Canterbury

Ever since our trip to Portsmouth, I knew I wanted to take another daytrip with the Drama Kids. On the train ride home, I suggested Canterbury – a university village in Kent which I had visited with my friend A, …

An Ex-Pat Meetup in Canterbury

Scratch that – let’s call this a field trip. Come one, come all to see the sights of Oldsy-Woldsy Canterbury!

Any ex-pats wanting to explore Ye Olde City? We’re going March 24. Tickets can be purchased 4 for the price of 2 with Southern so get your groups together. I don’t have anyone in my group yet so let me know if you’re interested. Here are the details:

09:49     London Bridge [LBG] Platform 5     Canterbury West [CBW] Platform 2     11:21     1h 32m

Anytime return.  Price for 4 people is £53.80 (that’s approximately £14 pp). Plus your costs of being in Canterbury, of course.

Weekend in Kent

It was a sunny day on the South East coast

In celebration of a full year of service to our employer (A and I started on the same day a year ago) I spent a weekend with A at her lovely, cozy house in Kent. She lives in a smallish town and on Saturday took me to see a few points of interest in her area, including Rochester, Canterbury, and as per my request, Chatham.

Chatham

A. poses infront of St. Mary's Island

Chatham's Dockyards

The highlight of Chatham, Kent, England - the Dockyards

I have wanted to visit Chatham ever since planning to visit England in 2008. Robbie and I didn’t end up making it to the UK, so my plan was foiled – but only temporarily, you see. Now I have had the opportunity to visit this South East town. Ready for some history, courtesy of Wiki?

The town was named after Chatham, Kent, England, which was also developed around a naval dockyard. In England, the name Chatham came from the British root ceto and the Old English ham thus meaning a forest settlement.

I always thought that Chatham-Kent and Chatham, Kent were sister towns, especially with the C-K obsession with Dickens that spawned a few years back. Surprisingly, I wasn’t able to find anything on twin or sister status, except that C-K is a sister city to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Weird.

Rochester

The quaint streets of Rochester

Home of the Rochester Cathedral, and as A puts it, lots of “oldy-woldy” buildings and streets. (see above)

Rochester Cathedral - over 900 years of history here.

Rochester Cathedral - the Nave

Crypt at Rochester Cathedral - Reflections of Rochester's monastic past.

 

In the garden at Rochester Cathedral

This area is called “The Cloister Garth”  and is set amidst the ruins of Rochester’s Norman priory.

Rochester Cathedral grounds with Rochester Castle in the background

Canterbury

The gate to Canterbury Cathedral

The shop where I bought my yarn!

Shadow play on sculptures outside the theatre in Canterbury

The Canterbury Tales (museum)

Canterbury Cathedral

Because we had a day of driving around Medway prior to arriving in Canterbury, we didn’t get a chance to go to the Cathedral – that will happen on my next day-trip out. Nevertheless, I had  a wonderful time seeing A’s neck of the woods!