The Cannon Family's travel blog

DRT Day 4: Bones, Border, and Biergarden

Posted on July 25, 2024 | Leave a comment

Today is the first transition day of the trip: heading from Prague to Vienna involves the most driving. Google maps said it should take about 4 hours but then Google is sometimes dumb and doesn’t appreciate summer roadworks season.

It would also take us a bit longer because we had a stop planned: the bone church! The Sedlec Ossuary part of the former Sedlec Abby in Kutna Hora, about a hour south west of Prague. It is estimated to contain the bones of between 40K and 70K people which have been artistically arranged in the chapel. Photos are not allowed so I’ve “borrowed” one from Wikipedia to give a flavour of the weirdness.

Included with the ticket was a visit to nearby Cathedral of the Assumption of our Lady which couldn’t be more different than the creepy crypt. Light filled and airy, it was built in the traditional gothic style in about 1300. Interestingly, they have chosen to use the rafters space as an art gallery so we got to see lots of paintings that were not in the religious old masters style but more contemporary (and still very strange) works by local artists.

All this history and culture made us a bit peckish so it was into the nearby town for coffee and (GF) cake. Yum! The day was sunny and breezy with temps in the low 20’s – a perfect time to sit in the town square with some tasty treats before the long slog of driving began

And it was a slog. Lots of roadworks and large trucks made the trip very slow. We actually hit real rain for the first time in the trip which washed all the dead bugs off the rental car. Eventually, about 80km outside Vienna we hit the Austrian border. Passports were inspected and passed. We purchased our Austrian road tax pass – a slip of paper that sits in the windscreen and allows you to drive on the highways. We are now in a bit more comfortable territory as we have Euros if we need them (never touched a Czech crown!) and we can at least pronounce a few German words.

Then the trek into the city. At rush hour. With roadworks. {Sigh} We aren’t actually staying downtown in the tourist district this time but are somewhat outside the city centre in a nice quiet neighbourhood – a requirement to find an AirBnb with parking. It is a lovely area and our little flat is just perfect. We even have a small garden space for enjoying the weather. Our host here is wonderful – ex-Marriot hotel manager who used to live in Linlithgow and thought of everything. Including the welcome bottle of cold Gruner Vertliner!

But we had things to do before enjoying the wine. First was the obligatory exploration of the neighbourhood and the stop at the local shop for supplies. A 10 minute walk to the local Billa Plus got us all the breakfast stuff we needed. We put the stash away in the small tidy kitchen and headed to a highly recommended local wursthaus and Biergarden. It was delightful! Excellent outdoor seating area with a fabulous menu – GF items clearly marked. I had a lovely plate of zander (like perch) with veggies and potatoes. Frank opted for the boiled beef which arrived in a large pot with seemingly endless meat, potatoes, veg, and broth. Both were excellent and definitely made up for the blah meal last night.

Back to the flat to do a quick load of laundry, enjoy our wine, and get some much needed sleep before our adventures in the new city begin.

Data for today:

Steps taken: 11,611 (Slackers!)
KM driven: 308
Roadworks encountered: 6
Varieties of Gruner tried: 2

Leave a comment

Posted in Austria, Czech Republic, Transit

DRT Day 3: Unusual and cool history lessons

Posted on July 24, 2024 | Leave a comment

Today was planned to be a different kind of tourist day. We had plans to visit sites that generally don’t appear in tourist guides. After sleeping a bit later than we had originally planned – nothing to do with the wine last night… really! – we enjoyed our fruit, yogurt and muesli. Yes, our typical Tuesday breakfast.

Then it was off in our Skoda hire car to venture out of town. Those who have been playing at home will know that we rarely visit a country that has some kind of automotive industry without investigating the related museum. And Czechia would be no different – to the Skoda Museum! We got to drive in our air conditioned car to an air conditioned museum. Ahhhh…

About 45 minutes north east of the city is the main production facility and museum for Skoda. Not well known in the US, it is one of four automakers that have been producing continually for more than 100 years. While Frank nerded out on the forged crankshafts and the die cast aluminum blocks, I read all about the history of the company relative to the history of the country. A very interesting perspective of the communist years from the manufacturing perspective, it was an in unexpected history lesson.

In addition, there was a display of metal sculptures by David Černý showing various events in Czech history from King Charles to Lech Walesa. More interesting history!

