Day 332 – Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland, and the North Channel (by Pam)
The Events of Monday, May 23, 2011
Today was to be a long travel day, leaving Ireland for Scotland via ferry. However, there was a bit more of North Ireland that we wanted to see, so Jim set his alarm for 6 AM. It rained most of the night, and the wind was really howling when we awoke. Our morning routine was quick, thanks to all of last night’s preparation. Ben managed to load up most of our luggage before breakfast. This was timely because, during breakfast, the skies just opened up and unleashed a tremendous rainstorm. This made the dramatic views of the rolling green North Irish countryside, from the large dining room windows, all the more impressive. After breakfast, we cleaned up and packed up. Luckily, the rain subsided for the final loading of the car.
The backcountry roads in Northern Ireland are much wider than their counterparts in Ireland, Wales, and England. It was a joy to travel, and there was so much to see. The rain stopped, and the wind whipped dramatic patterns in the tall green grass along the roadside. After about an hour of driving, Abby requested a stop to get some fresh air. I suggested that the kids take five laps around the car before rotating seats. When we got out of the car, we were all surprised at how windy it was. Windblown, but refreshed, the kids piled in again, and we were off, headed to the Giant’s Causeway at the northernmost tip of the Emerald Isle.
Arriving at the Giant’s Causeway, a World Heritage Site, we were ushered around some intensive construction work to the parking lot. It appears that the Visitor Centre is being rebuilt, so we would not be able to view the “quaint” movie that Rick Steves had recommended. Exiting the car, the wind buffeted us to and fro. It is really hard to put on a jacket when the wind is blowing it away. Following the signs, we headed down the pedestrian walkway to the Giant’s Causeway.
The Giant’s Causeway is a unique geologic site on the shores of the North Sea. The site is composed of approximately 40,000 regular-shaped basalt columns packed closely together, as if to form a “stepping stone” pathway stretching out to sea. The columns were formed by the cooling and shrinking of molten lava from an ancient volcanic eruption over 60 million years ago. Most of the basalt columns are hexagonal, but some of them have four, five, seven and even as many as eight sides. The tallest columns rise almost 36 feet.
It was a long, windy walk down from the parking lot to the Giant’s Causeway. And it was windy. How windy was it? Windy enough to blow Jim’s stocking cap off his head and my sunglasses off my face. Windy enough to lift my leg and carry it forward when I shifted weight to take a step. Windy enough for Ben to lean into the wind at a 45⁰ angle and be held there. Windy enough to stop you in your tracks and impede your forward progress for a moment. Windy enough for Caitlin to take a seawater shower. Windy enough for Abby to be pelted with gravel and sand. Windy enough that the kids didn’t even dare to jump, as they weren’t sure where they would land. Windy enough to blow Ben off the sidewalk and down a little grassy slope. Windy enough for Lindsey’s hair to become so entangled that we might just need to cut it all off. Suffice it to say, it was windy.
As we approached the hexagonal columns, the kids started planning what sort of family shot they wanted to take. Abby wanted each of us to stand on a different height column so that we were all the same height for the photo. As we approached the shoreline and the waves, the wind intensified. I stopped some fellow tourists and asked if they might take our picture. The camera would have been blown into the sea if we had tried to prop it up and use the self-timer. The young woman from
As we clambered and climbed, we found ourselves dropping to all fours to balance ourselves in the wind. At one point, Ben was spread-eagle across several rocks, holding on for dear life. Due to their curious shapes, some of the rock features at the Causeway have been given familiar names such as the Giant’s Boot, the Giant’s Gate, the Wishing Chair, the Camel, the Granny and the Organ. Buffeted by the wind, and not making much progress, we didn’t recognize any of these rock features. We decided to make our way to the peak of a peninsula of columns. Daringly, Jim ventured out toward the tip of the peninsula. After realizing he could go no further, he began to turn back. Just as he reached Caitlin, a mighty wind arose and knocked him sideways. Caitlin grabbed for him and he for Caitlin, and, for a moment, I thought both of them were going to go over the edge. However, the wind changed as quickly as it had arisen, and they were able to regain their balance. Whew! Shaken, we decided to call it a day and head back to the path.
