Monthly Archives: May 2024

And so it was time for the first doggie road trip to end. We pack up the car, put the top down, and said goodbye to our hosts and it was time to head north. The sun shine was glorious! We were heading up the west coast this time to make a change from our east coast southward trip but the split was about the same: 5ish hours both days. Of course, we forgot about “the London effect”: no matter how much time you have planned, add at least one hour if it involves going anywhere near the M25. Now let me tell you why I have a newfound hatred for Google maps…

We plugged our chosen route into Google maps and set off. As we approached the M25, Google suggested taking an alternative route to avoid a 15 minute slowdown on our chosen route. Given that we had more than 5 hours in the car, saving 15 minutes seemed like a good idea. So we changed to the newly suggested route. And 10 minutes later, Google maps told us there was a 25 minute slowdown ahead of us. WTF!?!?!?! Why did you suggest it if it was going to be slower? AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!

I’m not sure it would have mattered in the end because the traffic was terrible everywhere. It is a bank holiday weekend in England as well as midterm break for most schools so EVERYONE was on the road. Our 5ish hour drive took us 7.5 hours and we finally pulled into Lytham St Annes in time to find no parking at our hotel and a very busy beach town. A very nice beach town with large Victorian houses, a pier, and a beach with actual sand! We found parking, checked in, and wandered off to get something to eat. Of course, we found some gluten free fish and chips which was just the ticket.

After dinner it was time for Casey to stretch her legs so we headed to the do friendly part of the beach and let her go. For the next 30 minutes or so, she ran like she was trying to get away from a fire. She played with other dogs, tried to eat shells and seaweed, and generally had a wonderful time. Then it was back to the hotel for an early bed.

An early bed means an early wake up, at least for our puppy. We were up WAY earlier than planned so Casey got some more beach time before breakfast – we were hoping she would sleep most of the way since we wanted to power through to home. After breakfast, we did just that. With no where like London in the way and grey clouds forecast for the entire trip, the top stayed up and Frank’s foot stayed down. And late this afternoon, we pulled into our driveway, happy to be home.

I have to say that this was a great trip, soggy field walks notwithstanding. And we have decided that Casey is an excellent travelling companion. She happily sat under tables in numerous pubs, nearly always came when we called her, and was just generally cute. She has learned not to back away from nice people who want to say hello but still has a problem with drunk people who get down on their knees to maul her. I think we got all our relaxation in and just generally were able to recharge. It was a good week.

Data for the trip:

• Mileage driven: Who-knows-because-Frank-doesn’t-care-about-data-so-he-didn’t-pay-attention. Harrumph.
• Amout spent on petrol: £212
• Number of Spitfire planes spotted: 5
• Number of pubs/restaurants Casey visited: 8
• Number of days until we take our next road trip: 29

For all the tumultuous weather of the last 48 hours, today dawned bright and clear.  It was to be a beautiful, sunny day so we planned to tick our last “must see” box:  the White Cliffs of Dover.

Roof down, we headed south and got to the National Trust parking lot about 10.30.  A quick coffee and cake stop at the cafe and we were off, walking along the edge of the cliffs that are now more famous than white.  And it was a beautiful day!  Breezy with bright blue skies.  We meandered all the way to the lighthouse about 3km along the cliff edge.  We were hoping to visit the Fan Bay Deep shelter – a series of tunnels used in WWII – but alas, they were closed. So instead we enjoyed beautiful views while Casey sniffed nearly every blade of grass.

After our 90 minute cliff ramble, it was time for lunch.  A dog and gluten free friendly pub in St Margaret’s Bay was just the ticket.  The Coast Guard sits snuggly between cliffs and the sea.  We enjoyed sea bass and sea trout (seemed appropriate!) before walking along the rocks (it will be lovely sand in about 1000 years!) to see more cliffs and enjoy some local ice cream.

The final attraction for this part of the coast was the Kent Battle of Britain museum.  Frank indulged me in my medieval history fetish so now he got his WWII airplane itch scratched.  The place is unbelievable!  Casey couldn’t join us inside but there is a shaded and enclosed area where doggies can wait for their owners.  And the volunteers who were manning the desk were more than happy to “keep an eye on her” for us – it’s great to have an adorable dog!

