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Hello, darlings! I hope everyone is doing well and if you are on vacation, then you will get to enjoy my weekly little piece of London and the UK. I only think that I will be on holiday very soon and I will be relaxing with a Pina Colada at a beach in Chalkidiki, Greece! If you know anyone from Thessaloniki, they will gladly tell you that paradise itself doesn’t hold a candle to Chalkidiki! #truestory
But let’s forget the beach in Chalkidiki for now, and let’s talk about my recent trip to Dover, which is sadly not Chalkidiki! No offence, but it has its own wild beauty that cannot compare. The White Cliffs were amazing, offering great views, which I would appreciate more if I didn’t have such fear of heights, as demonstrated by my trip to Viareggio and my ascent to Torre Guinigi! Let’s start from the beginning though. After a highly tiring week, I was looking forward to my day trip to Dover on a perfect Saturday morning. The only downside? I had to wake up crazy early to catch the tube to London Bridge, where we would meet to get the train to Dover. Honestly no-one should wake up on Saturday at 6.45, unless it’s an emergency!
The trip itself was luckily short; only 1h and 44 minutes. So, around 10.30 we arrived in Dover and let me tell you, it was sooo hot! We made our way to White Cliffs, where we spent the better half of the day. We did a little trekking, saw the amazing views, but were let down by the fog! We were told before that if the weather was good, we would be able to see Calais, but no such luck! Later I was told that it is always like that in Dover! Fog covering the harbour and only able to see the coming ferries.
So, we walked around the cliffs along with the wonderful Liz, from the volunteer group Dover Greeters. We also learned that the cliffs are white, because of chalk of all things! It is very fascinating how these cliffs covered in chalk came to be. But, I think this is a discussion for another time and a geologist would do it justice (instead of, you know, little old me!). The most interesting part is that these cliffs played a big role in the WWII. After Dunkirk and during the Battle of Britain, the White Cliffs of Dover were the essence of Britain and, as the National Trust calls them, “an icon of Britain”! So very interesting and so historic sight!
From the cliffs, we took the scenic route to the city centre and the beachfront. It was actually time for lunch and we were famished! Our group was divided, as some of us wanted to stay near the marina and others wanted to watch the game at a pub. So, some of us went to Hythe Bay Seafood Restaurant, which I’d love to try! They got grilled fish and it was delicious I was told! The rest of the group went to Cullins Yard Restaurant, which I can tell you has a fantastic view and even more fantastic decorations (You’ll know when you see them there!)! After enjoying a tasty burger, we walked around the beachfront for a while and started for the city centre. We very much wanted to visit the Dover Museum, because we needed a little bit of culture after the meal we had, no?
Dover Museum is interesting, to say the least! I found it difficult to navigate, because it didn’t have any specific order (or at least, none I could recognise!). However the exhibits were fascinating! If you should go to Dover Museum for only one reason, I’d suggest you go for the Bronze Age boat exhibition. The details are magnificent, as is the history behind it!
Just a great day overall! Even if Dover is not that “touristy” as, for example, Hastings, I still liked it. And for under two hours, it was such a lovely trip! Just beware that Dover shop hours are not the same as with the capital and you’d better be prepared!
It Happened Once 