Canterbury

Today I head to Canterbury. I'm going to see the Cathedral there. Again, it's to the South East and is about an hour and a half away. Today is much wetter than yesterday was. The navigation system has 4 entries for the cathedral, but, they are all in the exact same location. Stupid computer. Th drive goes fine and I'm in Canterbury without too much ado. Parking, however, seems to be a problem. I drive around for about 15 minutes trying to find a car park that isn't filled. Eventually, I park about a mile or so away from the center of town. I figure that I can handle a little walk and this way I'm guaranteed a free parking spot :).

The navigation system had told me that I had reached my destination, but, I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. I was a little bummed out until I was driving back towards the place while trying to find a spot and saw the bell tower. Amazing.

The walk is wet but easy. I get to the Cathedral expecting to get some outside photos only, as it is Sunday. Yes, I took that into consideration before I left this morning. Surprisingly, the cathedral is open to visitors during certain hours of Sundays. And sure enough, I'm here during those hours. How fortuitous! I pay my money and wander into the amazing cathedral.

I wander around amazed at the architecture and the stained glass wishing I could take photos. Eventually, I stumble into a guide who's telling another tourist that it's fine to take pictures in here, but, not down in the crypt. I made sure that I heard him correctly and went back through my self guided tour taking shots this time. They won't be up yet, however. And won't be up until I get back into the States. Sorry. A smattering of new photos of the Lovre, Paris and Leeds Castle have been posted though.

Many of you know that I'm not especially religious. But, being down in the crypts instills in me feelings of awe and a wonder. I can't describe it and really don't know what more to say about it. However, it was profound.

That being said, you all should know by now what I require after religion...yup, it's off to a pub. I head over to one called the Eleven Bar. Not especially thrilled with it's name. But, it has some decent beer on tap. Not many, mind you. Oh, and the decor looks fine. Old chewed up hardwood floors and thick wooden tables. I can't bring myself to drink many of the pilsners that they have on tap, so I move right to the Guinness. I also order a steak sandwich to wash the beer down with. I watch out the large front windows at the comings and goings of the people in this small area of Cantebury and smile.

My time is nearly up here in England. I've had a truly glorious time. And I want to thank all of you for coming along with me. If it weren't for you all, I may not have pushed on into all of the trips. Being out here away from home gets pretty taxing and many times I really wanted to just relax. But, I felt that I would be robbing all of you adventuring vicariously through me by taking a break. So, ever I pushed onwards trying to find something to see. Something to photograph. Something to experience. Something to describe. I've enjoyed describing my days and experiences to you all. Again, I thank you.