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
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