Today, I experienced what may be the best part of living in one of the greatest cities in the world: leaving the city for the day and experiencing some classic history and culture. I got up early today and took the 9:00 bus to Dover. I opted for the bus rather than the train for two reasons: the chance to see more of the country during transit and the cheaper fare. To be honest, I dozed for part of the outward journey and read for the return, but it was nice to see some of the countryside anyway. Dover, as a city is pretty quiet, at least the corner of it which I saw (the coach station is really close to the castle, so I did pretty minimal exploring...of the town at least...read on...). When I arrived though, there was a church fairy event going on at the base of the path leading up to the castle, so there were plenty of happy children to be seen. :) Now on to the first climb of the day: the walk from the bus station to the castle is approximately one mile,, from what I had read. It's also uphill most of the way. I made it, but I'm sure that my calves will be in a sorry state tomorrow morning (I was actually really surprised that I could walk again after the three hour ride back to London tonight). The staff at the castle were really accommodating and helpful, which was lovely after my hike, and I made my way into the grounds with ample information. As I was entering, Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon ere preparing for post-coronation events, which I, of course, had to watch. (And it was because of the historical significance and my interest in the time period...and not because Henry was still young, handsome, manly Henry rather than massive, vengeful, scary Henry...nope, not at all...) The two royals and their companion were all on horseback (Katherine was riding sidesaddle, which was very impressive given the weight of her costume) and the two men did some typical tournament activities (a jousting-style exercise involving hitting a swinging target with a lance, and another involving cutting a cabbage in half while running past it). At one point, the companion was doing a better job than Henry, so I wondered if his execution was on the schedule for today as well. (Come to think of it, he wasn't theree anymore when I returned to the green after the tunnel tour...) After the long ride into Dover, I decided that lunch would be a good idea before my tour of the Secret Tunnels of WWII. Maybe I should set a goal to drink tea in all of England's major castles...
I ventured on next to the tunnel tour, which, considering my limited interest in military history, was pretty interesting (and a bit chilly underground!). The beginning of the tour uses dramatized audio clips as you walk through the hospital section, which added to the ambiance much better than an ordinary tour guide might have (particularly in the surgery room...I was expecting blood and gore, but this was much better, especially when the power failed mid-operation). To be honest, I found the medieval tunnels on the other side of the grounds more interesting, if a bit spooky. (Note to parents: when you are exploring dark, ancient tunnels, do not let your children run around screaming. It does not make other visitors happy.) The grounds were just as hilly as the rest of the area, so I got quite a workout just wandering from building to building. Eventually, when I felt as though I had seen as much of the castle grounds as possible, I decided to check out my real reason for visiting Dover: the White Cliffs. (Consider this my shout-out to AP English.) And no, I did not want to visit them for suicidal purposes, so do not consider my King Lear pilgrimage a cry for help. :) I did, however, understand their potential for offing oneself after my mess of a hike trying to find my way to the cliffs themselves. (I could see them from the castle grounds, but the paths were very unclear.) Due to some odd directions, I ended up back down the hill near the coach station, and the climb up again was worse after wandering the castle grounds for several hours. At one point, I actually had to make my way through a section of uncleared woods (all the while wondering what wild beasts might live in Dover) to a narrow road, which was just as curvy as it was hilly. I dodged traffic for about 20 minutes while I climbed, and by the time I reached the car park for the other visitors to the cliffs, I was ready to drop off them! The cliffs were oddly rejuvenating, however. It was perfect weather for the trek as well...warm sunshine on your skin simultaneously being cooled by the sea breeze. At every turn, there was a new smell of wildflowers and wind, which was such a clean contrast to the polluted air of London. I wandered down the path for about fifteen minutes, then found a spot to perch and watch the sea. I stayed there for quite a while, and it was incredibly peaceful. I looked back at the castle and could tell that I had come a long way, but it just made me feel stronger for not giving up during the long walk. And with the cliffs looming and the sea below me, I suddenly felt very small...which was good for me, I think. I felt relaxed and at peace, and it was almost as if the stress that I typically harbor had been carried away by the wind. It did not matter that I had no idea what I would do tomorrow or that I haven't done anything related to "God's Ear" since I left...if I were at home, that would have driven me crazy, but when I was surrounded by the sound of the sea and the wind, everything just felt okay. I find it pretty ironic that a place with militaristic and suicidal connotations could turn out to be a place of enlightenment for me, and I feel as though I will be back again in the future. :)
I eventually pulled myself out of my reverie and made my way back down the hill into town. (Surprisingly, the downhill journey is not much easier...it's so steep that you want to run, but you know that if you do you will be unable to stop.) I still had a while before the bus was due, so I had dinner at a pub. It was no match for The Famous Cock (I'm such a loyal customer!), but the bartender was very polite and asked me where I was from and how I was enjoying the UK. I read for almost the entire return journey (although I did take some time to watch the sunset), so I foresee another Waterstone's trip in my near future...but I won't worry about that right now. I expect that I will sleep very soundly after today, with a few less worries and aching feet. :)
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