Giants Causeway to Derry

This morning I went off to the Giants Causeway. I love the old story about this. Finn McCool, a giant living with his wife Oona and son in the headlands nearby, decided one day to challenge the giant in Scotland to a fight. However, he didn't want to get his feet wet so instead he took the rocks and built a causeway across the sea. He then snuck over and when he caught site of Diarmuid (I think that's the Scottish giant's name) he got scared and ran home. Diarmuid followed him so Finn posed as his baby in the cradle. Diarmuid took one look at him and said if that's the baby how big is the father?? And then ran off back to Scotland, tearing up most of the causeway as he went. To substantiate the story, there's a piece of corresponding causeway on the Scottish coast. You can still see Finn's chimney on the headland and they say it smokes sometimes. LOL

I did listen to the scientific explanation as well, which was volcanic and something about the way the lava cooled it cracked into the neat hexagon shapes. That story was good too but not quite as entertaining. Although interesting as I don't think if Ireland as volcanic. In any case I walked down to look at the causeway and then climbed back up by the shepherds stairs--168 uneven basalt steps to walk back along the headland. All of it with amazing views in spite of the fog over toward Scotland. Here's a taste of the Causeway. I suggest looking it up online for better photos. 

I then went off to Bushmills for a tour of the oldest continuously operating distillery in the world. Pretty interesting. They use a lot of barley every year! And water. Their barley comes to them malted (sprouted basically) from the same place that does it for Guinness. Bushmills also bottles and distributes Jameson's, which is made in Cork. The difference between Irish and Scottish whiskey is that Irish are triple distilled for a smoother finish while Scottish double distills to keep more flavor (and some use peat fired malted barley as well for flavor). Most Irish whiskey isn't peated although I guess there are a couple of boutique distilleries now doing that here. Anyway, the Irish add their flavor back in by using bourbon barrels imported from KY, as well as Sherry and Madeira barrels. Once they use the barrels a couple of times, they sell them to the Scottish distilleries who don't care so much about the flavor addition part. Apparently we're all friends in the liquor business! No pictures allowed at Bushmills. 

I then took the coast road to Derry and managed not to get too lost or confused on the way into Derry. Once again I appreciated google maps as it helped me find the B&B.