters of a mile along the side of the mountain, and as we walked, it felt right to talk in hushed voices. Hannah commented on how the place made her feel like a regal elf from a fantasy kingdom. When we reached the edge off the valley, we all sat on a fallen tree trunk, and took in the amazing place around us. The silence was broken when Joseph fell off the trunk into a mud puddle behind him. As we laughed at his predicament, our voices echoed, and it almost seemed as if the valley was laughing with us. As we began to walk slowly back through to the parking lot, Hanna began snapping pictures again. We all talked and laughed until it seemed like our joy filled up the place. Our presence gave the spot a vibe of happiness. When we reached the gate, we reluctantly walked out. Hanna took one last picture as we left the valley with feelings of peace and blissfulness.

Emily grabbed our lunch out of the car, and we ate on the ground outside the gate. When we finished, Leah took the wheel again, and pulled out of the parking lot at about 12:30. We had about a three hour drive until our next destination, Giant’s Causeway. Hannah occupied herself with a fantasy novel that she finished before the drive ended. Hanna contented herself with looking at the millions of pictures she had taken over the course of the trip. Emily and Joseph both texted their friends about how jealous they should be. We stopped in Bundoran for a quick bathroom and snack break, and did the same in Ballybofey and Londonderry. We finally reached our destination at about 3:00.

Giant's Causeway - Nature

Giant’s Causeway was formed about 60 million years ago by volcanic activity, but legend has it, a giant named Finn MacCool built the causeway as a bridge to go challenge his enemy, Benandonner. It is listed a cultural and natural site, one of few to be listed so, on the World Heritage site list.

When we first got there, and began our hike along the cliffs, it was easy to see why the place inspired legends. There were thousands of hexagonal (with some octagonal) columns of dark basalt. There were even some stones whose exterior had been worn away to the reddish-colored interior, earning them the name giant’s eyes. The rocks were very slippery and wet, and we were all glad we had worn our sneakers. The waves crashing against the rocks sent up lots of chilly spray, and we were glad we had also worn raincoats. As we trekked around the towering stones, we saw various “giant artifacts,” including a “giant’s boot,” a huge organ-like rock formation, and a so-called wishing chair. Hanna took many pictures of us posing against the dramatic background.

 When we had gotten to the bottom of a rock hill, we sat down on some rocks that seemed like they were meant to be chairs. We talked about how amazing it was that the almost symmetrical rocks had occurred naturally. The waves pounding against the cliffs was a majestic sight, and Hanna took a perfect picture of our silhouettes against the rocks and waves. We decided to head back after Joseph slipped and fell backwards off a rock- he was okay. As we hiked back up the stones, we saw some of the birds that Giant's Causeway was famous for having. We also found some cool-looking seaweed that had washed up. Unfortunately, we could not convince Joseph to eat it.

 When we reached the top once more, we decided to go buy souvenirs in the gift shop at the visitor’s center, although it was unlikely we were going to forget this experience. Hanna got a T-shirt with the causeway depicted on it, Joseph bought a game called Finn McCool that looked like the causeway, Emily wanted a stuffed puffin, Hannah got a tiny little model of a few rocks form the spot, and Leah bought a giant’s causeway coffee mug. When we left, it was about 7:15. We ate a quick dinner at a little place called The Nook, and then headed to our hotel, The Causeway Hotel. We arrived at about 8:30. We quickly unpacked, and then met up at the lunge to talk about our amazing day. We had seen some amazing places and awe-inspiring views. This day would not be one that we would easily forget, but one that would stick in our minds forever.