“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
From Glasgow International Airport we flew (on EasyJet) to Belfast International Airport. It was the shortest flight I have ever been on, I think we were in the air for a total of 24 minutes. I had barely opened up my book when the captain announced we would be landing in 15 minutes.
We rented another car at the airport to use for exploring Northern Ireland, and drove to our hotel in Belfast. We walked around the town a little that evening, and found a wonderful dinner spot at a restaurant called Home where we shared a half bottle of wine, had delicious soup, and gluten free chocolate cake! The restaurant was very “hip” in American standards (I’ve found that most of Europe is super hipster without even trying) with artwork on the walls and classic rock (Zeppelin, Hendrix, Beatles) playing in the background.
View of Belfast from our hotel window
The next morning we got up bright and early to spend our day exploring the Northern Ireland’s coast (and hitting up all the Game of Thrones filming spots we could!) we drove along the Causeway Coastal route and started off with beautiful views of Ireland’s coast. Ireland is very green, which I assumed it would be. However, it is different from the green of Scotland. The green in Ireland reminds me of the green on the East Coast of the U.S. It’s a darker green, a more manicured green in comparison with Scotland’s wild, fairy green. I’m sure you all are wondering why I care so much about the green; it’s just so breathtaking. Also it’s my favorite color, that might have something to do with my obsession…
We stopped in Cushendall for brunch at a cute little tea shop where we were provided with two large plates of traditional English breakfast and a pot of tea! We were charmed by the locals and had a laugh when a man walked in with “an allergic reaction to watermelon!” He had a small, hollowed out watermelon with a slit in the middle, and was pretending it was his mouth, moving it up and down as he talked. We drove to the next town over, Cushendun and visited our first Game of Thrones Filming Spot: The Caves of Cushendun. These caves are featured in Season Two, where Melisandre gives birth to the Shadow that kills Renly Baratheon. The caves were so interesting, the walls were green and red and had formations akin to dinosaur eggs. After exploring the caves and making many references to our beloved show, we got back on the Causeway Coastal Route and continued our beautiful drive along the coast.
Our second Game of Thrones spot: The Dark Hedges. The Dark Hedges, a famous landmark in Ireland, were used as the Kingsroad, north of Kings of Landing and was shown when Arya Stark was traveling north after her father is killed. The Hedges are a tunnel formed by this avenue of beech trees; the trees are estimated to be about 300-350 years old. Local folklore also tells of “The Grey Lady” that haunts the tunnel, Bregagh Road. The tunnel was stunning, I only wish we had gotten there at a time when no one was around, no cars or people to ruin my pictures through the tunnel. One day, when I have more than two and a half days in Northern Ireland, I will find the perfect time to return to the Dark Hedges and get my picture.
The Carrick-a-rede rope bridge was next on our agenda. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this bridge; all I knew of it was that it was a rope bridge suspended over an 100 foot drop connecting an island to the mainland that salmon fishers had used to check their salmon nets. It was pouring rain when we first started our walk along the coastal foot path but as we continued our way up, the clouds parted and beautiful sun lit up the coast.
We stood in the queue to cross the swinging rope bridge, only eight people are allowed on it at a time. Some people got to the point of crossing and decided to turn back, too afraid to cross the little rope bridge to the other side. Looking down, the cliffside and crashing water below was daunting, but there was no way I wasn’t going to cross that thing. Crossing the bridge was exhilarating as it moved and swung under our feet as we crossed to the other side. Of course I looked down, and of course my mind went to “what if we’re the ones that finally bring this bridge crashing down into the ocean below?” but we made it safely to the other side and were able to explore the little island and take in views of Ireland’s coast. We were also able to see the shadowy coast of Scotland off in the distance! The rope bridge turned out to be one of our favorite things that day; probably because we were pleasantly surprised by how fun it was and how beautiful the expansive views were. To get back to the mainland we had to cross back over the the rope bridge. At one point the people in the front stopped at the end of the bridge, leaving Alex and I out in the middle, slowly swinging back and forth as our lives flashed before our eyes and my heart pounded in my chest.
Just down the road from the rope bridge was the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The polygonal columns of basalt were formed 60 million years ago from a volcanic eruption. The legend (and how the causeway got it’s name) of the formation was that an Irish giant, Fionn Mac Cumhaill (or Finn MacCool) built the causeway to meet and fight a Scottish giant on the other side to Scotland. When Finn MacCool saw the Scottish giant, he hid and his wife disguised him as a baby. When the Scottish giant, Benandonner, saw the “baby” he thought that his father must be Finn, and must be of monstrous size, and he ran away back to Scotland, destroying the Causeway. Across the way on the Scottish island of Staffa are identical basalt columns from the same volcanic eruption. Most of the columns were perfect, interlocking hexagons; it was incredible that they are natural formations! It was a rainy, misty day out on the Causeway, and tons of tourists accompanied us there, but we had an enjoyable time climbing on the slippery columns and taking pictures.
Exhausted, we decided to head back to Belfast after our long day along the coast. There was still a lot we had wanted to see, but not enough time in the day. Like I said, next time I come back, we’re staying for awhile, and I will get to see all the beautiful spots and Game of Thrones locations! As far as GoT goes, we also drove through the Glens of Antrim which is where the castle of Runestone is located, in the Vale of Arryn; and through Cairncastle which are the lands north of Winterfell.
NEXT: Our last day in The U.K. and our Travel Day from HELL
Northern Ireland aka Westeros "The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper." W.B. YEATS…
