The Canterbury Cathedral

Trains are a great way to travel if you want to get somewhere in England quickly. But if you want to enjoy the countryside, a bus is a better way to go. Our bus ride to Canterbury from Dover was delightful. The main bus stop was just a few blocks from the cathedral we had come to see.

The history of the cathedral dates back to 597 when St. Augustine was sent to England as a missionary and eventually became an archbishop. He established the “cathedra,” the seat of the archbishop, within the Roman walled city of Canterbury and the cathedral was begun. Since his reign as archbishop there have been 103 successive archbishops including the famous Thomas Becket.

Our delightful tour guide pointed out the different types of architecture that dated the various parts of the cathedral. Most, if not all, of the churches and cathedrals in Europe are a combination of many different eras as monarchies rose and fell, countries were conquered, and ideals and philosophies affected not only the spiritual lives of the people but the physical facilities of faithful. History is written in the walls, windows, and reliefs of church buildings.

The most notorious history of the Canterbury Cathedral dates back to the reign of Henry II who appointed Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury thinking he could have the upper hand over Rome with his friend in a place of power. Henry didn’t count on Becket changing his allegiance from the king to the pope and the church. There were many conflicts between the two. Disappointed and in a fit of anger, Henry is said to have muttered, “Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?”

Four knights took him literally and set off to Canterbury to please the king. They lured Becket into the cathedral and murdered him in a spot that is marked today by a modern sculpture mounted on the wall. The two swords represent the knights, but as our guide said with a sly smile, the four knights are represented—two in the shadow cast on the wall. This little proper English lady also explained in proper English terms and somewhat graphically how Becket was killed. The top of his head was apparently sliced off and his brains were spread on the floor beneath our feet. Somehow I wasn’t too sure we ought to be walking there if that were true.

Henry II was penitent for years after Becket’s death. He really had loved his friend. He set up a shrine that brought thousands of pilgrims who reported many miracles happening at the spot of where Becket’s remains lay. Later the shrine was destroyed by Henry VIII and Becket’s body disappeared. A lone candle now burns at the spot where it had been.

Our guide was also quick to point out several places in the cathedral that were connected with America and Australia since there were several in our group from those two countries. We came home with a pamphlet that describes 11 different places in the building that have some sort of connection to the USA including a stone from the Bell Harry Tower that was used to carve a pulpit for the Washington National Cathedral.

Just as we were nearing the end of our hour and a half tour, bells chimed and a voice rang out in the huge sanctuary calling all within the walls to stop and take a moment for prayer. This has happened several times when we’ve been in cathedrals or churches on a tour. It is a great reminder that this is a house of worship as well as a vault of history. And it is very uniting to say the Lord’s Prayer with hundreds of visitors from all over the world.

Our tour over, we exited and headed for the bus station. Wonder where we might get a Sandwich?

Wordless Wednesday

Dover - The Secret Tunnels

The white cliffs of Dover were immortalized in song during World War II. The impressive white cliffs are white because of the high content of chalk in them. They are at a point in England that sits closest to the continent of Europe and therefore the most accessible for invading enemy forces. They also hold a centuries old secret. Of course now the secret is out. There is a maze of tunnels inside the cliffs near the Dover Castle that were begun in the 18th century and refined for use during WWII.

Our tour of the tunnels was very interesting but since we were not allowed to take any pictures inside, I only have these of two entrances. Our tour began in the building which sits at the entrance to what was originally the barracks for troops in the early 19th century. We walked up a long ramped tunnel to the outside which I believe took us out through the entrance where the ranking military and at one point, Winston Churchill, entered to work on plans for battles and defense of the coastline.

Once outside, we turned to our right and reentered the maze through the doors that led to the underground hospital. From here our tour was “interpreted” through sounds and conversations piped into the tunnels that represented what might have taken place during that time period. Much of the hospital was set up as it might have been in those days. Can you imagine a surgeon operating in a small room with an overhead light not giving off much more light than a couple of candles that would go out on occasion when the power failed?

It is amazing that anyone found their way around in an emergency and apparently there were many emergencies as wounded troops arrived. While the earlier tunnels of the 1790s were lined in brick, the newer tunnels expanded to form the hospital grid are steel-lined and more cramped. Another expansion project to make more tunnels however was scrapped due to concerns that the cliffs could be in danger of collapse with extended excavation.

After our tour through the hospital grid, we were taken to another level where the military was housed and worked under the command of Admiral Ramsay. He is famous for his role in the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in 1940. His actions saved the core of the British Army from defeat and capture by the Germans. His workroom was only one of two places in the tunnel labyrinth that had a window looking out to sea. The other was a popular small latrine with a tiny window.

The operations tunnels were furnished with some of the old relics of the past—switchboards, planning tables with maps, etc. All in all a wonder that communications were carried out when you contrast all of it with the kind of communication systems we have today.

