While hiking around Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway (a beauty that deserves its own blog post, coming up next), I saw a sign inviting visitors to make their own wildflower crowns, and decided to join in the fun.
Our nature guide/crown-making instructor demonstrated how to make one, and then sent us off scampering in a meadow filled with buttercups, orchids, daisies, and yellow flowers that looked like dandelions but were called something else (which I’ve forgotten…). Here is my work of art.
Also at the event was a delightful father-daughter duo who lived nearby, Patrick and 11-year old Eva. But Patrick didn’t just chauffeur his daughter here; he was all in on the project himself. The plan was for each of them to make a crown. But we quickly found out that crown-making wasn’t as easy as our nature guide made it look. (We agreed to pretend that our fumble-fingers were due to the blustery winds…) So they decided to just focus on Eva’s crown. I gave him mine, in exchange for a picture of the two of them.
One of the joys of travel is meeting random strangers (and now Facebook friends) like Patrick and Eva, and sharing an absolutely delightful time with them in a far away land. I think they are perfect candidates to represent Northern Ireland in my Faces of the World series. (When I told Patrick that, his answer was: “I’m not sure how Northern Ireland will feel about that….”)
Below is what the finished product was supposed to look like, as modeled by our nature guide Cliff. I think mine was more like a wreath than a crown. I got a kick out of the way his looked like it could be a bird’s nest–I expected one of the meadow pipits to alight on his head any minute!
27 responses to “Wildflower Children”
What fun ! What a great experience getting to meet so many people around the world !
Hi basia, the giants causeway Facebook page has just put your picture up!
Oh my goodness, thanks for letting me know, Patrick! I love the picture (as well as the one of you and Eva).
Here is the link:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=785398446952174&set=pcb.785417596950259
How lovely! This made me smile. Experiences like this are truly the best thing about travel!
Absolutely!
What a lovely review Basia, I’m so glad the Northern Irish weather didn’t put you off! It was lovely meeting you and I’m looking forward to reading more about your adventures! Xx
Thanks Diane, I really enjoyed the workshop.
Talk about a beautiful “peaches and cream” complexion, Eva!
Looks like a fun day in the Irish countryside.
It’s gorgeous, isn’t it (both the countryside and Eva’s complexion)
Thank you
🙂 I had fun making crowns with you, Eva!
Ty
Love everything about this.
Me too! It’s definitely going to be one of my funnest memories.
Your dormant wianki-making gene was activated. It’s like riding a bike. It always comes back to you. It’s a lovely Celtic tiara.
That’s so funny, I was going to write those same exact words, about it being like riding a bike. I was digging through my photographs from Poland to find the one of me making them in Tloczewo, but couldn’t find it – I think it must be in my stored albums. And it just occurred to me, that it was also with Eva – not this Eva, but our sister Eva!
Hi basia! Thank you for all the lovely photos from today. It was a truly memorable day for myself and eva meeting you. This is such an incredible adventure you have started and my family wish you nothing but joy on your travels. 💐💐
Hi Patrick, so happy you are able to see this. I so enjoyed my crown-making andventure with you and Eva, it was a delightful afternoon I will always remember.
Well done and I am loving that background vista.
The meadows were gorgeous, so serene and peaceful.
I loved that. P.s. yours looks the best br far!!
Thank you! I didn’t want to brag, but the nature guide did say I get a gold star for mine. You heard that, right Patrick? 😉
Oh I heard all the compliments that your crown got. I was so insulted when eva suggested that mine would look good on the donkey in the field. You certainly had a talent for crown making!
Haha! Eva! 🫣😍
Lovely, just lovely!! Eva and Patrick are wonderful representatives of Ireland!
Thank you margret for your lovely comment!
I think they are too! I think right now they might be my favorite representatives in the series.