So I set the alarm for today, as I was getting into the habit of taking ages to get ready in the mornings. I needed to leave by 8.15am to make sure I was there before my slotted time of 9am. Incredibly I was not only early, but I was the first one there and the staff hadn’t even opened the car park yet! This is totally unheard of for me, I am late, or at least rushing, for most things. I not only wanted to get their early for my slot, but I was desperate for the loo!
I picked up the option of the audio guide and set off on the coastal route to the Causeway. There were a few people dotted around, but I pretty much had the place to myself for the first 10 mins, it was great. It makes taking pictures so much nicer.
The rock formations are amazing, how nature creates things like the hexagonal rock pillars is unbelievable. The way the lava cooled in the water all those millions of years ago so that the cracks appeared in the patterns it did. I say its amazing, but there are patterns in all of nature, that’s how it works. I guess it makes more sense that it would appear in patterns, if it was going to crack. Obviously lava sets in large blobs as well, when above ground, with no patterns, but when a reaction happens patterns form that we can visually see. But just because we cant see any patterns in the cooled lava above ground doesn’t mean to say there aren’t any. There will be patterns in the rock structures, in the micro reactions, its just that we can’t see it as obvious as the hexagonal pillars of the Giant’s Causeway. But it is a beautiful affect, and one that can be seen all around the coastline in the cliffs and on the shores. If makes you wonder what it looked like thousands of years ago before the act of erosion. And what it will look like in years to come. What other unique forms will the land reveal?
After my walk around the causeway, I doubled back up the high cliff track and noticed how much busier it was getting, pleased with myself for making the effort to get there early. I had clocked a beach in the opposite direction of the causeway when I had arrived and as I was getting hungry walking around, I had decided to myself to go on a wander to the beach to have lunch. The weather had been fantastic so far today, brilliant sunshine, although a little chill. As I made my way round the bay the sun glistened on the sea drawing me in like fancy jewels. The beach looked beautiful with that perfect yellow sand. I was getting really hungry so was very pleased once I got down onto the beach and picked my spot to sit. I spent the next hour eating with my toes in the sand, watching the waves crashing all along the shore. It was still quite windy and when the sun went in it left a chill, but the wind created great waves, rising, arching and crashing, with the wind carrying spray back out to sea. I continued my walk along the beach barefoot, dipping my feet in the freezing water, then doubled back to make my way back to the visitors’ centre.
I now set off onto my next britstop at Carrickfergus, another Aire, but this one was just one car park and a large one at that and was completely free. Its just such a treat nowadays to find a free car park! It was a beautiful spot on the harbour with the boats and right next to Carrickfergus castle. A lovely view to look at when making dinner. I picked this spot as I needed to be near the ferry to travel to Scotland the next morning at 7.30am, so had intended to have an early night, but the fact the carpark was used by the local boy racers put a stop to that. There were probably about 20 different cars that turned up throughout the evening/night, pipping their horns at each other, revving their engines, and accelerating and breaking suddenly down the length of the car park.