The Traveller's Tale

You didn't think I'd write about a trip to Canterbury without a Chaucer reference did you?

My original plan was to go to London for the weekend to see Brad and Nadine before they departed for Canada, but the situation changed a bit as Brad was to be doing research for a project in Kent before returning. I decided that since I hadn't been down that way, I'd pay him a visit there.

He was based in Canterbury, but doing research in a small village called Chilham, where his ancestors had come from. I arrived in Canterbury by train from London. It was a sunny day, a rare thing in this country. I told Brad of my news that my employer would be unable to apply for an extension to my stay in the UK, as the government's requirements are ridiculously unrealistic and unfair. I had accepted the fact that I was to be heading back to Winnipeg, where I had already made connections with friends for accommodations and put the feelers out for my old job. Despite being disappointed that I couldn't stay in England, I was happy to be heading back to Canada, after an entire year away.

Once I arrived in Canterbury, Brad showed me to the hostel before we strolled through the city a bit. We stopped in at an old hospital visited by pilgrims many centuries ago, that still acts as a respite home for the elderly. We caught the bus to Chilham, viewing the countryside through the big front windows of the top deck. Alas, we arrived in Chilham.

The castle/mansion estate, disputably said to be designed by Inigo Jones, with landscape by Capability Brown, was open for visits that day. It is currently owned and lived in by a photographer/author. We spent a good long while there, admiring the terraced grounds, with different gardens and a ha-ha, the old Norman keep, and the Seventeenth Century house. Brad had acquired an old plan from the library in Canterbury, and we examined it to see what remained from the early days. We also stopped for tea and cake on the lawn. It doesn't get more English than that. We visited the church and graveyard as well, also very old, with connections to St. Augustine during his time as Archbishop of Canterbury.

We debated whether or not to take the bus or train back to Canterbury, and after asking the locals at the pub, opted for the latter, and had a pint in the garden whilst enjoying the early evening sun. On the train ride back, a young couple were arguing very loudly about a petty matter, which was both bemusing and disturbing. Once back we headed to the cathedral to see it in the light before it faded.

We stopped in at a pub nearby for a meal. The ceiling was hung with hops. The southeast of England seems to be rife with hops and hops-based decoration, as hops are grown in the region. I suppose it's the higher average sunshine that makes the area so much better for growing the flowering vines.

The next day I was heading back to Bristol. I was planning on attending the Old Duke Jazz Festival there, a lively and free event. London was a-buzz with the closing of the Olympics. There was a big party at Buckingham Palace, with bands playing. Though I was only a few blocks away, catching my bus at Victoria Coach Station, I didn't see any of the show. I was happy to catch highlights on the BBC, and was glad to have opted for the Jazz Fest instead.

Now the preparations for my parents' visit was upon me. Their original plans to fly over were scrapped, when the airline they were booked on (and indeed the airline I had nearly booked myself on for my return to Canada), Zoom, went bust. Luckily they were able to re-book with Air Canada. It was to be a holiday for me as well, as I used up all of my banked holiday time to spend with them while they are here.

More on that soon.

Cheers.