Dover’s tunnels and what went on in there are just one more reason to be grateful for those who fought to keep freedom alive. We owe so much to so many.

Bluebirds and White Cliffs

The old song “(There’ll Be Bluebirds Over) The White Cliffs of Dover,” recorded by Vera Lynn in 1942 and made famous during World War II, kept running through my head as our ship docked in Dover, the final port of this cruise. Through hazy morning air, we could see the cliffs and, yes, they were white—very white even in the haze. I didn’t see any bluebirds though, then or in the two days we spent in Dover.

We had a leisurely breakfast and exited the ship after stopping to exchange our Euros for Sterling (Pounds) at the table set up in the lobby by some enterprising money changers. Thankfully Bob opted for a taxi ride to our bed and breakfast. While on the map it appeared very close to the ship and, geographically it was, we would have had to scale a cliff to get to it. As it was, it almost felt like scaling a cliff when we arrived to find a full set of stairs before we could even get in the door. The little red townhouse on the end was the Restover B&B where we stayed. Our room was at the very top but in back. Bob got a workout carrying suitcases up.

As the morning was still “young” even though we weren’t, we decided to head for the Dover Castle and explore. The bus ride to the top of the cliff where the Castle sits was inexpensive and my knees were grateful for the ride. Little did my joints know that by the time we were done, we would have climbed to the very top of the Castle’s tower.

Dover Castle was built in 1180-85 by Henry II to provide a palatial setting in which he could welcome visitors to England. Many passed through Dover on a pilgrimage to Canterbury, the scene of a shrine built to honor St. Thomas Becket who was murdered by four of Henry’s knights. (That’s a long story for another post). The great tower which sits in the middle of the complex was actually the living quarters and has been furnished to look as it might have when Henry walked its grand halls.

Pictured here are his royal bedroom and kitchen. We wound our way up the spiraling stairs stopping on each level to catch our breath and take in the different rooms that were shown. There was a throne room, a dining hall, and a guest bedroom that looked more like a dormitory for visitors. One of the more unusual things we found in addition to an indoor “outhouse” several floors up was a small area that housed a contraption for drawing well water all the way to the upper levels of the castle.

Successive kings extended the castle and it became more of a fortress, serving England as the first defense against invaders from the continent. It would serve even into World War II.

In one of the barracks areas there was a museum highlighting the history of England’s fighting troops. In the midst was the war between England and those Rebels in the colonies. I delighted in reading their take on our rebellion. Here’s an excerpt:
“King George III’s prosperous American colonies had long been restive. His 3 million subjects particularly resented the home government’s attempts to impose taxes to pay for their defence. Fighting began with vicious skirmishing between American militia (the Minutemen) and British Redcoats at Lexington and Concord in April 1775. Within 6 years most European powers supported the Rebels. The British in turn won most of the battles, but lost the war.”

As for the battle of Bunker Hill, it was called a “ruinous victory.” Lt. General Gage’s official report was quoted as saying, “. . .the Rebels are not the despicable rabble too many have supposed them to be. . .”

It was all very interesting but we scurried off for our scheduled tour to the other area of the Castle and Cliffs that had intrigued us, the secret tunnels.

Know What This Is?

My seven year old grandson was able to identify this, can you?

Hint: We found it on our visit to Dover Castle.

Wordless Wednesday

France - Bordeaux

Our view of the city of Bordeaux was just as beautiful in the morning as it had been the evening before. We left the ship after breakfast to join an excursion that was basically an introduction to the city. The bus drove along the shore line a bit and then to an industrial area where there was an old World War II structure, a u-boat pen, still standing where German submarines were repaired. Basically it looked like a huge multi-compartmented garage on the water for large boats. The explanation for its continued existence was that they didn’t know what to do with it.

The bus rolled by the submarine pen and back toward the city stopping at the art museum which sits next to the large cathedral. We exited the bus and walked down a narrow street to a plaza to see the cathedral. The air was cool and fresh and the sun was warming just a bit. We explored the cathedral and listened to the guide but to be honest, about this time in the trip you generally don’t remember much of what they say. Unless something unusual really stands out, their talks begin to sound much the same.

As we stood outside and duly admired the sculpted last supper over one of the entrances, my thoughts turned to what a refreshing day it was and how I had to get back on a bus. I nudged Bob and suggested we set out on foot and find our own way around town. We had two maps and knew which direction to go to get back to the ship when we were ready. He concurred and we “jumped bus.”

I snapped a shot of the giant crocodile sculpture in the courtyard of the art museum as Bob explained to our guide that we were striking out on our own and then we walked back to the cathedral. Bob wanted to walk back to where the altar was. When we entered, someone was practicing on the organ and the music wafted through the arches and filled the immense building. I let Bob go on his exploration and I just sat for a while and soaked up the music.

