Canterbury, Kent

Feeling in the mood to re-embrace this country after a bittersweet return from a visit home, I got back in the saddle and decided to do a day trip to Canterbury.

What I knew:  I needed a day trip with a train ride, I wanted to walk through a quaint town, I think I actually liked the book Canterbury Tales in high school.  What I didn't know ... why this town was really significant, why this cathedral was really significant, and pretty much every other historical fact I will undoubtedly forget ... or already have.

On a bit of a side note, there was also a major golf tournament occurring in Sandwich ... the last stop on my train to Canterbury, so the train was packed, and oh joy, there were four American 20 year old boys guzzling bottles of white wine at 10AM sitting right in front of me.  Now, those of you who have known me for a week know that I do enjoy a good bottle of wine, and that it took every ounce of my being to keep my mouth shut, but the way this kid chugged this thing literally gave me the dry heaves ... first, simply because of the wine, but second because these fools are representing America.  The Brits were cringing.  Ugh.  They probably puked and pee'd on the course, maybe tipped over a portolet.  Any way ...

Canterbury was quite delightful.  The High Street full of nice shops, ancient historic buildings throughout town reminiscent of Dickens, a nice little river, and of course the Cathedral.  I am still no more the wiser really on the history, though quite impressed by it all.

I was finally convinced to head there when I saw there was a large indoor farmer's market right next to the train station offering a 'foodie day out' to Londoners.  Ay-ight!  After a browse through there, I headed around town and did a walk through of the Canterbury Cathedral.  Quite beautiful, but eerily full of dead people.  There were tombs all over the place.

Anyway, it was amazing, and just like the other cathedrals I have seen, it is unimaginable how people of that time built these massive structures, all in the name of God.

I knew it was going to rain all day, and thanks to my new endorsed-by-the-Queen brully from a dear friend, I was looking forward to it.  As a closer to the afternoon, I decided to take the boat tour on the river, and it was coming down the entire time.  Still, I thought it was beautiful.  The water was crystal clear and the grasses flowing in the current were salad green!  Looked so healthy I would have eaten them tossed with just a bit of olive oil!

Captain Chris recommended a mead from the local pub - advice I took.  From there I caught that next train back to London.  Maybe I should read that book again.