I’ve always known that I have a very strong and orderly inner librarian but today I learned I also have an inner curator soul as well.  And boy did this place need it!  They probably had every scrap of metal that had been retrieved from any plane, Allied or German, during the entire battle (10 July – 31 October 1940).  They had destroyed plane engines, uniforms, tank bits, photographs, donation letters, and more.  Five buildings worth of stuff, meticulously laid out with documentation and personal stories – including wedding pictures of some of the airmen!  But there was no rhyme or reason to the display.  There were lots of individual stories but no big picture story – we were in the 3rd building before we found a display that even had the dates of the battle listed!  Unfortunately, there were no photographs allowed; apparently, people had been taking pictures of the doors and locks and using that info to break in and steal stuff. {Sigh}

With the afternoon sun still high in the sky, we opted for  a drive along the south coast to Rye in East Sussex which is supposedly one of the best preserved historic towns in southern England.  The moniker may be apt as we were able to wander through rabbit warren streets with adorable (and old!) buildings galore.  It was after 5pm so nothing was open but it was easy to get a feel for the place.  Tonight’s evening repast would be provided by one of those establishments in an old building:  The Standard Inn built in 1420.  Yes, this is the second 604 year old pub we’ve eaten in this week!  Starting with oysters and local cider, we moved on to lamb rump and short ribs.  Delicious all the way around.

A drive home through the High Weald National Landscape as the sun set put the cherry on the top of a pretty perfect day.

Data for today:

• Distance walked along the cliffs: 6.84km
• Total steps taken during the day: 19,868
• Photos of cliffs taken: 14ish
• Roadworks encountered today: 0 (!?!)

Today we would be prepared. That was the plan.  No getting caught in drastic downpours.  No shivery, soggy dog.  We studied the weather forecast and carefully mapped out the day.  And we got it wrong anyway. 🙄

Having done our homework, we “knew” that Canterbury Cathedral allowed dogs on the grounds but not in the building.  Because the forecast was for rain all day, we figured that wasn’t a good combination so we got the puppy all cosy in her crate with treats and toys and set out to fully check the cathedral box.

And we arrived to find out that the rules had recently changed and dogs were allowed in the building.  So she could have gone in with us to avoid the rain that had yet to materialise. {Sigh} Nevertheless, it was nice to have the peace and focus to appreciate the magnificent building without the constant sniffing and tugging that our inquisitive princess is prone to.

And the building is magnificent.  At the spot where Thomas Beckett was murdered – the troublesome priest of Henry II – there is a very cool art installation to commemorate the occurrence.  We got all kinds of interesting details from one of the docents who happily told us all about how the event unfolded and what happened to Saint Thomas’s body after the event.  We saw drawings of the tomb in which it was encased before the dissolution of the monasteries in the “new church” (circa 13th century instead of the 11th century “old church”).

I definitely got my stained glass and history fix for this trip.  I especially loved seeing a small day care group walking through the building and hearing one of the teachers explain the significance of different things to 4 year-olds.  I wanted to follow them all day!  Instilling the love of learning and appreciation of the past in young people is a great calling!

When we had our fill, we wandered through the old town a bit (still no rain) to see some of the shops and things that had been closed on Monday.  But tour buses and less than attentive tourists made the experience less enjoyable so it was time to be off.  We headed to Faversham to see the Shepherd Neame brewery, the oldest in Britain.  Unfortunately, it is another instance of British understatement in marketing opportunities.  We didn’t want a tour but Frank would have loved a tasting and a commemorative tchotchke or two. But the shop is the size of a closet and there is a pub rather than a tasting room so we were stymied in that part of our adventure. 

A light lunch at a cafe – outside because still no rain! – and it was time to free the princess.  We headed back to the cottage for a cup of tea and some play time with the puppy.  Then it was off for part 2 of the  day’s adventure: wine tasting. Yes, they make wine in England and I have read reports of how the sparkling wine is giving Champagne a run for its money (thanks climate change!) Now it was time to render our own verdict.

First stop, Biddenden winery.  It’s closest to where we are staying and recommended by the hosts.  It purports to be the oldest winery in the area so we stopped in for a tasting.  It’s a small endeavour with a shop and some outside tables (because still no rain) where we tried 6 wines from a range of grapes, some I was unfamiliar with: Ortega, Bacchus, and Dornfelder were new to us. I wish I could say they made good wine. Well, they didn’t make wine that was to our taste. But they were selling potted grape vines so we are now the proud owners of one Chardonnay plant!  Let’s see how long it takes me to kill it. 