At the path, there was a unique placard. A rotating hexagonal stone lay between two posts. On each side was information about the geology, ecology, and formation of the Giant’s Causeway, as well as myths about its creation. Local legend tells how it was actually the Irish Giant Finn MacCool who created the Giant’s Causeway to challenge his Scottish rival Benandonner. The legend on the placard shared that Finn MacCool created the causeway to access Scotland. However, upon arrival, he was intimidated by the size of his foe. So, he crossed back over to Ireland, with Benandonner hot on his tail. Finn MacCool’s wife aided his escape by disguising him as a baby. When the Scottish Giant arrived, she informed him that Finn MacCool was out hunting and should be back soon. However, when Benandonner caught a glimpse of the large “baby”, he in turn became intimidated by how big the “baby’s” father must be. So, he skedaddled back to Scotland, destroying the causeway as he went, so Finn MacCool couldn’t follow. The placard also showed us a map of the safety barriers, all of which it seems we had bypassed, without knowing they were there. Oops.
Now it was time for us to skedaddle back to the car to catch our ferry to Scotland. However that was easier said than done. Battling wind and walking uphill, it took us quite a while to return. As we entered the gift shop, a worker for the site came by carrying a cup of coffee. However, the wind was so strong that it emptied his cup with every step. He let us know that the wind made the Giant’s Causeway very treacherous and advised us to stick to the footpaths. Oops.
Just as we drove off, the skies opened up again, and it began to rain. What timing! We critiqued Lindsey’s blog from last Thursday as we drove, and in no time at all were entering the port city of Larne. Following the signs, we soon were in line to board the car ferry that was to take us to Scotland. As we pulled forward, a uniformed woman stopped our car to inform us that the 12:55 ferry, our ferry, had been cancelled due to weather. She instructed us to drive forward to the ticket kiosk and re-book to the next available ferry, departing at 7:30 PM. Bummer. This was a major change in plans, but there was nothing to do but comply.
After re-booking our passage and leaving the ferry terminal, we followed signs to the town centre and found the tourist information office. Jim and Abby went inside. Abby was most dismayed. Here she was, minutes from being relieved of her “tour guide” duties for Northern Ireland, and now our stay had been lengthened by seven hours. However, the tourist information staff was most helpful. First of all, she explained the reason for our cancelled ferry ride. It seems that the winds had been clocked at 65 mph. (Glad I didn’t know that out on the Giant’s Causeway!) The catamaran high speed ferry cannot safely travel with winds of that speed. While our original ferry ride would only take one hour, our re-booked ferry ride put us on the slow, more stable ferry, and our ride would take two hours. This was not good news, because we had two hours to travel in Scotland before reaching our B&B. It was also past lunchtime, and we were starving. Jim and Abby asked if there was a “chipper” around, a place that serves fish and chips. We were in luck, the chipper that the TI staff frequented was just around the corner.
After another windy walk, we were soon ensconced in a warm corner of the restaurant. After looking at the menu, we surmised that this was Northern Ireland’s equivalent to our fast food. However, the food was so much better! Several of us ordered the standard fish and chips while others were a bit more adventurous. Lindsey ordered Alex’s Grill – battered chicken filet, sausage, chips, battered mushroom, onion rings, peas and gravy. Jim enjoyed Fish Tea – fish, pepper chips, peas, and tea. Caitlin ordered breaded cod with Gravy Chip & Stuffing – fries topped with bread stuffing and brown gravy. The portions were very generous, and we all enjoyed our last meal in Ireland very much.
Returning to our car, we set off to find the Larne Library. Soon we were all comfortably reading or blogging, while the rain fell and the wind roared outside. Abby found some Roald Dahl books that she hadn’t read yet (unbelievable). Upon this discovery, she happily curled up in a cozy chair to rectify the situation. Caitlin and Jim utilized the library resources to further research London and Scotland, respectively. Lindsey alternated doodling and drawing with reading Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. Ben read some German language books and studied a bit of Biblical Hebrew before perusing the Guinness Book of World Records. I blogged, recording today’s adventures up to this point and read Trinity by Leon Uris, a novel the recounts Ireland’s saga of conflict. Although I have read this before, reading it now after seeing and visiting many of the places mentioned in the book and hearing other stories of Ireland’s struggle for Home Rule, has made reading it all the more poignant.
We left the library in plenty of time to make the ferry. Earlier, the attendant told us to return at 6 PM for the 7:30 PM ferry. Arriving just before 6, we “queued” up and settled in to wait. Another blog critique session was underway when the line began to move at 6:30. As we reached the attendant, Jim gave him our reservation number. More bad news. Weather had delayed our departure again, until “half ten” (10:30 PM). Argh! The attendant, eager to assist, asked if he could help us. Jim shared that, when we arrived in Scotland, we would still be two hours from our lodging. The attendant did some quick calculations, saying that the voyage would take two hours, possibly three, given the weather. That would put our arrival in Scotland at 1 AM, and get us to our lodging around 3 AM. Apologetically, he directed us on, and the next attendant directed us to Lane I. Dismayed, we sat in the car and looked at one another.
