Today was another picturesque ride along the northeast coastlline of Ireland through County Antrim to Londonderry.

We drove through the Glens of Antrim which is a lush green valley between the mountains. Sheep and cows dotted the hillsides with steep cliffs running down to the Irish Sea. We saw a few white sandy beaches but the Sea is so cold that few venture in.

One of the most famous sites along the coast is the Giant's Causeway. This rock formation is a World Heritage site and one of the world's geological curiosities. Sometimes called the eighth wonder of the world, it consists of peculiar columnar formations of mostly six sided stones. No one knows exactly how they were formed but legend has it that two giants built the stone walkway to link up their kingdoms.When they later became enemies, some of the stones were removed leaving just the area we see today. (As you probably know, the Irish have lots of legends and stories to explain the world!) In addition to the wonderful stone formations in the area, it also is a very photogenic spot overlooking the sea.

Our second stop for the day was the Old Bushmills Distillery, the oldest licensed whisky distillery in the world. After the guided tour, our guide asked for volunteers for some whiskey tasting and Barbara volunteered. The task was to taste shots of various brands of whisky, scotch and malt whisky and determine which I liked best. Irish whisky is different than other whisky in that it is distilled 3 times instead of twice. It is kept between 6 and 21 years in pre-used bourbon or sherry casks. It tastes very smooth. Interestingly, I liked the Bushmill whisky the best - and didn't like some of the shots at all!

See Photo Gallery for additional pictures of this area.

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