UK Trip: Canterbury

The trip to Canterbury got off to a rather inauspicious note. The bus we took from Cambridge to London left about 15 minutes late because one of the passengers had a difficult time explaining to the driver that he had already purchased tickets on-line. We're not sure exactly what happened (we were near the end of the line and this passenger was on the bus explaining it all to the driver) but it seemed to involve several phone calls and repeatedly checking the passenger's smart phone. The driver was clearly annoyed that this guy was going to make him late. We, on the other hand, were just nervous because we only had 40 minutes between buses in London!

Big Ben! From a bus window!

The bus ride lasted about an hour and forty-five minutes and, upon entering London, took a scenic route past the Tower of London, the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. We arrived about 15 minutes late and then learned that our bus to Canterbury had been canceled because of mechanical problems so we had to wait an hour for the next scheduled bus. This ride, too, was about two hours long and it meant that we arrive in Canterbury later in the afternoon than I had originally planned, giving us much less time to see the city's sights. However, while waiting for the bus, we saw a strangely dressed couple: a young woman in what I can only describe as a princess dress with a tiara and a young man in a priest's black shirt and collar. He may have been a priest or it may have been a costume, but either way, we have no idea why the girl was dressed like a princess. Perhaps an early Carnivale celebration or something?

The B&B.

The first thing we did was walk from the bus station in Canterbury to the bed and breakfast where we were staying, which turned out to be a longer walk than I anticipated. However, once we found it, it was quite charming. The neighborhood was rather commercial, but the house itself dates from the 1930s and the owners, Roger and Nathalie, have done a nice job of decorating it and making it very welcoming. Roger was also very helpful in giving us directions around Canterbury and telling us things to do. We decided to head back to the city center to see the cathedral, although by this time is was almost 3:30 and we'd lost much of the day. In addition, it started to rain, making it even less pleasant!

Christchurch Gate, the entrance to the
grounds of Canterbury Cathedral.

Still, the cathedral was worth it. We arrived to hear the end of the Saturday evensong service (and I hadn't even thought, until that point, of scheduling the trip so as to be able to attend the regular Sunday morning service) and then we walked around the cathedral, seeing the tombs of a king and queen as well as the "Black Prince," Edward (who was the scourge of the French in the fourteenth century before his death in battle) as well as some lovely stained glass windows. As Lisa pointed out, unlike in Chartres, the stained-glass windows were set much lower in the wall and much closer to the viewer. It was thus much easier to appreciate not only their artistry and beauty but also the visual story they tell. We also saw the part of the cathedral where the chapel of

The Cathedral (obviously).

The Cathedral (obviously).

Saint Thomas a Beckett used to be located before it was destroyed by Henry VIII. Thomas a Beckett had a running feud with an English king in the twelfth century and, after being murdered by the king's men in the Canterbury Cathedral, was canonized. Henry VIII was no fan of this symbol of the church's triumph over a political leader, so he did what he could to destroy that symbol. Because the cathedral closed at 5:30, workers began closing off parts of the church when there was no one left in them, meaning we were unable to see some parts, such as the crypt and the spot where Thomas a Beckett was murdered. We did, though, walk outside a bit to see the cloisters (although it looks they're doing some kind of construction there so a lot of it was roped off).

The Cloisters.

Lisa at the lectern.

Stained glass window, up close and
personal. (Note: windows may appear
bluer than they are in actuality!)

After being almost the last people out of the church at five, we walked around for a bit (sometimes in very heavy rain!) before finding a place to eat, a rather charming restaurant that reminded me of where we ate on Mont Saint-Michel. We then took a cab back to the B&B rather than walk through the rain and the dark.

The next morning dawned clear and sunny. We had to catch an 8:25 bus back to London so we had breakfast at 7:30 (Roger and Nathalie kindly accommodated us by feeding us a half hour before normal). It was very good and quite nice to have a home-cooked meal. Roger also chatted with us a bit while we ate but sadly we didn't meet Nathalie - our hunch is that she was still in her bathrobe in the kitchen and didn't want to come out! All in all, it was a very nice place to stay and I regret that we were there only one night and didn't really get to enjoy the full bed and breakfast experience much. Also, it seems like a place that caters to British tourists with cars so I imagine they don't get a lot of people like us who only stay one night!

The B.

The &B.

We took a bus into Canterbury to save time and we hustled from the bus station to the gates of St.

St. Augustine's Abbey! From behind a locked gate!

Augustine's Abbey, the ruins of a monastery built on the site of a sixth-century century built by St. Augustine when he converted the Angles and Saxons to Christianity. We knew the abbey wouldn't be open yet, but since it's the other major sight in Canterbury, we wanted to try to see it through the gate, as difficulty as it may be! I've been there before, but I felt bad for Lisa because she loves ruined monasteries and cloisters. We took a couple pictures, then hustled back to the bus station for our bus to London. We got there just as the bus was pulling in, making our timing that morning impeccable.

My one regret for this portion of the trip is that I didn't budget enough time in Canterbury to really see everything and the problems with the buses compounded that. Still, I suppose that just means we'll have to return someday.