No doubt about it

We didn’t have morning plans today, so we slept in for the first time since arriving last weekend. We decided just to enjoy our accommodations and take it easy. I found an Upton Sinclair book (The Way Out), among the other dated items on the shelf, and started reading over a hot cup of tea. It seemed like the appropriate activity when staying in a castle.

Louise was kind enough to meet us at the Barbican. She lives about 20 minutes from here and suggested we go to Glenariff for lunch. After I opened the gate, she proceeded over our bridge and onto the castle grounds. I gave her a quick tour of the place and then we drove in a convey to Glenariff. I followed Louise, who was driving a little slower than usual. I found it much easier to concentrate on her car, rather than try to navigate the road on my own; it’s a lot to pay attention to!

The Antrim mountains are carved by a series of glens (valleys) that run down to the sea. There are nine glens along the northern coast; we’re staying in Glenarm, and Louise was leading us to Glenariff. We turned off the Coastal Causeway and headed up toward the Glenariff Forest Park. Before entering the park, there is a restaurant along the river, where we sat by a window and caught up with Louise. Unfortunately, she had to collect her wee son after school, so our visit was only about 90 minutes. Once we shared a brownie and toffee pudding (separate deserts), we made our way outside. It had been raining on and off throughout lunch, but just at that moment, it was dry. Following hugs and pictures, Louise pointed out the preferred trail to view the waterfalls in the glen, and we started off. Within minutes, we took shelter under the heavy canopy as the rain came down hard. Small streams formed in the walking path, and we began to get wet...and wetter. Eventually, Kim noted that we couldn’t stay under one tree all afternoon, so we forged onto the open trail, where the rain almost immediately let up.

The trail took us across one side of the valley, where we could see six to eight waterfalls dropping from the top of the opposite hill, over several shelves, down to the bottom of the glen. The benefit of the recent rain was the torrential runoff, enhancing the already beautiful falls. We came to a resting area, where we sat on the benches and listened to the crashing water of one of the falls across the valley. I couldn’t imagine how deafening that fall would be up close. Those thoughts drifted away, as we got back up and on the trail again. After momentarily wishing we had taken a picture of the trail map, our panic subsided when we figured out where we were again. We walked along a wooden path that led us to a large fall. No doubt about it, this was the most beautiful one in the Park. The top tier fell mightily into a pool, kicking up mist that filled the air. Bouncing down another level, the water crashed into the side of the mountain, stripping the moss from the rocks and rubbing smooth the river’s banks. The river, and its falls, almost looked the color of strong tea or coffee. We assumed that there was some kind of mineral running in the water, creating the dark and distinct color. The google says it is brown from running through upland bog. Ick. Despite the color, the falls and river were beautiful. It’s no wonder Glenariff glen is known as the “Queen of the Glens.” It is the largest and most spectacular of the glens running along the coast. If you ever visit, it’s just a few miles inland from the coastal village of Waterfoot.

We followed the waterfalls with a peek at the Cushendun Caves. These sea caves have been created through the ocean’s erosion of the coastline over millions of years. They even caught the attention of the Game of Thrones, and the site was used in filming. Apparently, the show spent a great deal of time filming here, so we’ll be visiting a few other spots as well. I think I’m most looking forward to the “dark hedges” but more to come on that.

We stopped at a local chippy on the way home and had the most enormous piece of cod ever. We ate our wrapped up fish in the car and then made our way back to the Barbican for our final night. We tapped off the evening in the sitting room, enjoying the special kind of quiet that only comes from having walls that are three feet, separating you from the outside world.Read more