Outside, we saw a sign by a building that said “Hotel de Ville.” It took us a few minutes to realize that it wasn’t a hotel. It was the city hall.

We found the pedestrian area where all the stores were and enjoyed picking our way among them. The McCafes in Europe and actually everywhere else in the world but America serve beautiful coffees. They don’t serve it out of a ready-made machine. It’s made fresh like in a real coffee shop and decorated beautifully on top. When we saw the McCafe, we stopped for a mid-morning coffee break.

Fortified with caffeine, we walked the rest of the Rue Sainte-Catherine to get a glimpse of the Grand Theater. Turning the corner, we headed to the river with one thing on our minds—the mussels we had seen the previous day.

Back along the river, we located the restaurant where we had seen the pots of mussels being served and found ourselves a seat. Bob ordered a creamy garlic based broth with his and mine was plain. His was better but the mussels were all good. French fries were served as a side and we agreed they were probably fried in real fat.

Our mussel craving satisfied, we started back for the ship along the river walk past all the abundant gardens and the mirror fountain. The fountain was a large flat area that alternately filled with about an inch of water and then smoked just before draining and filling again. In between, if no one was wading in the water, the still surface mirrored the stately buildings around it. Unfortunately the waters were rarely still with dogs, kids, and visitors splashing through them. Nice concept though.

When we returned to the ship, we found that the tide was out—way out. The gangway that led to Deck 6 was needed to board. On the other side of the ship, we could see old wrecks of a few vessels that were not visible when the tide was in. Just after dinner, the tide was up again and we were on our way out of the river and into the sea. Destination: Dover, England.

France - Le Verdon to Bordeaux

Early in the morning, the Crystal Symphony docked in Le Verdon. We were about to spend the next two days in the famous Bordeaux region of France where many of its fine wines are produced. Quite a few people disembarked for a day long journey into the region to see the vineyards and taste the products. We opted to take a short look-see of Le Verdon and then stay on board and enjoy the half empty ship.

Le Verdon is a seaside town. I'm sure that sometime in the warmer weather it is bustling with visitors. The beach looked very nice but it is in the north of France and on the colder part of the ocean. Wonder how long their season really is? There were lots of shops to explore if you were interested in shopping. It took us about twenty minutes to walk from the complimentary shuttle stop to the beach and back again. We got back on the bus and returned to enjoy the ship.

Back on board, Bob got a massage (we were trying to use up some onboard credits that came with our cruise deal) and me, well, I just zoned out. A day to relax. It was great!

About 1:30 in the afternoon, the ship pulled in its gangways and we started up the Dordogne River and then made a starboard (right) turn into the Garonne River to our destination, the city of Bordeaux. It seemed strange to be taking a cruise ship up a river but it was a very pleasant trip with lots of great scenery along the way.

Since the rivers are tidal, the captain had to plan his journey around the tidal tables. Once we arrived in Bordeaux, we were intrigued by the crew setting up two different gangways, one on Deck 4 and another on Deck 6. We would see the next day why that was necessary.

Our attention turned to the city itself which was a wonderful scenic view from our docking area. A riverside boardwalk stretched as far as we could see lined on the land side with prolific gardens and stately old buildings that defined the term “old world beauty.” After dinner and a short walk, we were treated to a beautiful sunset that silhouetted church spires—every bit as romantic as an evening in Paris.

Along the way during our earlier walk, we had found exactly what we hoped, a restaurant featuring mussels in several different types of broth. Already our taste buds were anticipating a delicious lunchtime treat for the next day.

Sunday Worship Thoughts - Bordeaux Cathedral

Spain - Bilbao

From Lisbon, our ship the Crystal Symphony sailed to Bilbao, Spain, another place new to us. Whenever we visit a new port on a cruise, we choose to do a general introductory excursion if it’s available. We chose a panoramic excursion which was a morning tour that took us through the city and up a mountainside for our panoramic view.

Bilbao was a wonderful mix of modern and old world architecture. The city sits on the banks of the River Nervion in the Basque region of Spain. Because of its location, it is a highly industrialized area including mining, steel, and shipbuilding industries. At the beginning of the 20th century it is said that Bilbao was the wealthiest city of Spain.

I was amazed at the beautiful gardens in the city. Everything was so trim and well-designed. Once we finished our tour, we opted to exit the bus at the shuttle stop in the city so that we could walk around a bit before returning to the ship. One of the great perks of the Crystal Cruise line is their free shuttles from the ship to the city.

We found the old section of town and explored the Santiago Cathedral a bit, then wandered up and down a few streets. We had left our map back in our stateroom so we didn’t venture too far from the shuttle stop.

One of the neat features of the city’s architecture involves their subway system. They have what appears to be a spiraling see-through tunnel that covers the entrances to their subway stops.