Then back to the city for some lunch and our next activity: the Prague National Gallery. We grabbed a table outside a local restaurant and enjoed some delocious Czech cuisine. Chicken and sweet potato froes for me (authentic? Who knows but fefinitely delicious!) and the famous pork knee/knuckle for Frank. Both were very tasty and went well with local beer and wine. Yum.

Then to the art museum for a special exhibit: Get on the ice! Depictions of skating and hockey in art. So cool! Both the exhibit and the air in the building! Not onky did we get to see the evolution of skating depictions from the 17th century on, we learned all about the history of Czech hockey and its importance to national identity. I have a vague recollection of the Nagano Olympics but the gold medal for the Czech team that year was unbelievably important to the people. Jagr and Hasek were considered saints – and depicted as such in art! More history learned.

Then it was time to finish our tradirional tourist agenda. We had two more spots to bisit at the castle that our two day ticket coveted. So we took the number 15 tram to the bottom of the hill and hiked up… again. There were fewer crowds in the late afternoon but it was still absolutely mobbed. The Golden Lane and St George’s Basilica proved to be anti climatic but the boxes were checked.

Back down the hill for stop at another common destination type for us these days: a distillery! The R. Jelenik distillery has been making kosher plum brandy for a century or so. We decided to try the tour and see how plums get distilled relative to barley. Of course we also got to learn about the company history which was very much a lesson in Jewish history in the region. More history!

I can’t say that we were fans of the spirits we got to taste at the end bit i would still recommend the tour if you gave any interest. First, it was air conditioned which was welcome after the trek from the castle. Second and more importantly was the VR plum experience. Yup, they have VR headsets that show you the entire process FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE PLUM! It was unbelievable and amazing. We got shaken down from the tree, toad in a truck, got pressed, distilled, and aged. It was a complete 360 experience and so innovative.

Then it was time for a short break at the flat – I had one work thing i had to do – and then our final Czech meal in Prague. Unfortunately, it was not as good as the others but it wasn’t bad. We took one last wander through the old town square before calling it a day.

Data for today:

Steps taken: 15,912

Steps taken: 15,912
Modes of transport used: 3
Number of AC activities: 3

Leave a comment

Posted in Czech Republic

DRT Day 2: Settling in

Posted on July 23, 2024 | 1 comment

We managed a passible night’s sleep in the warm flat – a king size bed and lack of wriggling (but adorable) canine helped with that. Then the first real day of our travel adventure was ready to begin. We always start with the “how do we make breakfast in a foreign kitchen” game. With the exception of an unresponsive toaster, we managed our typical fried egg and cheese on (un)toasted bread Monday breakfast.

Then it was off to explore! The forecast called for thunderstorms in around lunchtime so we thought we’d get as much walking in as possible before the heavens opened. There are a few things on our list that are closed on a Monday so we needed to work around those. First, we did some recon for our evening activity – finding the dock where our boat trip would leave later on. Then we started walking along the Vlata to see what we could see. Disclaimer: even though this adventure is the Danube Road Trip, Prague isn’t actually on the Danube so we have to just pretend the big river in the middle of the city is a good substitute.

The wandering brought us to the base of the castle hill. Even though it was prime tourist hour, we opted for the climb to see one of the top visitor sights in the city. The clouds were still threatening and the air was very heavy and hot (only 27 today!) but we made it to the top of the hill and the seriously massive crowds of people who were also there for the experience. Undaunted, we got our tickets and proceeded to explore. If there’s one thing you learn from life in the UK, it is how to queue! First the longest line but the target of today’s excitement: St. Vitus Cathedral and the amazing stained glass windows.

We joined several thousand strangers in the exploration of this beautiful building. Pictures are below but I know they don’t do it justice. Luckily the stone walls helped to keep the inner space somewhat cool in the heat so we could take some time enjoying the beauty and the peace. Then back out into the heat and on to the second stop: the old Royal palace. Very basic medieval structure with a large hall and several smaller chambers off the centre (which were way too crowded and hot to take the time to read all the placards so don’t ask too many questions here!)

When we emerged again into the heat, the sun was somewhat obscured by lowering clouds and the crowds had continued to increase so we decided it was time to explore the area around the castle and possibly find someplace for lunch. We definitely wanted somewhere to duck into if the heavens opened.

