Even though it is not April, I longed to go on a pilgrimage to Canterbury (those who have read The Canterbury Tales will hopefully understand that reference), and Golden Tours was once again my means of getting to my destination. The second day tour with them would feature Leeds Castle, Canterbury Cathedral, a photo stop at the White Cliffs of Dover, a brief walk through Greenwich, and a boat ride on the Thames. Once again, this was sure to be a busy, but rewarding, day.
Our tour guide today was Ruth, a very petite British lady with a large umbrella; she was completely channeling Mary Poppins! She was very knowledgeable and entertaining, just as Antonio had been the day before. Our first stop was Leeds Castle, which I will admit that I had never heard of before. Turns out, Henry VIII once lived there. Much later, it was later purchased by Lady Baillie, who spent her life and inheritance money restoring the castle. Her will established a trust to open the castle to the public. While I found the historical bits of the castle fascinating, the new additions and renovations were not as interesting. On the whole, while I'm glad I visited, I think we spent a bit too much time there.
Next, we were supposed to head to the White Cliffs of Dover, but traffic was so heavy in that general direction that we changed course and proceeded straight to Canterbury Cathedral. We also made a stop at a medieval pub called The Parrot, where I had fish and chips for the first time in England, complete with a spot of tea! I must say, it made me feel quite British!
Canterbury Cathedral is considered the mother church of the Anglican faith, and it is the location the characters in Chaucer's unfinished masterpiece are traveling towards to make their pilgrimage. This cathedral is considered an especially important pilgrimage site because it is where Thomas Becket was martyred. To make a long story short, Thomas did not agree with the king. The king verbalized a request that someone get rid of the troublesome priest, and four knights then took matters into their own hands. They found Thomas at the cathedral and killed him while he was in prayer. The location of the murder is clearly marked, and, for a long time, a shrine containing Thomas Becket's remains rested in the cathedral. This shrine was visited by so many pilgrims that grooves have been worn away in the steps. However, when Henry VIII came to power, he had the shrine of Thomas Becket destroyed. There are now candles which mark the spot where the shrine once stood, and thousands of people each year continue to visit this holy site.
We only got to spend about 45 minutes in the cathedral, which felt a bit rushed to me. If we hadn't spent so long at Leeds Castle, we could have had more time at the church and to explore the charming little town of Canterbury. Upon exiting the church, we saw a three-man band entertaining in the middle of the street. Out of everything they could have been performing, they were singing "Wagon Wheel."
After rushing to the White Cliffs of Dover, we were told we had 10 minutes to take pictures. I could have stayed on the shoreline for hours, but I had to hurry and take a few snapshots. The sky was so clear and the water was a beautiful deep blue. All too soon, we loaded up again and headed towards Greenwich.
Our stop at Greenwich turned out not to be a stop at all! We drove through and were told that if we looked quickly, we'd see the Royal Observatory which marks the Prime Meridian. I snapped the world's worst photo, but it's hard to get a good shot while on a moving bus!
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| The little building in the back is the Royal Observatory. |
Lastly, we were dropped off at the wharf to catch a boat back to Embankment, where there is a metro stop. The boat ride was not what I was expecting, as it was not a part of the tour, just a means of getting us back to a station from which we could depart. While the pub and the visit to Canterbury were great, this tour fell a little flat for me. Upon arriving at Embankment, I decided to explore a little bit. I'm glad I did, because I finally found Cleopatra's Needle!
Constructed in 1460 BC, Cleopatra's Needle was purchased by England in 1878 as a way of celebrating the victory over Napoleon. Weirdly placed Egyptian artifacts, such as this one, play a large role in The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan, so I had been looking for this obelisk since I arrived in London.
I took a leisurely stroll along the Thames rather than riding the Tube back to my flat. It was a wonderful evening to wander the streets of London, especially along the Queen's Walk. While the day did not turn out the way I had expected it would, it was a good day nonetheless. Everything works out like it's supposed to in the end.
Long days and pleasant nights!
*Good night, Mrs. Hall, wherever you are!**
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