A big attraction for the city is the Guggenheim Museum, an ultra-modern designed silvery structure that sits on the riverbank. It was designed by Frank O. Gehry. The design has no symmetry. The architect is quoted as saying, “. . .the randomness of the curves are designed to catch the light.” It was opened in 1997.

As we headed back to the shuttle stop, we walked through a large park area which was full of booths selling books. We guessed it was a book fair of sorts. Behind the booths, we found a beautiful bandstand in the middle of the park. The ceiling of it was an intricate stained glass.

Our day was not without excitement. As we sat on the shuttle bus awaiting departure, we heard and then saw a bunch of police vehicles come from all directions and stop right near our bus. It was enough to make a tourist’s heart skip a beat. In a few moments we heard the familiar cadence of a chant that indicated we were in the middle of a demonstration of some kind. Sure enough, marching down the street behind a lead police vehicle, was a group of workers protesting something. I later learned it had to do with the closing of a plant in their city. At least I think that’s what it was. Between my limited Spanish and Yahoo’s Babel Fish, that’s what I gleaned.

Travel is never boring.

Bilbao on Dwellable

Wordless Wednesday

Portugal - Cascais

After visiting Sintra, our driver and guide took us down the mountain to the coastal area. We traveled along some beautiful coast line with lovely beach areas and into the resort area outside of Lisbon. The community we stopped in was Cascais.


We pulled into the Grande Real Villa Italia Hotel and Spa for refreshments. The hotel reserved the patio area for us that overlooks the pool and served us tea and coffee with an elegant assortment of small sandwiches and pastries including one that is a favorite in Portugal, Pastel de Nata. We saw several different versions of the pastry which is basically a custard filled treat. The hotel offered two: one that was more like a little custard spread between two pieces of a cookie-like pastry and the other, said to be the original recipe, was more like a pastry shell with custard filling. I'm sure there are as many variations as there are pastry chefs in Lisbon.


The hotel was beautiful and duly noted as a possible place to stay for a precruise experience (if we can afford the five-star prices). Hey, it was good enough for Microsoft to have a conference scheduled there. As we explored we found a conference room reserved for them.


Our next stop was the harbor area of Cascais. It doubles as a resort area and a fishing harbor--make that lobster trapping as you can see from all the traps stacked up on the dock.

As we drove through the main seaside road, I again wished for more time to explore. This is one of the reasons we like to cruise into places where we've not been. It gives us a taste of the country/city and if we are interested in further exploration, we can return on our own someday.


Driving back into Lisbon, we passed a fortress and of course more buildings with the decorative tiles adorning the outside. I'm sure the people who live/work in the buildings don't think anything of the tiles. Isn't that the way it is with most of us? We often don't appreciate what we have around us as being unique or interesting.

Portugal - Sintra

With great anticipation, we disembarked for our day in the Lisbon area of Portugal. This was our first visit to mainland Portugal. We stopped once in Madiera which is an island and a favorite port stop for many cruises before going transatlantic. Originally we signed up for an excursion with the cruise company but our travel agent belongs to a group, Vacation.com (an organization of travel agents that offers special tours/packages for their clients) and we were invited to join a group for a special tour of the countryside. Since we like getting out of the ciey, we couldn't pass it up.

Our guide spoke excellent English and was a delight as she included history, culture, tradition and all sorts of other interesting facts into her talks as we rode out of the city and into the coutnryside. Passing through a part of Lisbon, I couldn't help but be intrigued by the elaborate mosaic sidewalks. Each block of the main thoroughfare seemed to have a different pattern.

We arrived at a little historical town named Sintra. And, after a brief introduction, our guide gave us plenty of time to explore on our own. Bob and I wandered the streets and alleyways admiring the intricate tile work on the buildings. As you look at the picture of the town, note the large tower on the left. It is not a minaret. It is actually the tower of the old town hall.

Our guide had explained that many buildings were tiled on the outside because it protected them better from the elements of wind and sea water. Some of the work, like the scene portrayed in the set of tiles in a section of a city wall, was very decorative.

One of the historic national palaces, Palácio da Vila, is in the center of the historic district. As with so many buildings in Europe, this one is a combination of many different styles as wings and towers, etc. were added through the centuries. The oldest part of the building dates back to the 13th century.

Up on a hill overlooking the town sits a Moorish castle which apparently is just a shell and is overgrown with vegetation in the center. I didn't think I wanted to climb again just to check it out. The memories (and the pain) were still fresh enough from our Cinque Terre climb.

This was the kind of town where we truly would have liked to linger. It's about 50 minutes by train from Lisbon (lots of stops along the way) and would be a nice day trip. We were already mulling over a plan to return someday to Portugal. The rest of our tour confirmed the decision.