This Pilgrim Went to Canterbury

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I gambled that the rail strIke would have enough trains running so that I could get to London and then on to Canterbury. The underground in London was the biggest challenge with closed or severely delayed trains. There is a high speed train from St Pancras that gets you to Canterbury in an hour but you do not see much charming landscape. I guess it’s a good thing for a day trip like today.

There were less crowds on Canterbury’s high street, at least until three when school children were released from school. There were a lot less groups of international students than the last time I was here. I went to the historic restaurant on the river, my usual place for lunch. The building is so old that I have to duck under the dark beams. There is a boat company that loaded people directly onto the punting boars beside the courtyard so you get to hear the slick lines of the oarsmen greeting tourists. I ordered sausages and mash, with a Yorkshire pudding. The setting was so pretty (see photos). After lunch I made my way to the Cathedral. The renovations continue…for decades and decades! This time most of the building had a high fence around it which made the cathedral seem shorter. Most of the outside bricks are now cleaned and back to yellow colouring.
It costs 14 pounds to enter the cathedral. Many volunteers are happy to greet you. One lady took me outside to show me the new statues of the Queen and Prince Phillip who came to see them. There’s a new memorial on the floor near entrance that honours the home guard that worked to save the cathedral from fires during the First World War. My grandfather was one and I had a good chat about my mother growing up on nearby Ivy Lane, and all the stories she used to tell me about Canterbury.

After the cathedral visit, I went to the park to see Dane John hill. The first time when I visited Canterbury my mother told me to go there and walk up it. She had great affection for this place where she would go and dream about travelling to far away countries.

It was a very pleasant visit to Canterbury. And then I spent more hours on trains back to Bournemouth. Things went smoothly until a long delay at Woking.

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Photos

View while I was having lunch in Canterbury
A boat with tourist was passing by.

The West Gate
Canterbury was once a walled in medieval city. This is the entrance near the train station.

I think this is the river Stour
This is near the West gate. There were a lot more boating companies than I remember.

Restaurant where I had lunch (left)
A historic place that serves traditional dishes. You can see where boats are parked beside the restaurant’s back deck.

Sun on my nose
Under grapevines, beside flowing river Stour (I think that is name)

Cumberland sausages with mash
And gravy and peas and a Yorkshire pudding, very good.

Seems short but it is not
You can see a tiny bit of fence plus heavy machinery at the bottom of photo.