We sailed to Dover via Dunkirk and thus sidestepped the serious refugee problem at Calais where so many displaced people are trying to make their way into Britain. We’ve seen disturbing evidence of desperate people who have evacuated their homeland and are now mixed up with local frustration surrounding a seemingly hopeless situation. This truly is an international human tragedy.
Canterbury was our first stop in Britain and we had a great time exploring the town and area with special attention given to the magnificent Canterbury Cathedral. So far, we’ve found Britain to be a fairly expensive place to travel compared to the European Continent. Our British expenses “generally” seem to be closing in on double what they would be at home whereas in Northern Europe the cost of living feels much closer to Victoria’s. As you would probably expect, anything tourist related is even more expensive over here. For example, two tickets into Leeds Castle will set you back $100 and a trip through the Canterbury Cathedral will cost $50. Considering all there is to see, you can imagine how quickly travel expenses can add up. We joined a non-profit organisation called the “National Trust” and for $200 this gives us access to hundreds of great historical attractions across Britain and it even includes the parking. It didn’t take us long to put our passes to good use. We stopped for a visit at Quebec House where General James Wolfe of the 1759 English/French Plains of Abraham battle for Quebec City grew up. Not far away was “Chartwell House” the fabulous and interesting home of Winston Churchill. Many major attractions are not covered by National Trust and that included Windsor Castle (which was fantastic) and Hampton Court Castle (which was also fantastic). Over the last few days we’ve been zipping around London and exploring some of its great treasures like Buckingham Palace (where the Queen smiled and waved to us as she drove by), the Tower of London, parks and squares, and Piccadilly theatre district where we scored some great tickets to “Jersey Boys”.
Driving in Britain is a real sensory experience, especially on these winding one-lane-two-way country roads that allow only inches of passing space even when using the pull-outs. The major “M” routes that have 10 to 12 lanes of speeding traffic with exits on top of exits can be lots of fun to drive as well, I only wish they drove on the proper side of the road. I never thought I’d consider a grid lock traffic jam to be a stress releasing experience… I know it is for Margot.
The weather has been a bit on the chilly side but we layer-up accordingly and then we’re good-to-go. The very best thing about traveling at this “cool” time of the year is never having to contend with crowds and lineups at major attractions (parking is easier as well). As far as our motorhome comfort is concerned, we purchased a small electric space heater that churns out just enough heat to keep things toasty warm without having to use-up our limited (German bottle) propane gas on the RV furnace. But the best warming news of all is that many trees and spring flowers are in bloom and the days are getting longer and warmer.
We’re having lots of fun exploring this part of the world but now looking forward to a bit slower pace as we move further away from London.