Canterbury

There is a natural feel of the history of Canterbury that strikes shortly after leaving the fast train from London. Narrow, cobbled streets bordered by shops and businesses built for Brits who were definitely not Bill's height. The Labour Day holiday may not have been the best day to come to Canterbury, because the crowds were really quite heavy. We were assured by our helpful Irish waitress at lunch that,whilst busy - today was not a 'crazy day'.

Canterbury Cathedral is quite awesome. Somewhere it would be easy to spend many, many hours/days and still find there were other nooks, crannies, window stories or saints that you hadn't seen previously. Throughout the centuries the custodians have added their own capsules of history. The tombs of Kings, Princes, Archbishops and the Martyrdom, marking the spot where Thomas Becket was murdered by King Henry II's knights. Since AD 597, this has been the cathedral of the Archbishop of Canterbury, with the current architectural styles reflecting history since the 11th century.

Following our leisurely, typically British lunch (sausages and mash for Bill and fish and chips for me) we strolled down the Arshbishop's mile....lined with shops, but eventually this took us away from the tourist area and we had not stopped at the tourist centre for a map. We did eventually find our way back to West Canterbury railway station and were thankful that a train was ready to leave for the trip back to London (a little over an hour).

It is quite a nice stroll from Waterloo Station, through the Archbishop's Park, an area of Lambeth Palace dedicated to the community. Late in the afternoon of a public holiday, the play equipment was being well utilised by the families who we suspect live in the many housing estates surrounding the area.