Next stop: Balfour Winery.  Now THIS was an operation.  Large, glitzy tasting room with outdoor space and a restaurant.  Very Napa Valley worthy!  With a price tag to match! No choosing your wines here: there is a set tasting of 3 or 6 wines (which they don’t tell you in advance).  We shared the 6 wine flight – with bottle prices ranging from £25 to £55.  And the verdict?  We’ve had better wines in Kansas.  All white or rose and a mix of still and sparkling, there was either an odd finish or no body to the wines at all.  The tasting notes for the most expensive wine has this gem: “Hints of methanol combine wonderfully with wild strawberry jam…” WTF?

This was not a dog-friendly establishment so Casey napped in the car while we giggled our way through the expensive tasting.  And then the promised rain arrived.  In torrents. We took this as a hint to move on.  A quick stop at a local Sainsbury’s for dinner supplies and  we were off.  Until we stopped again.  Because the sun came back out.  And there was a cute village with quirky shops. So we had to stop.  Frank picked up some vinyl he had been looking for.  And then it was REALLY time to head home.  How did we know?  It started raining again. 

This was our evening to stay in.  After the very bland pub dinner last night, I was happy to spend a few minutes making something that had no gluten but lots of flavour.  So a pasta bake with meatballs and a nice bottle of red wine (not local) with garlic bread, salad, and a meringue roulade for dessert.  Just the the ticket.  As the rain started again, we cuddled with the puppy on the couch for the next installment in our MCU viewing:  The Avengers.  We were full, dry, and content.  A good day.

Data for today:

• Hours Casey spent in her crate: 3.5 (she doesn’t mind so don’t be mad!)
• Steps: 11,569 (Slackers!)
• Number of wines tasted: 12
• Number of wines enjoyed: 0
• Number of villages with roadworks:  ALL OF THEM

We knew the weather couldn’t be perfect for the whole week and today the clouds rolled in. The original plan was to stay locally:  do some walking around the area, check out the neighboring villages, and just see how the day went.  And the day went wet.

We were prepared: hiking boots, rain jackets, fully charged phones with questionable quality footpath maps. And off we went.  About 20 minutes into the walk, the rain really started to come down. No problem – we’ll stop in a cafe in the village and grab a coffee and see what to do next.  Except there is no cafe in Egerton.  Nothing.  Nada.  So we decided to cut our losses and head back to the cottage to dry off.  

Following the not-always-clear footpath maps and signs, we wandered through waterlogged fields full of cowpats and other muck.  Lots of doubling back and searching for footpath markers but eventually we made it home, wetter and wiser.  A good towelling off for Casey and a change of clothes for us (with the obligatory cup of tea to keep the chill off) and then it was time to head out again.

This time we went south to Biddenden where there is a cafe and a lovely country pub  – the Three Chimneys.  We had the most amazing lunch in the bar area of the 15th century pub (built in 1420!) and enjoyed the food, drink, and atmosphere.  And we were able to make some plans for the rest of the day.  The general plan was to head south where two different weather apps said the rain was less likely to be an issue.  Maps out we chose to head to Hastings on the South coast in Sussex.  So 1066 and all that – here we come.

So here is the funny thing about the Battle of Hastings:  it wasn’t actually fought in Hastings.  It was fought about 8 miles north in Battle (someone needs to work on the branding for this place!).  Hastings does have the (ruins of the) first castle that William the Conqueror built upon landing in the 11th century.  But that seems to be it for the history part. The rest of the place is a typical yet sad English seaside town: obligatory mini golf, plethora of ice cream/gelato shops, fish and chips sold from every open cafe.  There seemed to be a multitude of French school children wandering the old town with their portions of chips.  Could this be a day trip for French students?  How odd!

The rain was indeed holding off so we got our steps in exploring the old town and the beach front.  We explored the dog-friendly shipwreck museum which was really pretty interesting for a small, free exhibit at the end of the amusements. But we needed to get our history on so it was back to the car and off to Battle to see the sight of the battle.

