Delving Into Dover

We had planned this trip with focus on Kent, and in particular going to see the White Cliffs of Dover.  The pictures we’ve seen are spectacular, but my friends have told me that they don’t do it justice (boy were they right!).  So we got up and hit the road, and made it to downtown Dover for breakfast at the Eight Bells, a Wetherspoon pub that I was fairly sure served Eggs Benedict (they did, and will even give you extra hard yolks if you asked nicely).  I went with porridge and berries, as well as a Shepherd Neame Whitstable East IPA.  I figured I needed the carbs for hiking (boy was I right), so we headed towards the English Channel to get a good view.

We found our way over to the cliffs, located close to the ferry terminal and within sight of the South Foreland Lighthouse, and decided to go hiking so that we could get the best views.  The green countryside, blue water and white cliffs were visually stunning.  We decided to try the full loop without walking as far as the lighthouse since we could always drive to it next (or at least we thought so, more about that later).  We climbed to the top of the hill, and walked around Langdon Hole to get a better view.  It was tough (translate, steep) walking when we cut back closer to the cliffs, so close it made Jenn nervous (no faking falling over the cliffs here).  It was spectacular.

We made it back to car and headed over to try to reach the lighthouse via the road.  Three tries and each road came to a end (how frustrating!).  We finally found an open gate (what did that sign say?), headed onto a stone road, then a dirt road, and finally a field.  We were heading through a cow pasture, and after my last rental car fiasco decided we should turn around and get back as fast as possible.  No worries, we headed over to St. Margarets at Cliffe for some great food at the Red Lion Pub (http://www.theredlionpub.co/).  We asked, they told me that they did have great food, just not on Monday’s (I often skip eating on Mondays).  Oh well, I got a Foundry’s Man Gold and a pickled egg (yum), and we rested and talked in their garden.  A nice break, but we weren’t done sightseeing, so we headed over to Dover Castle to catch some more views.

Dover Castle really lets you appreciate how the Lords of yore could dominate a landscape.  Situated up on the hill overlooking the harbor, it is hard to believe how anyone could take such a fort.  The place was huge!  Built in the 12^th century, it is the largest castle in England.  The site contained an ancient Roman lighthouse, an old church, and a keep that you could climb any of the corner towers to get to the roof.  What a view, it was awesome up there looking down (a long way down) upon the town.

We checked into the hotel, got cleaned up (hiking and climbing is sweaty work), and headed out to dinner.  I had promised Jenn a nice Italian meal at Il Rustico, mapped out a location based on online reviews, and headed downtown to eat.  However, the place was closed on Monday (NOT what they said on the internet).  Instead, we walked down to the shoppes by the water and asked a shopkeeper for a good place to eat.  She recommended Cullins Yard, a seafood restaurant with their own brewery (PERFECT!).  I tried their Tir Dha Ghlas Jolly Roger on cask, a gentle bitter at 3.7% ABV.  For food Jenn got fish and chips (classic) with mushy peas, while I tried the smoked haddock with a rarebit sauce.  We sat outside, enjoying the fresh air, watched the clouds roll in and headed back just before the downpour.  We sampled a cider in a local hotel while we watched the other tourists get wet, waiting for the storm to pass.  I just loved laughing and talking with Jenn.

We made our way back to the hotel, stopping into Louis Armstrong for a Decca Fifty Not Out on cask and an Old Dairy Blue Top IPA to go.  The hotel was nice enough, meaning we were quite tired and the bed was comfortable.  A fantastic full day in England, and I loved sharing it all with Jenn. – 6327/14379

 
“He that buys land buys many stones, he that buys flesh buys many bones, he that buys eggs may buy shells, but he that buys good ale buys nothing else.” – Medieval English song