Back down the hill we went to wander around on this side of the river, stopping in various shops – most of which seems to sell some kind of cannabis products! – and checking restaurant menus. We stumbled across Local which came recommended by our AirBnb hosts but the one near our flat was always way too busy to get a seat. This one was not so crowded so we settled in for some hearty Czech food: mince and cheese schnitzel for Frank (with about a pound of butter on the accompanying mashed potatoes!) and pork neck steak in mustard sauce for me. Throw in some local dark beer and ice cold cider and lunch was complete.

Food detour: pork is a big thing here. But not the kind of pork you might find in the US or UK. There are places that sell ribs, for example. But you are unlikely to find pork chops or gammon steak that may be familiar to you. Pork knuckle is more common on menus or pork knee (which I think is the same thing). I’ve had “pork steak” in some shape or another in various places. But I had to work very hard not to think about my lunch being pork NECK steak which sounds weird and potentially not very appetising. It was delicious of course but cultural differences can be a challenge to get your head around. Now back to our regularly scheduled blog post.

After lunch we continued to explore the Lesser Town which seemed to have slightly smaller crowds. Along the way we happened upon the St. Nicholas bell tower, a spot that had cropped up somewhere during all our reading on the city. As Frank is convinced that I never miss an opportunity to go up, I couldn’t disappoint and so up we went. And boy are we glad we did! After the massive crowds at the castle, it was odd to have the entire bell tower to ourselves. Built in 1755, it served as the fire watch tower for centuries We climbed the stairs and stopped in to the warder’s chambers, the belfry and the newer warders chambers. But the balcony was the real treat: completely empty with an amazing view of the entire city. Just gorgeous. A few more flights up to the gallery and we learned about how the tower was used by the Secret Police to spy on western diplomats during the communist years. Absolutely fascinating!

The rain was still threatening but hadn’t appeared so we wandered across the famous Charles Bridge which is every bit as nice as people say. Then we were back in the old town and popping into every shop that looked like it might be air conditioned. We found some lovely wooden trinkets to take home, adding to my tree collection and our Christmas tree decorations. We found ourselves back near the old town square just a minute too late to catch the chiming of the famous astronomical clock. But we are lucky that it is right around the corner from our flat so we popped in to drop off the purchases and freshen up before wandering back out to catch the clock chime at the next hour. Given the massive crowds, I confess it was a bit anticlimactic. Yes, it is an engineering marvel but still.

TNow it was snack time. We’ll be eating quite late so we need some sustenance to hold us over. Gelato for me and the ubiquitous chimney cake for Frank. It’s like a donut cylinder that you fill with ice cream and other stuff. He declared it delicious. Thus bolstered, we made another quick stop at Tesco for supplies for Tuesday breakfast (which does not involve eggs). On the way home, we popped into the original Pilsner Urquel restaurant for some refreshing beverages and watch the world go by.

Thus refreshed, we popped back to the flat to drop off the foodstuffs and freshened up for the evening’s entertainment: a jazz cruise on the Vlata! Yay! We arrived at the boat too early to board so we waited on the brewery boat next door with more beverages (Frank is trying all the Czech beers!) and then proceeded to our boat. A jazz trio played for most of the 2.5 hours (I prefer my jazz without a vocalist but she was fine.) while we enjoyed a 3 course meal (suitably altered for my GF status) and a bottle of local rose while we cruised along enjoying the scenery. It was a lovely evening. And we stayed out way past our bedtime, finally arriving back at the flat after 11pm to crash. Excellent first full day!

Data for today:

Steps: 24,051
Elevation change: 29 flights (!)
Number of foreign licence plates spotted: 7
Number of drinks consumed: No way I’m writing that down. 🙂

1 Comment

Posted in Czech Republic

DRT Day 1: The adventure begins

Posted on July 22, 2024 | Leave a comment

This year’s holiday has been a little more challenging than usual – if for no other reason than just explaining to people what it is! Earlier this year, we headed to Kent. Most people in the UK know what that means; for others, saying “England” worked just fine. Last year we did our European trip to Portugal. Also easily described without going into details about precisely where in Portugal we were going. (Note: we did correct those who assumed we were going for a beach holiday to the Algarve but that was our choice.)