It’s a National Trust property so I shouldn’t be surprised at how well done it is but the Abbey and battle grounds are incredibly well kept and the self guided tour is informative without being overly wordy (and boring). It is another dog-friendly place so Casey got to sniff her way through the 13th century cloister and other parts of the Abbey.  We saw the stone marking where the original altar in the church was on the spot where King Harold was felled. And even the 10 minute movie in the exhibit area was very well done – with animated bits of the Bayeux Tapestry outlining the story. 

And now it was closing time so back north we went.  After our amazing lunch, we decided to try more “Kent country pubs” for out meals. So we stopped in The Woolpack  in Tenterden.  While dog friendly, it was the least welcoming place we had been yet.  Nothing concrete I could put my finger on but definitely not the welcomey vibes we’ve had elsewhere. Unfortunately, the food couldn’t touch our lunch experience either.  Frank had almost the exact same dish (local sausages, mash, and a red wine and onion gravy) and declared lunch to be superior.  My chicken supreme was definitely gluten free because there was nothing supreme about it: plan grilled chicken, potatoes, and peas.  Compared to my lunch of pork loin grilled with emmanthaler and pancetta with a tomato ragout, this was just meh.

Lesson learned, we headed for the cottage where we settled in for a quiet evening catching up with Welcome to Wrexham. Wednesday is likely to be equally wet so more planning is necessary!

Data for today:

• Villages/towns visited: Five
• Steps taken: 19,051 (of which 12K or so were in the pouring rain!)
• Amount of time the combo washer/dryer here needs to wash and dry a 5kg load: 5 hours, 19 minutes

The forecast suggested that today would be the best weather for a few days so we decided to hit two of the “must see” places on our list.  They are also suggested as a day trip on our ChatGPT-planned itinerary (yes, that is a thing and we are trying it!). So after breakfast it was time to head across the downs for stop #1 Canterbury. It was still quite cloudy but there was a promise of afternoon sun so the roof stayed up for the time being.

It should be no surprise to those who have perused even a few blog entries that stained glass is one of my “things”.  I try to visit as many cathedrals and churches as I can to see the various patterns and presentations.  And being a fan of British history, Canterbury has been on my list for quite some time. (“Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?”)  It turned out that today would not be the day for a cathedral visit, however.  Apparently, Mondays are not great days to visit tourist-heavy places because many things are closed.  The cathedral wasn’t but many other shops and the like were so the queues for the lovely church were VERY long. So we decided instead to wander around the rabbit-warren mediaeval streets and see what there is to see. 

First stop: coffee!  A lovely dog-friendly cafe with a selection of GF bakes (love me a nice Victoria Sponge!) with treats for Casey.  Then we raked up some steps seeing the town itself.  It is incredibly dog-friendly.  Not one shop that we did pop into told us that she wasn’t welcome.  After a few hours, the sun did come out so we decided it was time for stop #2:  Whitstable.

This seaside town is apparently known for its quaintness and adorable atmosphere.  But for us it will forever be known for the roadworks! It took far longer to get to the coast from the main road than one would have thought possible.  Once we finally did park and start our wandering, we found the Monday-closure issue was also a thing here.  Not to worry, we had sunshine and were ready to wander.  So we did.

Eventually we grabbed some lunch at another dog-friendly cafe where Casey was a perfect angel compared to the grumpy dog at another table.  So we took her to the “beach” for some running time.  While a definition of beach like “area where sea meets the land” would apply here, it was not a beach of the type that we like to visit on holiday.  It was all rocks and shale and lots of cuttlefish remains.  Nevertheless, it was heaven to the puppy who had behaved beautifully all day.

Eventually it was time to navigate the roadworks again and we had the joy of Monday evening traffic added to it.  Nevertheless, we persevered and after a quick stop at Sainsbury’s for some needed supplies, then back to the quiet countryside.  Casey got some playtime in the garden with Daisy the Naughty Beagle before we headed round the corner to the local pub for dinner.

The Rose and Crown appears to be the quintessential English country pub (even the name!) and we entered the low ceilinged main bar for our evening meal.  Which was outstanding.  GF tempura prawns and a beautiful fish pie for me and a scotch egg and gammon steaks for Frank.  Throw in a couple of pints of local beverages and a treat for Casey and it was a successful dinner. A lovely wander back through the fields while watching the sunset was the jewel in the crown.

Data for today:

• Time spent in the car: Ten times more than Casey would have liked.
• Steps taken: 21,571
• Number of tour buses spotted: Four