Back Home: Dover (White Cliffs) to London

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Bear with me on this one. While pressing forward with my New Zealand blog I’m going to simultaneously work backwards retracing my nine months in Europe. Less writing and more photos.

From Calais, France to the White Cliffs of Dover, England to Canterbury, London and finally back to Portland.

Seeing the White Cliffs for the first time from the cold windswept deck of the ferry brought a sigh of relief and sense of comfort. The 3 ½ months that I had spent away from the UK had been fun, exciting, invigorating but it had also been very exhausting. I felt like I was coming back home, home to my adopted country and culture that I will always carry with me. I hope to return some day to live there again but now is not that time.

Canterbury was a very quick stop on the way back to London. I had to see the Cathedral, one of many cathedrals that I visited while in Europe. Entering a cathedral that has more than 1000 years of continuous history can make you feel very small and insignificant, however it also makes you appreciate the contribution, the struggles, and experiences of each person who has ever crosses its threshold and as you enter through the west front you too become part of that ageless history.

Back on to London and the city I love and have loved since my first exposure to it by Dickens. Wren’s St. Paul’s Cathedral memorized and hypnotized me. I nearly spent more time here in my day in a half than anywhere else. Actually, on second thought I spent just a little more time in Harrod’s.

From London it was a one stop flight back to Portland.

Months more of blogs to come! I hope you enjoy and if you don’t tell me to put a sock in it!

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Photos

White Cliffs of Dover
As seen from the ferry from Calais France.

White Cliffs
John do you remember seeing these from the troop carrier?

Canterbury
The Vatican City of the Anglican church. See the snow behind the bench? While on the bus it had been snowing. the countryside was blanketed in white.

Canterbury Cathedral
I took a bus from Dover to Canterbury. I had 45 minutes to run from the bus stop to the cathedral and back just in time to catch the next bus to London.

St. Pauls Cathedral from Millenium Bridge
Wren alone will keep me coming back to London.

St. Pauls From Ludgate Hill Road
(West Front)

From London Eye
Parliament and Westminster Abbey

London Eye
St. Pauls Cathedral and the Gherkin

St. Pauls (West Front)
By Day, just before I climbed to the top of the dome. I spent a lot of time on this trip in the guts of great structures.

Top of St. Pauls
Looking West

From St. Pauls
See Tower Bridge in the distance?

From St. Pauls, Looking West
See London Eye in the distance?

From St. Pauls (Looking East)
See the Gherkin?

From St. Pauls (Looking South)
Tate Modern and millenium bridge.

Last view of the city I love.
From 3rd floor of Tate Modern

PDX Parking Garage (Home)
Very last image taken from the 9 month journey and last photo that would fit on my camera's memory stick.

Comments

[John Sewell]

Yes I remember well sailing through the English Channel and seeing the White Cliffs of Dover. A very long time ago--the army hasn't transported troops overseas by ships for decades. Great photographs.

[Jeanette]

Italy
I am waiting for Italy....afterall we walked our legs, feet and soles off there including nearly loosing our lives in a crowd of 20,000 people in the square on Dec 31st. And don't you miss the thin pizza?