Christmas and the Causeway

This week included Christmas! So naturally, it was a great week. I only worked two days: one before and one after Christmas day. Niall arranged to pick Dale and I up after work on the 24th and drove us out to Dalkey to spend the night at Rosaleen and Vincent’s with him, Fionnuala, and Dollar, who is visiting from England. As I usually love to go to church Christmas eve with my family, I was happy to find out that Dollar was going to the local church for the early midnight mass. Dale and I went along to stand at the back of the little church with pale pink walls and a large, two hundred year old nativity set. I enjoyed a ceremony that made me feel like I was right back at home and at the same time awed that I was so far away from my own church but experiencing the same contentment and gratitude. The homily spoke to the corruption that has occurred within the Catholic church, emphasizing the danger of power and the care and purpose God took in bestowing it on a vulnerable baby. It felt like a perfect homily for Dale to hear since he always addresses these issues when we talk about organized religion. He was also surprised and impressed to hear that the first collection that went around was to support the priests, while the second donations went to charity. It was a nice and relaxed atmosphere. Plus, as Dollar pointed out, I got to make a wish since I had never been in that church before!

Dollar, Sennan, and Rosaleen

Rosaleen and Vincent’s house looked like an explosion of Christmas. The tree was massive and full of flashing lights, every inch of the wood border along the mid-wall held a different ornament, there were holly and garlands over the mantelpieces, and more stockings than you could count. The living room was always warm and cosy with a fire burning, and I found myself ridiculously comfortable and sleepy throughout the stay. Unfortunately Roisin and Damien’s one-year-old son Sennan had a bad ear infection and had to go to the hospital, so we postponed opening our gifts to each other until the next day. We did open our gifts from Santa in the morning, which for me included some jewellery and a scarf. In the evening we enjoyed a delicious Christmas dinner and watched terrible Christmas TV throughout the day. Even the Doctor Who Christmas Special was a disappointment. We even had a proper Christmas pudding, watching the whiskey fire dance around the cake like galloping blue horses. I even got to phone my mom and dad since there was free calling on Christmas day.

Fionnuala drove Dale and I home late in the day, and Dale and I opened our gifts to each other from the warmth of our bed considering our place was significantly colder than Rosaleen and Vincent’s. Dale gave me a pair of fuzzy pyjamas which I’ve been living in ever since, as well as fuzzy booted slippers, two bars of chocolate, Celtic knot earrings, and a large bottle of Bailey’s. I gave him an Irish-style cap, a nice pewter Dublin, Ireland wine stopper, and a Claddagh ring.

Work the next day was short and actually kind of pleasant. I received thirteen euros in tips just for breakfast, where we usually receive nothing. There was really only one rude customer, who responded to Dylan’s, “Merry Christmas, sir,” with, “You would say that.” I rode the bicycle home and Fionnuala took us back to Dalkey, where we joined Roisin, Damien, and Sennan for the gift exchange. I felt completely spoiled by everyone when I received enough gifts to fill the nice green leather purse I was given with warm scarves, socks, and even money!

Dale and I slept on the floor of the front room again with a fireplace at our feet. Everyone slept in, which was delightful considering most of my mornings have been starting around five am. We lazed about in the warmth for the day, and Dollar and I did a puzzle Vincent had started (how like home!). Dale and I also brought the laptop in order to book a day trip for Saturday—unfortunately I managed to drop it and now one of the fans is poking out.  But it works fine, so we booked a Paddywagon Tour to Belfast and the Giant’s Causeway, then Fionnuala drove us back to Dublin again with her little dog, “Bff,” enjoying the ride on my lap.

Looking towards the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge

Crossing the bridge!

We were up bright and early on Saturday to catch a bus to our Paddywagon bus in the dark.

A windy day

We drove for a few hours, the bus driver nearly giving me a heart attack when he asked for our passports at the “border” for a joke. We stopped only for coffee and bacon butties before arriving at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge in the north. It had been closed the day before due to the weather, so we were incredibly lucky that it was open and nearly dry out. The bridge was made by fisherman to cross to the island, where they could more easily set out on their fishing trips. Dale and I braved the bridge and stood on the island cliff even though the wind picked up and dashed us with large raindrops that froze our foreheads.

The rope bridge

Lucky with sunshine

Sitting on the Giant's Causeway

The next stop was the Giant’s Causeway. Fionnuala had warned us that her experience there wasn’t as great as she had expected because the columns seen in pictures make it seem much bigger than it is, but I loved it. The tide was out so we were able to walk down to the coast in the cold wind and climb across the hexagonal basalt columns almost right up to where the ocean was breaking and splashing into the air. I couldn’t stop smiling I was so happy to finally be there in person. The official story is that the columns were formed by lava cooling suddenly in the ocean, but the tour driver told us the legend of Finn McCool, the giant who created the causeway in order to fight another giant in Scotland. Apparently he caught sight of the other giant and ran back to his wife in Ireland because he hadn’t realized he was so large! His wife disguised him as a baby. When the Scottish giant showed up, he caught sight of the baby and in turn ran back to Scotland, tearing up the causeway behind him. He thought that if Finn McCool’s baby was so big, Finn McCool himself must be massive!

Almost splashed

Dale and the mountain

Hiking near where Harry Potter was filmed

If you look closely you can see Dale enjoying the wind!

Though we didn’t have much time given it was a one day tour, Dale and I hurriedly took one of the trails up the cliffs. We knew that the sixth Harry Potter movie was filmed in the area, so I wanted a better look. Up at the very corner of the cliff we were met with such strong wind that we leaned against it and let it hold us up! I was having so much fun just with the weather over the ocean that it looked like I was laughing over nothing.

Dunluce Castle

We then hurried to the local pub, where we had had a gorgeous sunlit view of the fields and village by the cliffs across from us on the way in, but by then it was stormy over top. In the pub we ordered hot chocolate, a cider, and soup and sandwiches, which we ended up having to wrap it up and eat on the bus. This was fine by me. We stopped for a photo of Dunluce Castle, a chunk of which once fell into the ocean, including the kitchen, taking the cooks with it. Our last stop was in Belfast, where Dale and I did some window shopping and bought sushi for the drive back. I had a red dragon roll, which wasn’t too bad, but naturally was not the same as Gon Sushi’s!

Merry Christmas Belfast!

Today I spent the day in my pyjamas, but I did book Sydnee and myself a Harry Potter tour in London! Dale has decided not to come, but we’re already thinking about what Irish adventure to go on next!