This year we decided to take a trip I’ve been pondering for years: a wander through central Europe taking in some of the capital cities along the Danube River. Not a river cruise mind you – I still have mixed feelings about those. Not an organised tour – I have definite feelings about those! But the San and Frank “hop in a hire car and do it our way” trip. So here we are: the Danube Road Trip (DRT).

First thing was to get the timing and accommodation sorted. End of July is the focus as all the rowing events are done by then but it needs to be before the 31st which is when all the leave days need to be used. We opted for a slightly longer trip than usual: a full fortnight rather than our typical 10 days which meant we could do 4 stops if we liked. So not just the Prague- Vienna – Budapest trip we had envisioned for so long: let’s throw in Bratislava! Four cities, four countries, fourteen days. Yay! Four AirBnB rentals that have parking (pricey) and a hire car that we pick up in Prague and return in Budapest (astronomically pricey! The one way return fee is more than the actual rental cost!)

Next, “cheap” fares on RyanAir. Generally this is a low cost airline but we are particular travelers and like to have things like leg room and luggage. Once you add on all the extras, the fares aren’t as cheap as one might like but they are direct from Edinburgh and suited us just fine. One way to Prague, one way back from Budapest. And so the adventure is set.

The hardest part about any of this was saying farewell to the prancing princess puppy, our adorable Casey. She’s staying with our new doggie sitter friend Sally and we know she’ll be fine but it was still sad to say goodbye on Saturday afternoon. The second hardest thing was the alarm going off at 5am so we could make it to EDI in plenty of time for our flight. Surprisingly, that went off without a hitch. Well one hitch: we had no travel coffee!!! Nothing is open along the A90 at 6am on a Sunday so we have to brave the drive without the requisite caffeine levels. Ugh.

But nevertheless, we endured. Our RyanAir approved cabin bag and small bags packed for the fortnight, we sped through security (fasttrack – extra fee), grabbed some breakfast (airport prices), and took our bulkhead row seats (another fee) for the 2+ hour uneventful flight. At the Prague Airport, I collected my first stamp in my new British passport. Yay! Then we collected our hire car (Skoda naturally) and proceeded to the old town centre.

We were well prepared for real summer temperatures – not the stupid 12 or 15 degrees we get in Aberdeen – but we weren’t fully ready for the 30+ degrees that met us when we landed. Whoo boy it was hot! Luckily the car had AC but not much else in Prague does. After many wrong turns down narrow, ancient streets, we finally found our home for the next three days – right smack in the middle of the old town. A lovely little studio apartment with everything we could need – except AC! {Sigh}

Quickly changing from Scottish travel clothing to European summer clothing, it was off to discover the city. We walked slowly in the heat, looking for a place to get a bite to eat since the timing of travel meant we hadn’t had lunch. We found a lovely little place near our flat with outside tables and large words on the chalkboard outside “Gluten free pizza” That will do nicely thank you! Throw in the obligatory Pilsner Urquel for Frank and a local GF beer for me to go with our four cheese pizza (yum!) and it was just what the doctor ordered.

With sustenance provided, we pounded more cobblestones taking in some of the sights with no real purpose to our wanderings. For a late Sunday afternoon, the old town was packed with tourists. I heard nearly every language I could identify and some that I couldn’t. Eventually, we decided that it was time to get our essential food items for our stay and a large air conditioned grocery store would be just the place to spend some time. So what is the big shop on the main street? Tesco! Really, have to been to Prague if you haven’t been to a Czech Tesco? The experience was quite surreal: somewhat familiar but not really. We took much longer than was necessary to pick out the few items we needed for breakfast but the AC was sooooooo nice. Then back to the flat to put away the messages and test the temp in the room. Nope, still too hot to hang out here. Time to wander a bit more.

Now that the sun was starting to drop behind buildings, the breeze was actually quite cooling and the aimless wandering was more enjoyable. We decided a drink and a light bite was in order – the thought of eating a heavy meal was nauseating – so we headed to the Old Town Brewery for beer and a bit. Beer is probably the national drink so it seemed like a necessary stop to fully immerse ourselves in the local culture. Frank got a flight of 6 beers and I had a cider along with some sausages, chips, and fried cheese. He declared 3 of the 6 beers to be excellent and the rest weren’t his favourites. Regardless, we enjoyed the breeze on the patio, watching the people around us, and the general atmosphere. We decided this was a good way to close out our first day so it was time to brave the very warm flat and settle in for the evening.

