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Published: March 31st 2013
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Leaving Hastings under a flurry of snow, with Ian sneezing and suffering quite badly, we abandoned plans to visit Hastings Castle and made a quick exit for Dover while we could!
Woolly says – Poor Ian was feeling decidedly under the weather, sometimes we have to compromise and this was an occasion when it proved necessary. Finding our way to Dover was easy, I saw loads more cars from my I Spy book but due to our speed it was impossible to take pictures! We pulled onto Hawthorn farm, Martin Mill, Dorset and had a lovely greeting from the receptionist and she still keep smiling went I went back and told her that we had parked in the wrong place. I explained my total lack of direction and there was no problem. Jo headed off to the laundry with everyone’s washing, an hour and a half later she arrived back at Georgie with steam coming out of her ears, Irish travellers had turfed our drying out and were using our tokens to dry their own washing……and they had STOLEN our laundry basket!!!!
People that know me will know that I have taught traveller children and
adults, I have great respect for their culture and have always enjoyed my time with them. After getting Ian to accompany me to their caravans (I’m not that brave!), somehow they knew nothing about our loss….but it was amazing how fast it turned up, as we headed for reception to report it! With justice done, we settled down for a cosy night with Georgie….
Woolly says – Jo and I had planned our day in Dover, being a place that everyone travels through onto the ferry Jo wanted to see what was there…. Next time we will go straight for the ferry!!!! Catching the train from the campsite and then taking an incredibly steep walk up to Dover castle, Jo was rather puffed but I’m sure it’s because she was carrying me as well!! Paying £17.00 GBP each we expected a lot but we were disappointed. Having read up about it, I knew that people had started to live here over 2000 years ago and we knew that we would see a Roman Lighthouse (a pharos), not my first lighthouse but it was pretty cool, a Great Tower constructed by King Henry II (awesome king but he
had major family issues!). Dover’s defences, which reached back to 1179, are cool (mega cannon in the NAFFI Restaurant), and barracks that dated back to 1868 (they make nice shops now!), The castle is quite strange in layout, there was lots of buildings but the majority have been given over to cafes and shops which left us with the Grand Tower. Ok, it was Easter Bank Holiday but with NO signage, no directions (we had refused to pay an extra £4.99 for a guide book), the place was chaos. It was impossible to know which way to go (and equally impossible to see anything – we apologise for the photos) I stayed snuggly inside Jo’s coat and reached the point where I did not want to come out, I managed to see a rather nice King’s seat and a crown but everything else was a bit of a blur. Having paid so much Jo and Ian (reluctantly) queued for 45 minutes to go into the War time Tunnels, these proved to be the best bit of the trip and to be fair they weren’t half as good as Jo wanted them to be, the videos were informative but being sat
down in a range of different rooms to watch videos wasn’t quite what we had in mind, we finally found the last two rooms laid out as they would have been during the Dunkirk raids, unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures!
To be fair Woolly it was not as great as I had had hoped, and for the price I think we all failed to see the value compared to other places we have been on our Pit Stop tour of the UK.
Woolly says - Walking down the hill into the town centre was far easier than going up or so Jo told me….hehe, we found a town that looks neglected and full of charity shops – just like Stourbridge!!! Settling for a quick beer for Ian, a glass of wine for Jo (and a coke for me) we planned to go to the Good Luck Chinese Restaurant for our last meal in the UK. Jo had looked up places to eat and had found good reviews on Trip Advisor for this one, what can I say?…..after 25 minutes they gave Ian the wrong meal, another 15 minute later the meals
arrived again. Jo had ordered Kung po King Prawns but they tasted just like Ian’s Sweet and Sour Cantonese Pork, the chips were burnt and the rice was cold, so (Jo bless) made very loud complaints and we walked out. One Chinese and Indian takeaway later we ran for the train – only one an hour to the campsite – and made it by the tip of a tusk. I think we were all so happy to arrive back in Georgie with only TWO sleeps to go until France I can’t wait!
Woolly’s pp.’s you have to love Jo and Ian…..they have checked every book shop between Winchester and here to find me the I Spy book for France. They’re still looking and have now decided to write to I Spy asking if they would like them to take pictures for more of Europe for Mammoths and others, My bestest friend Sion being another who would love I Spy for EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Ajay
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