In the midst of catastrophe, the Traveling Taylors remained optimistic and flexible. We calmly discussed our options. Our Scottish B&B was our only accommodation of its kind on this trip. Jim’s thoughts sadly turned to the promised Scottish breakfast we would miss if forced to cancel. However, these accommodations were more expensive than our usual self-catering accommodations, and paying full fare for only a few hours’ sleep and a breakfast did not seem ideal. We also didn’t know if we would be welcomed for a 3 AM check-in. The group consensus was to cancel the B&B and forfeit our ₤30 deposit, and drive on to our next accommodations on the Isle of Skye. If we drove there directly from the ferry, we should arrive around 7 AM. Perhaps we could move in then and get some sleep. We could try to sleep on the ferry, and the kids could sleep while we drove. This seemed to be the best plan. The decision was made to take what would have been today’s picnic lunch and have it for dinner in the ferry terminal. However, we had to wait for the latest downpour to subside.
Rewarded with a double rainbow at the end of the downpour, we donned our coats, grabbed our backpacks and food bag, and followed the signs to the Ferry Terminal. There, we enjoyed our picnic dinner. Disappointed to find the promised WiFi not available in the waiting area or on the ferry, we settled for recharging the computer batteries and hunkered down to await the ferry’s departure. Hopefully, there would be no further delays.
While we waited, Jim made two phone calls – one to cancel our Glasgow B&B and one to our Isle of Skye lodging to see if we could check in at 7 AM. After finishing, he shared with us the good news and the bad news. The good news was that we could check into our Isle of Skye lodging at any time, as the “key is in the door”. However, he was not able to cancel our B&B without penalty. Since our rooms could not be rented due to the late notice, the owner would have to charge us the full amount. He might be able to give us a slightly reduced rate, as we would not be eating breakfast, and the rooms would not have to be cleaned. So, the owner suggested that we wait and see. Perhaps a few hours of sleep and a good Scottish breakfast would be better than paying full price for nothing. Jim said he would have to consult the family.
Shortly before 9, the announcement came over the PA system that we were to return to our vehicles and prepare for loading. While we waited, yet again, we held another blog critique session. Finally, we were directed onto the ferry. After parking, we made our way upstairs in search for a place to sit and hopefully get some shut-eye. Unfortunately, the motorcyclists, who boarded first, were already stretched out on all the cushioned benches. Nabbing six low backed cocktail chairs, half of us waited there while the other half went in search of more desirable seating. Shortly, Jim returned triumphant. They had secured six cushioned reclining seats in the darkened movie lounge. The movie Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps would be playing, but we were pretty good at sleeping through movies.
After relocating, we quickly settled in, leaning our chairs back, taking off our shoes, raising the footrests, and arranging our coats as blankets and pillows. Jim stretched out on the floor in front of his seat and Lindsey pulled out her eye mask. The girls were quickly asleep, but Ben and I struggled to get comfortable. Our departure time of 10:30 came and went. Finally, at about 11 pm, the announcement came that we were underway. This was followed by loud announcements and a video on the movie screen regarding safety procedures.
After this, we enjoyed a brief interlude of silence and darkness and then the movie started. Unable to sleep, I watched the movie. Shortly before midnight, another announcement came over the intercom. Due to technical difficulties, the captain was dropping the anchor, as it was unsafe to continue our voyage. He anticipated another two-hour delay. The captain apologized again for the delay, but assured us that our safety and the safety of the boat were most important in these stormy conditions.
Instantly, Abby was wide awake and worried. “What is happening?” “Mommy, should we put our shoes back on in case we have to evacuate?” “I’m scared.” As I sought to reassure her, I sought to reassure myself as well. The winds had been fierce all day, and that is why all the earlier ferry crossings had been cancelled or delayed. Were we crazy to be out in the middle of the North Channel on a ferry loaded with 18-wheelers, buses, cars, and motorcycles in the middle of a storm? And we were on a ferry that had just come out of dry dock getting all its “technical difficulties” supposedly repaired. Today had turned into our longest travel day so far, and it wasn’t over yet......