Above The Stone

by Peggy Gordon (Canada)

I didn't expect to find Ireland

Above the Stones Here I am, looking down at the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland. According to legend, these basalt formations were created by an Irish giant named Finn McCool who tossed chunks of the County Antrim coast into the ocean. According to science, these nearly perfect hexagonal rock formations, are the result of a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago. Whichever you wish to believe, the result is stunning, with brown, interlocking pathways and black columns over 50’ high, wedged between the rugged coastline of the Atlantic Ocean and an arc of surrounding green, grassy hillsides. I was soaring above the stones, in a small prop-driven aircraft, circling around and around, to get the best photos that I could, from the best angle, with the best light. This adventure had taken a long time in planning and hoping and praying, and now, it was actually happening. After travelling from Canada to Ireland, I watched the weather reports daily. It was a rainy spell with low-lying clouds. It didn’t seem promising but I wasn’t about to give up. I had arranged the rental of a low-winged aircraft from a local flying school and now it was up to the weather gods. The day arrived, and so did the sunshine. In great anticipation, I drove from my nearby hotel room to the airport in County Londonderry. Paperwork done, blasting down the runway, and we were off. The plan was to fly eastward along the northern coastline of Ireland, with the waves of the Atlantic crashing on the rocks and beaches, until we reached the Giant’s Causeway, one of the major tourist attractions in Ireland. Yesterday, I had clambored over the causeway on foot, accompanied by hundreds of other visitors from all parts of the world, and marveled at the archaeological formations. One cannot be too careful as the steps are uneven and slippery if wet, but the wonder remains. In places, there are basalt columns 50-100 feet high, formed from multiple layers of the hexagonal stones, reaching up to the sky, with people on top who had managed to scramble way up there. But today, was the finishing touch, flying above what I had seen yesterday. The sky was aqua blue, the clouds were fluffy and white, the countryside was shades of emerald green, and the Atlantic Ocean reached out over the horizon. Below, the causeway came into view and I couldn’t contain my excitement. Many photos later, with the game plan completed, we returned westward along the coastline and landed back at Londonderry. The stones had been seen from the land and from the air.