Author: sshadmand

The ancient tomb of the Bend of the Boyne (Brú na Bóinne)

We added another UNESCO stop on our way to the Giant’s Causeway, the Brú na Bóinne. The “open air tombs” were discovered here on accident around the 1700s and its contruction predates the pyramids, over 3.5K years ago (in the Neolithic period).

During the winter solstice light enters the tomb through a small and pinpoints a spot on the far back wall of the structure. Much like Stonehenge this structure is believed to have an array of astrological significance.

A tour of Giant’s Causeway and The Legend of Finn McCool

Giant’s Causeway is located in the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, near the the town of Bushmills. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.

It is a beautiful display of nature. In truth, the formations exists because highly fluid molten basalt  mixed with chalk beds 50 to 60 million years ago. As the lava cooled contractions of the rock fractured, leaving the pillar like structures you see in the video below. But maybe – just maybe – there is a different reason altogether …

The far more entertaining explanation for the causeway is told through a legend of how a giant named Finn McCool once lived there. Many of the scenic displays are given names based on Finn’s life such as the Giant’s Shoe, The Giants Organ, and the tall basalt columns on the peak of a cliff known as his chimney. Check out  the video below about Finn’s story!

Giants Causeway Visitors Centre – The Myth of Finn McCool from The Pond Studio on Vimeo.

Our visit to the Concentration Camp

In Germany we took a train from Berlin to visit one of the nearby Nazi concentration camps. We have seen quite a few “[lest we forget]” monuments between our visits to France and Germany. It seem appropriate to post one now since, as a world, we seem to be forgetting all too often. You can watch more videos of our tour of Germany here. 
 
It wasn’t the camps that started the tail spin into genocide. It was the devaluing of human life through the separation of general populations. Last week we visited a camp in Cambodia where the Khemr Rouge separated out minority ethnic and social groups as well as enforced repression of Islam, Christianity, and Buddhism. All for “the greater good”. This happened in 1975. Lest we forget, right? :-/ There are far too many sites around the world of this nature to list, but the pattern to avoid should be clear.