Saturday, January 26, 2008

Europe IS Where the History Comes From

It's Saturday morning and, though I did manage to set my alarm properly the night before, I still sleep until noon. The system clearly is in need of fine tuning. And, what's worse, I am missing out on Sarah and Helen's Day-Off-To-Spend-With-Me! I get ready as fast as I can and over coffee we decide today is better spent closer to home than in London, so we settle on Dover Castle and plan to hit Canterbury briefly before making it home in time to have dinner with Simon.

In less then a half an hour we are driving up the hill to the castle. We pay the entrance fees, round the bend and I catch my first glimpse of my first real castle.

Super Sweet!

After parking and making reservations for the 3pm Tour of the "WWII Secret Underground Tunnels" we wander all over the Castle grounds and the Castle itself. Displayed all over the place are various cool artifacts and historically educational displays.


Okay Laura, You win. *


A Super-Cool Cannon.


Is it just me or is making a weapon this fancy a bit impractical?


Entrance to the "New Barracks", a later addition to the castle grounds c. 18coughmumble.


Standing on castles is so SWEET!

We eat in the restaurant on the premises (simple boxed sandwiches and tea), and go to take the tour. Amusingly enough, our tour guide is actually from New Zealand (a fact which I identify immediately, having seen "Heavenly Creatures" about thirty times in High School, Thank You Jo), but whatever her accent, her tour-giving skills are excellent. The content of the tour is too large to recount here, the underground tunnel system is perhaps most famous as the naval headquarters which planned and excuted "The Miracle of Dunkirk" which is pretty damn amazing. Check it out.


Sunsets at Dover Castle. Yum.

As we head out I attempt to catch a photograph out the car window of the legendary White Cliffs of Dover. Helen is driving, and I snap several pictures before I realize that the reason they look so good is that she has slowed the car to a snails pace on the highway to try and assist me. Everyone here is too nice! (And the cars in back of us must want to kill us...Did I mention it's a one-lane highway? Oy vey.) So, upshot: cliff pics are rockin' in the free world and Helen is the reason why.

The White Cliffs of Dover. I. Actually. Saw. THEWHITECLIFFSOFDOVER!!! Ha!


So then we head to Canterbury and park at Tim and Danica's (They aren't home this evening) to walk to the Cathedral. Since I forgot to get a picture last time, I snap a shot in front of their house.


So Bloody Cute!

It's getting late and there's not much light to photograph by. Blessedly though, the nightime illumination at the Cathedral itself still makes for a few memorable pictures.

No Words Necessary.


Cloister Ceiling Detail.


After traipsing about all over the Cathedral grounds (it's closed by the time we arrive...stupid me for oversleeping) and checking out several of the darling shops in Canterbury, we head back to Faversham to have dinner at home with Simon.

Dinner is Sarah's Chicken-Vegetable-&-Noodle Stir-Fry with a glass of red wine. Divine. After dinner we have chocolates and tea in the living room, surrounded by cats, and Sarah explains English bellringing to me. I do not catch on quickly at all and eventually she shows me a youtube video. Fascinating. And Sarah actually can DO this stuff, she bell rings most Sundays apparently, though not tomorrow, dadgum it.

After Sarah and Helen so to bed, Simon gives me a nearly complete Cricket rules and culture education. Boo Ya Grandma. All "Sports Night" fans bow down before me! Thank you Simon!

Coming Soon: There's a Rugged Road...to Wycombe!!!



*Technically, Brendan wins. The pic is photoshopped. The sign actually just reads "Water Works" but it was too good a joke to pass up.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm having such a great time reading this and I'm thrilled you are having such a good time too. Sometime you'll have to come and visit me in Boston and give me your comparison of the T vs the superior British Transit System!