But, first...one of several funny anecdotes from the day: K and I went & picked up pastries but the "Pret" (a FF breakfast place) got my order wrong -- instead of a pain au raisin, an almond croissant (afficionados will recognize they aren't interchangeable). So, when we arrived at Victoria Station, I thought I would grab one (pain au raisin) before we got on the train. We quickly purchased our tickets, found our platform and were at the turnstile when I said "we have 3 minutes, I can grab a pastry." EH said "I thought you might have said THIRTY minutes"...LOL. I got the pastry (a stand was next to the turnstile), but the tickets didn't open the turnstile & we ended up needing an attendant to open another door to let us through. Meanwhile, the voice overhead said "the doors on platform 3 are about to close..." I jumped into the first door, then turned and K & EH made it just as the door slammed shut. K gave me the knife eyes for part of the trip toward Canterbury.
We knew we were in the right place when we saw this:
So, it's almost noon by the time we get to town (doesn't the sunlight - yes! sunlight in England in December! - look like mid-day? :)) so we decide to have lunch before going to the Cathedral. Bad move.
For two reasons: first, although EH chose Moroccan cuisine (the lamb and tabouli salad is pictured),
but before we had gotten our drinks there was a series of bangs at a nearby table (we were in the basement) and it turned out a customer had fallen and hit her head. So, as we sat through lunch, EMTs came, then another set...we know "June" is 84, what her meds are, how much pain she was in and where (they asked repeatedly) and she's 84. Her next of kin...her date of birth -- you get the idea. No, we don't know if she turned out all right or not...you get it.
We walk the two blocks to the gate to the Cathedral and...they were closing?!?!?!? A sign said that on Dec 29 they were closing at 1:30 for....a 3 o'clock service! Whoops. WE are allowed onto the grounds, but not inside!
So we walked around. The entry gate is on the southwest corner. We walked around the outside and through the Dean's close on the north side and there was a list of services at the base of the Dean's stairs. So we took the stairs and came in through the north door -- causing EH to say "you all are bad kids." Clearly, she was NOT along, too. :)
We saw the inside, in some hurry, as they were herding people out the south door, but saw the main events, including the spot where Thomas a Becket was murdered in 1170. Back in Michael's day. & were hurriedly ushered out. I was back in someone's good graces after sneaking in.
We went to the cathedral shop (of course there's a huge one, right?) but EH & I were disappointed you could buy neither vials of Thomas's blood nor a piece of a finger. What kind of relics are we talking here, anyway?!
And then a long, tricky walk back to the other railroad station (yes, Canterbury needs two!) because, nearby was this castle --
You know, just a little thing thrown up by Willy the Conqueror to help protect the country he'd just won in battle. Now almost 950 years later, it's still standing.
Then back to London and the flat.
For dinner, we went to a Michael Fav -- Zizzi's. EH calls it "institutional Italian." Here's the bruschetta
-- which you can see is better than institutional.
Tomorrow is London cultural sightseeing and gourmet dining. Preview: serious food porn tomorrow. I think one of the specialities is pork belly on the side on everything (I think including dessert). You know, everything is better with high end bacon.
And now, for those wondering about whether I have been ground into the English turf more than last time, my Fitbit's step counter screenshot. Notice the neat pattern...): Just sayin'...
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