What a difference a wave makes, 2.4 little seconds.

When heading to the coast, sometimes you need to be prepared. For instance, sun cream isn't something you'd often consider taking with you on a trip to the Giants Causeway - such is the usual weather around this part of the world... however maybe it should be. In a Sherlock Holmes style of deduction, the pinkness of our necks and faces was narrowed down to either one of two possibilities; either the government had created a giant S.A.D lamp on a very tall tower somewhere off the coast in an attempt to reduce suicide rates, or the sun was actually unobscured by cloud. Having then worked out the odds on the powers that be up at Stormont being able to agree, yet alone follow through on anything - even a crazy mad capped scheme - it became clear that the ball in the sky had to be the mythical orb others call the sun.

So there we were, surrounded by not just one, but two of natures wonders - a basalt wonderland bathed in a stream of sun light.  It was in this setting where we discovered another natural phenomena to look out for when on a trip to the North Antrim coast, but thankfully for us sunburnt eejits, it wasn't us demonstrating what happens this time.

There were hundreds of other people out on the rocks with us, clambering about making the place look like a busy multicoloured bee hive. Like all good worker bees we eventually made way for the masses, went about exploring parts of the hive largely neglected and at the tip of the causeway where it dips into the sea, there just so happens to be a large chance of unexpected waves - as widely advertised around the shores of the national trust sites such as this.

Enjoying the sight but wary of the undulations of the water and overly happy people with jazzy hands, we preceeded with caution to areas of the causeway which are subject to the waves. Around us were yet more adventurous people doing the same. The natural beauty of it all was awe inspiring - as you'd expect from one of the natural wonders of the world - but we all headed back to higher columns as the sight of a swell appeared... well I say all... all but two. Some say love is blind, well on this evidence I'd go so far as to say it's at least a little distracting as this couple in the photos below found out the hard way when an unexpected wave probably put a slight dampener on their day after giving them a rather salty cold shower.

As the 1st wave hit the Causeway

By the time the 2nd hit

And thus we all learnt a valuable lesson that those signs about unexpected waves aren't just an excuse to sneak up on people, wave your hand close to their face and point at the sign. An expected wave can be an awesome sight, but an unexpected wave could lead to your significant other being plucked from the sea by a Scottish Trawler, hampered by a mystery amnesia and you might find them years later playing the bagpipes for a Salvation Army band. You have been warned!