Rosanna's Birthday Weekend in Kent

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By early October it was confirmed that we would be moving back to the States in November. We had wanted to take the Chunnel at least once so this was our last chance. As it was Rosanna’s birthday we also had something to celebrate.

So on Saturday October 7th, her birthday, we drove to Calais and boarded the Chunnel shuttle train that carried cars. We waited an hour or more and then sat in our van the entire 30 minute trip to Folkestone. I determined that it was faster, cheaper, and more pleasant and productive to take the new ferries than the Chunnel. At least on the ferry you could walk around, see the White Cliffs of Dover as you approached, and shop and eat lunch on the ship, thereby avoiding having to spend an hour having lunch upon arrival.

We drove to a nice hotel near Maidstone that had an indoor swimming pool. The kids had fun swimming.

That evening I had arranged for the hotel’s kitchen to bake Rosanna a birthday cake. They brought it out with candles burning. She blew them out and we proceeded to cut the cake. We discovered that it was fruitcake inside; not exactly our favorite. They tried.

Sunday we visited Canterbury, Sandwich, and Deal before returning to Dover to catch the ferry back to Calais, and then home to Overijse. We probably would have taken another day, but I had to fly back to the States for a house hunting trip on Monday morning.

This was our last trip in Europe. I promised the kids that before Tamara graduated from high school we would come back to visit.

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