Just prior to this London + Ireland trip, we celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary at the end of March. Rather than giving gifts (something we just aren't great at to begin with), we decided to celebrate by having a day date in Northern Ireland. Some women would rather have jewelry, but for me, I'd take travel any day. :) Our favorite dates usually include time together outside, local coffee shops, not-so-fancy comfort food, and hiking. This day trip had it all, and nearly two months later, it is still etched in my mind as one of my favorite days from this past spring.
From Dublin, we started driving north and stopped in Trim to take a morning stroll along the river and around Trim Castle, a Norman castle featured in Braveheart. There is just something so romantic about Europe. I can't quite pinpoint exactly what it is, but perhaps it's a combination of it all. The bridges. The arches. The old stone. The rivers running through town. The colors. The history of these places, just to name a few. Croissants for breakfast (and coffee for Matthew) soon followed, and we picked up some items for a picnic at a grocery store. It was a lovely, sunny morning to start our anniversary celebration.
From Trim, we continued north and crossed into Northern Ireland. It seemed only fitting that Rend Collective, one of our favorite bands that hail from the north, accompanied us as background music on the drive. Before reaching Portrush and the sights along the Antrim coast, it was time for a coffee + cocoa stop. We stopped at Lost & Found in Coleraine (one of Rend's favorite Northern Irish coffee shops owned by a worship leader and his wife), and it was awesome with an industrial rustic feel to it. Pendant lights. Brick. White tile. Chalkboard menu. Old maps on the walls. Wooden tables and stools. We felt right at home.
We continued on and made our way through the town and traffic of Portrush and along the Causeway Coastal Route. This part of the Antrim Coast is a lovely, curvy 20 mile stretch. We sure enjoyed it, and Matt did his best to keep his focus on the road as much as possible. ;)
The romantic, medieval ruins of Dunluce Castle were our first stop along the coast. The castle was abandoned in 1639, after part of the kitchen fell into the sea taking some of the servants with. The scenery is gorgeous with blue-green water, and the ruins perched atop the green, grass covered cliffs.
Giant's Causeway was the next stop. Rather than pay the rates to park in the Visitor's Center, we parked down the hill to save a good 10 pounds or so, but in retrospect, we should have parked further down the road for free. Oh well, you learn these things after the fact sometimes. :) It was quite crowded, both due to the beautiful, windless day and the fact that we timed our visit for low tide which happened to hit in the early afternoon on this particular day.
Both volcanic activity and legends surround this place, and it is pretty marvelous and remarkable how there are so many of these bizarre basalt columns (approximately 40,000), shaped mostly in a perfect hexagon, stacked one on top of another. We hiked the cliff top trail first, went down the Shepherd's Steps, over to the rock pipes of the Organ, and then finally down to the tidal zone. Incredible. There are no words to describe the experience or the sight of these columns.
Our attempt at a little picnic — fresh bread, Irish salami, white cheddar cheese, chips, and chocolate biscuits.
Next stop, Carrick-a-rede. For 200 years, local fishermen have hung an arrow 90 foot-high bridge across a 65 foot-wide chasm between the mainland and this tiny island. Today, the bridge (although not the original, but inspected annually, (not to worry mom!) still gives fishermen access to the salmon nets during the summer months. The short scenic hike was indescribable, and the bridge walk was quite exhilarating. It was unforgettable, and as the pictures show, this was hands down our favorite part of our short visit to Northern Ireland.
Before heading to our hotel in Belfast, the last stop of the day was at The Dark Hedges just before dusk. If I remember correctly, I learned about this place on Pinterest a couple of years ago and had made note of it then. It was a little hard to find, but with the help of Google maps, we were directed to Bregagh Road. This country lane is lined with beech trees, planted in the eighteenth century by the Stuart family to impress visitors who approached their mansion. It was quite scenic, and the best tunnel of trees that we've seen yet.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.
We praise God for these last five years of marriage. He has been ever so faithful. Our prayer for these next five years is that the Lord would continue to give us grace to trust Him in all seasons and in all circumstances, both in joy and in sorrow. That He would use us and our story to bear fruit for the Kingdom.
And we cannot forget our family and friends who have walked with us all these years. Thank you for your love, support, and encouragement. It is a joy to share life, adventures, and memories with you.
No comments:
Post a Comment