After a night of much needed sleep at the Holiday Inn in Dover, our alarms went off pretty early Sunday morning. It was time to hit the ground running. But first on the agenda was breakfast. With each of our lodgings that we had booked prior to the trip, came a full English breakfast. This was one of the many things I was eager for. I have always been a big breakfast guy, so knowing that each morning would start with a meal that consisted of bacon, sausage, eggs, baked beans, hashbrowns, black pudding, tomatoes, mushrooms, and toast was pretty awesome. And yes, I did just type “baked beans” for my fellow Americans reading this. The beans were on the sweeter side, and it was a bit odd eating them for breakfast, but being a big fan of beans, I thought it was a nice little touch.

With juice and a cup of coffee to wash down the hearty meal, we climbed back into the rental car and drove about ten minutes to our day’s first destination, the White Cliffs of Dover. In planning for our trip, this was one of the things I was most excited to see because the cliffs looked simply stunning in pictures and videos. And for as stunning as they were in pictures, it was even more-so in person. Overlooking the Strait of Dover on the southeastern coastline, and only about 20 miles from France, stood the imposing white cliffs. As we walked along the narrow path that followed the cliffs, we took in magnificent views from every angle. In front of us were 350-foot white cliffs that dropped straight upon a vast expanse of water. Behind us was an equally vast expanse of green pastures and the English countryside. While walking along the path, it felt like I was in the setting of a movie. For every 50 feet I walked, I felt like I needed to take another picture. I have been fortunate enough to see some amazing natural wonders, but this one was unique. I had never seen anything quite like it.

We would have liked to walk to the lighthouse, located much further down the path than we walked, but it would have taken too much of our time to make the journey, considering we had other things planned for the day. So, we walked to a certain point and decided it was time to turn around if we were going to make our next destinations. But it was such a treat walking alongside those cliffs and taking in all the natural beauty they had to offer.

Located just over a few hills from the cliffs stands the Dover Castle, which was where we headed next. Built in the 12th century during the reign of King Henry II, Dover Castle is heralded by some as the largest castle in England (others claim it is the Windsor Castle). The castle has been involved in several wars, including the First Barons’ War, the English Civil War, and World War II. It took a while to venture throughout the castle, but that certainly was not a problem as we took in as much as we could. As you walk through a place such as that, it feels like you’ve been transported back in time. The rooms were nicely preserved, with props set up so you could see and get a feel for what each room was used for. We saw the King’s bedroom, writing room, banquet hall, kitchen, and many others. At the top of the castle we were able to look down on the surrounding countryside, as well as the Strait of Dover. That was yet another amazing view.

Walking throughout the castle grounds, as with almost everything else we visited during our trip, it was unreal to us as Americans just how old everything was. In the United States, we consider buildings and houses really old if they date back to the 1800s. But all over Europe, it’s nothing to walk upon preserved sites that are a thousand years old. It was a little difficult to wrap my head around how many historical figures stood where I then stood. And how many historical events occurred where I was then standing. It almost didn’t feel real. But it surely was. That inspires a sense of awe that is very difficult to forget.

With a fantastic several hours in Dover in the book, it was lunchtime. Before we headed out of town, we decided to grab a quick lunch at a café located between the cliffs and the castle. It was quick and convenient, both things that were necessary. We sat with maybe 50 others in the crowded outdoor seating area as we ate our sandwiches and drank our cider (which England is famous for). The cider was good and had a heavy apple taste to it, but was very sweet. It was one of those drinks I’d really only want one of at a time.

From Dover we drove to Canterbury, about a thirty-minute drive. Our time in Canterbury would be short, since it consisted of just one stop. But the Canterbury Cathedral was something we didn’t want to pass up when planning our trip, especially since we were in the area. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cathedral was founded by St. Augustine in 597, but was rebuilt from 1070-1077. It’s one of the UK’s most visited sites and has been a major pilgrimage destination for Christians for centuries. Along with plenty of interesting history, both the inside and outside of the structure is absolutely beautiful.

We took a self-guided tour throughout the cathedral, which almost seemed larger than life. From the high ceilings to the stained-glass windows, the inside was decorated with the smallest details all over that made the place unbelievably remarkable. And to know that it has been a place of worship for that long, and for that many people throughout England’s history made it even more special. The cathedral also had exhibits and artifacts that told the cathedral’s story to its visitors. Everything was very interesting. It’s one thing learning about history by reading a book, which I enjoy, but it’s a totally different thing to learn about history while you’re standing in the spots it occurred. It really helps bring it to life.

It was time to move on. It was getting late in the afternoon and we still had to make the drive to Salisbury, where we were staying that night. Unlike the previous night at the Holiday Inn, we were staying on the top floor of a pub/restaurant. The Chapter House was located across the famous Salisbury Cathedral and was built in the 16th century. I was pretty excited to be staying at a place that old. We had to walk up a spiral staircase, featuring crooked and uneven steps to get to our room on the third level. You could just feel the history walking through it. The creaking floors and steps seemed to be speaking to us about the hundreds of years that place has been hosting visitors. Though the hallways were tight, our room was spacious and looked like a place that has successfully stood the test of time. Old wooden beams showed from the ceiling and very old windows opened to the crisp outdoor air where the Salisbury Cathedral shone its lights into the night sky. It was so much better than staying at a hotel.

On top of all that, all we had to do to get dinner was walk downstairs to the restaurant. Looking forward to a nice sit-down meal after an eventful day, what unfolded next was something we’ll probably remember and laugh about forever. When we walked downstairs, we found out that the restaurant had just closed, even though it stated online that it closed at 9:00 p.m. We were there around 8:30. A little disappointed, we decided we would just walk to another place located down the street. So we asked the owner about potential places, and while he was telling us, one of the restaurant workers overheard and chimed in, “are you guys just looking for food?” When we answered “yes” he replied, “well, I just got off duty, but I’d be happy to let the guys know in the kitchen to fix up some baba ghanoush while they’re cleaning up.” We all sort of looked at each other, none of us having a clue what baba ghanoush was (I’m pretty sure we’d all heard of it), and thought “why not?” We thanked the guy and said that sounded great. After all, it was an extremely nice gesture considering he was getting ready to go home and the kitchen had closed for cooking.

We graciously took our seats, ordered a beer, and anxiously awaited to see what would be served in front of us in the coming minutes. When the owner brought it out and sat it on the table, we still weren’t sure what it was. My brother and cousin had gone outside to move the car when the food was served, so my other cousin and I sat at the table and tried to decipher what it was exactly that we were getting ready to eat. What it looked like was stacks of pita bread on a plate with three different spreads in separate containers to spread over the bread. Of course, my first thoughts were, “is this it? Where’s the meat? There’s no way this is going to fill me up.” I remember I couldn’t stop laughing while we began to eat, waiting for the others to get back and wondering what their reaction would be when they just saw a stack of pita bread on a plate and nothing else.

After doing a little research, I now know that baba ghanoush is a very old Middle Eastern dish, mainly served as an appetizer. But we ate it until it was all gone. What else were we going to do? None of us really cared for it much. I didn’t think it was the worst thing ever, but not everyone in our crowd felt that way. The main consensus was that it got worse the more you ate it. But I’m pretty positive we’ll never forget that because it was just one of those perfect examples of “you never know what will happen while traveling.” We never could have imagined we’d be eating an ancient Middle Eastern dish and drinking an Italian beer while sitting in a 500-year-old English pub. We were laughing and making jokes about the baba ghanoush dinner all trip. So that night we went to bed with our stomachs half-full, ready for a brand new day in England. Cheers!

Garett

England Trip: Day Two