Views in Southwest England...

Although we had walked through the tunnels carved into the White Cliffs of Dover, it wasn’t until we drove down to the beach, that we could get a good look at these infamous cliffs composed of chalk with streaks of flint. As the sun was setting fast, there wasn’t time for a long walk, but we enjoyed the views.
The following day, we took a long walk through the fields of Kent. We were impressed with the ancient laws that allow the public easements on all private lands to get from one point to another. In our case, we were just trying to get to lunch, but it was nice not having to worry about getting yelled at for trespassing.

A Day at Dover Castle...

On Saturday, Camilla had previous plans to take her girls to London for a play, so Tristram played tour guide for the day. We set off early for Dover Castle so we could get a spot for a tour of the Secret World War II Tunnels (unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take photos). These tunnels were originally dug in 1803 as barracks, but were abandoned in 1826. In 1939, they were converted into an air raid shelter, then into a strategic command center and underground hospital. The large scale evacuation in May 1940 of 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk (across the English Channel) was planned from here. The fortress itself was known at The Key to England as it sat at the closest point to the continent. We enjoyed seeing the brightly painted reconstructed furniture in the Great Tower, built by Henry II in the 1200’s, and the actors re-enacting a crucial moment in Henry II’s history.

The Kentish Family Hash...

The reason we needed to arrive in Kent so early was that Tristram (aka Trust the Suit) was haring the first Kentish Family Hash. He found the perfect place to start--the Hare & Hounds Pub (a piece of trivia: the hash was fashioned after the children’s game of hare & hounds) . There were an impressive 13 kids and 12 adults, but unfortunately I failed to get a photo of the crowd. We all enjoyed running through the fields. The beer break featured homemade soup, which was perfect for warming up during the light snow flurries. Afterwards we enjoyed a good British ale back at the pub. Then on Sunday, we took a 1.5 hour walk to The Crown Inn for a nice pub lunch with Camilla’s sister and family.

A Kentish New Years...

After our 2 a.m. bedtime on New Year’s Eve, we really weren’t looking forward to having to be on a train at 9 a.m. to head to Kent. Our grumbling quickly stopped when Tristram picked us up and brought us back to his and Camilla’s cute cottage in the countryside (they own the right 2/3 of the house). We were sad when they moved back to the UK in July, so were thrilled to be able to spend two nights with them. Although it’s a bummer that Tristram has a two-hour commute to work in London, we can see why they love living at the intersection of Ham and Sandwich.

New Year's Eve on the Thames...

After dinner, we headed to Sally and John’s hotel, which was just a block from the Thames River. The kids watched a movie in the room and we snuck a bottle of bubbly into the bar. At 10 p.m. it was time to bundle up and stake out a place along the river to watch the fireworks. We managed to beat some of the crowds to this particular stretch of river and secured front row spots. While it’s true that we stood in the cold for two hours for a 10-minute firework show, it was worth it. The fireworks were actually shot off of the individual pods on the London Eye and were quite spectacular. The crowds were so intense afterwards that it took us 30 minutes to make it back to Sally’s hotel then another hour to get far enough way from the river to be able to access a Tube station for a ride back to the hotel. Regardless, it was a great way to start 2010!

Sightseeing in London...

We started our day at the Churchill Museum and Cabinet War Rooms. This underground museum was opened to the public in 1984. Over 100 strategical meetings were held here from 1939 to 1945. I especially enjoyed seeing the room with all typewriters and the other with all the phones--so amazing to think of what was accomplished there without any computers.
After lunch, we made our way to the Tower of London. Somehow failed to get any views of the overview, but here’s an idyllic scene just across from the infamous Tower Green where Henry VIII had his queens beheaded. We enjoyed seeing the crown jewels (stored in the Tower of London since 1303), including one of the world’s largest diamonds at 530 karats. Afterwards, we took a nice walk across the Tower Bridge. We got lucky and found a wonderful restaurant offering a special 3-course meal that could squeeze us in. Considering it was New Year’s Eve, we were surprised by the quality considering the low price (especially with the free bottle of champagne).

Hanging with Friends in London...

We were so excited when we realized that we’d be in London at the same time as Sally, John, David and Andrew. We were even more excited that we could share New Year’s Eve during the boy’s first visit to London. And what a great day we had! We met up at 9:30 a.m. for a full day of sightseeing, great food (Sally helped earn us a free bottle of champagne by staying calm after the waiter spilled a tray of Kir Royales in her lap), and fireworks.