Friday, July 5, 2019

Giant's Causeway


The Giant's Causeway was not originally in our plans.  I
 didn't even know about it.  But Pop Pop said he would like to go, and so we drove 8 hours that day and we are so glad that we did.  It really was beyond incredible.  

Around 50 to 60 million years ago after volcanic activity, 
the lava cooled in horizontal contraction  drying like mud leaving pillarlike structures.  
There is a great legend that the columns are remains of a causeway built by a giant, Finn MacCool.  He was challenged by a Scottish giant named Benandonner.  Finn accepted the challenge and built the causeway so the two giants could meet.  Finn realizes that his foe is much bigger than he is.  Finn's wife, Oonagh, disguises Finn as a baby and tucks him in a cradle.  When Benandonner sees the size of the "baby", he reckons that its father, Finn, must be a giant among giants.  He flees back to Scotland in fright, destroying the causeway behind him so that Finn would be unable to chase him down.  Across the sea, there are identical basalt columns at Fingal's Cave.  
























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