Data for today:

Steps: 17,467
Temperature in the flat: 25
Irish pubs near our flat: 3

Leave a comment

Posted in Czech Republic

Travel North: Casey heads home

Posted on May 26, 2024 | Leave a comment

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

Leave a comment

Posted in England

Kent Day 5: More rambling and some royalty

Posted on May 25, 2024 | Leave a comment

Today promised to be another warm and dry day – maybe not as much sun but definitely no rain. Yay! Time to do some more country walks and see about getting a little more history in.

We headed north west to check out a seemingly lovely walk in Tonbridge. We headed down a marked footpath, as we did previously with less success, and this time it was just as we expected: an obvious trail with visible markers and lovely scenery. And a lovely ramble it was! For the next 90 minutes, we walked through fields and forests, along the River Medway and across locks and streams. We met other friendly dogs and Casey got her zoomies sorted running in a field with Dougal the Springer Spaniel. It was funny and heartwarming.

After our much more successful experience walking in the Kentish countryside, it was time to continue our Kent Country Pub tour. Today’s dog and GF friendly establishment: The Poacher and Partridge. This place has definitely embraced the gastro pub thing. A traditional pub with a large restaurant that includes a wood fired pizza oven plus a huge outdoor space with a separate bar. Very chic for the middle of Kent IMHO.

We had some local beverages – I finally found a Kent wine I can say I liked Chapel Down Rosé from the one recommended winery we weren’t able to visit! And the pizzas were incredible: Frank had something vaguely greek on the house sourdough crust. I had a white pizza with mozzarella, goat cheese, beets, and caramelised onions on a decent gluten free crust. Casey had the “Doggie Deli” plate: a dog bowl filled with sausage, ham, carrots, and peas. You would have thought she had died and gone to heaven!

Our bellys full, we needed to do a little more walking to burn off all the delicious calories so off we went to Hever Castle. As Tudor history folks are likely to know, this was the home of the Boleyn family for more than 70 years in the 15th and 16th centuries. Yes, THAT Boleyn family. In fact, it was a Hever castle that Henry proposed to Anne giving the Pope the finger and starting his own church. (Full disclosure: I am a member of the Anglican communion but I’m not saying what he did was right.)

Unfortunately, the Boleyn part of the castle was under restoration (grrrr) so I got to learn more about other history of the house. Like how Henry gave it to Anne of Cleves when he divorced her. Even more recent history of the house, it was bought but John Jacob Astor in the early 20th century. Yup, American money restored the residence and even got Astor a Barony and a Viscount title. All for a mere $10mill or so. Hever was also the site of another royal engagement: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon accepted the proposal of George VI at the estate. Yup, the current King’s granny got betrothed there. Pretty cool.

Although parts of the castle weren’t available, the immense and gorgeous gardens were. Holy landscaping Batman! This place is beautiful! We wandered everywhere we could on the grounds – including the Italian gardens which closed shortly afterwards for a wedding. (I can’t even imagine the bill for that one!) Casey was determined to catch one of the many ducks and was surprised, yet again, that they are able to leave the ground to avoid her reach.

Then it was time to head back to the cottage to pack and prepare for our departure tomorrow. We booked a table at the Rose and Crown again since it was a lovely place for a meal and it is a 4 minute walk from the cottage. While it was much more crowded and lively on a Friday night than was the case on Tuesday, we still had an excellent meal (salmon and honey ham in case you were wondering) and Casey got her fish treat. After a wonderful day, we were wonderfully sated and ready for a good night’s sleep.

Data for today:

Distance for today’s ramble: 6.27 km
Total steps taken: 20,101
Number of Henry’s wives discussed at the castle: 6
Best T-shirt slogan: Divorced,Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. (Finally some good branding!)

Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Kent Day 4: Sunshine on Dover

Posted on May 24, 2024 | Leave a comment

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 (!?!)

Leave a comment

Posted in England

Kent Day 3: Casey-less Cathedral, Weather, and Wine

Posted on May 23, 2024 | Leave a comment

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

Leave a comment

Posted in England

Kent Day 2: Rainy rambling

Posted on May 22, 2024 | Leave a comment

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

Leave a comment

Posted in England

Kent Day 1: Hitting the highlights

Posted on May 21, 2024 | Leave a comment

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: