For our wedding anniversary, Jason and I wanted to have a mini break somewhere different in the U.K. Whilst tossing around ideas of the obvious places to visit, Oxford, Brighton, or Bath, Jason suggested Belfast. I immediately loved the idea because of the Game of Thrones connection and so our research began. Every guide about Belfast you read will include a trip to the Giant’s Causeway.
After the snow storms in London last week, we were fearful we would have to postpone our trip, or that if we did travel we might have to cancel some of our plans. However, luckily the snow didn’t seem to hit Belfast, yes it was cold, but we managed to achieve most things on our list. Including a few Game of Thrones-themed adventures (which I will post about later).
Saturday our first full day in Northern Ireland, we drove along the Causeway Coastal Route heading north. Driving along the landscaped varied from pretty fishing villages to rock headlands, making it easy to see why this is such popular scenic drive. We had planned on visiting the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge but, the wet weather caused the area to be closed off. So we were unhappy to miss out seeing it. As the site is also used as a filming location for Game of Thrones.
The Giant’s Causeway
The highlight of the Causeway Coastal Route is, of course, The Giant’s Causeway itself. The result of volcanic activity millions of years ago, the Giant’s Causeway is thousands of interlocking basalt columns. From above the columns look like hexagon paving, but actually the pillars run deep into the ground. (You can read more about it here)
Included with the cost of entry into the Causeway Experience, was an audio guide. The onsite staff recommended we took headphones with our interactive guides, to be handsfree and kee our hands warm. As we walked along the trail the audio guide explained the legend of the stones and the giants. Each part of the stones is built into the legends from the rock format that looks like the giant’s gate, camel or boot.