Dover was a lot of fun yesterday; the past few days have
been so active that it already seems as though it were days ago. We left early
and made it to Dover by about 10. One minute we were cruising through the green
countryside and the next we burst through a gap in a hillside and the land
dropped away as the road swung out over the beach and curved back at the foot
of the white cliffs which towered overhead. The bus let us off in the town
center and we started our day with a steep hike up to Dover Castle.
At first, we balked at the admission price but when we were
told that various guided tours were included, tunnels, and the castle were included
on the 88 acre plot of land, all free to explore at will, we decided it was too
much to just pass up. We first explored the tunnels underneath the castle which
had been used extensively during WWII. With the Defeat at Dunkirk, Dover had
become the new frontline as the Battle for Britain had begun. From the Lookout
Tower on the edge of the cliff, on a sunny day like it was, you could even see
the shore of France just barely a shadow on the horizon but most definitely
visible. We walked all around the castle and climbed up to the top of the Great
Tower for a beautiful view of the ocean and the sleepy little town of Dover.
Emerald hills dotted with sheep suddenly broke off into pure white cliffs which
plunged into the sea for miles along the coast to both sides. It was quite
difficult to get decent pictures of the cliffs themselves simply for the fact
that we were on top of them most of the time, but the white stone and snow
white chalk littered the ground. After we had spent several hours at the
castle, we walked down the hill into Dover itself and found a place to get a
snack and something to drink while we killed time before our bus arrived. I
ordered some chips which we all split and out of curiosity bought a cocktail
called “Kill Me Now” which was a mixture of whiskey, gin, rum, vodka and
amaretto. It was not a big drink, but when the waitress set it down she told me
“good luck.” It was strong, that’s for sure, but still wasn’t enough to do
anything for me – even though, two definitely would have gotten me feeling
something I’m sure, but I wasn’t going to do that while we were out on an
excursion. After, we wandered toward the beach and watched the colors in the
sky change as the sun set. The pinks, purples and blues were incredible and
with the white cliffs to the side, it was stunning, especially as the orange moon
rose up from the horizon. When we had gotten our fill of pictures, we then found
a pub to hang out in until our bus arrived and ordered some cider, nachos and
chicken wings to split (tried a Toffee Apple cider by the brand Brothers and it
was like dessert in a bottle – seriously tasted like caramel apples). Upon
reaching NIDO, it did not take long before I flopped down on my bed and
crashed.
Today for Shakespeare we met at the London Tube Station and
then walked briefly through the area near Borough Market, passing by the
remains of the Winchester Palace, the Clink, the replica of Francis Drake’s
ship the “Golden Hinde,” the Rose Theater, and the original site of the Globe
Theater. We then made our way to the Globe where we were led on a tour of its
interior. Even though this was not the exact stage which saw the original
performances (the first having burned down during a performance of Henry VIII),
the awe still remained. Our guide had a rather easy day of it due to the fact
that we were all studying/had studied Shakespeare and were not only familiar
with the works but the history, also, because we had a very small group, we
were able to go to all three levels which is usually not done. After we had
toured the Globe and gone through the museum, I had some time to kill before
meeting up with Alyssa at four so I found a spot on the river wall along the
Southbank and seated myself down to eat the sandwich I had brought for lunch.
The weather was nice so I pulled out the notebook I carry around with me for
any writing ideas I may have when I don’t have a computer handy and opened it
to a blank page. Unfortunately I didn’t have my drawing pencils, but I did
sketch out a rough outline of St. Paul’s and was going over it in pen. Whilst
absorbed in my work, I was suddenly startled when a guy suddenly plopped down
right near me and cheerfully said hello. I looked up to see four or five guys
standing near. The one nearest asked me with a heavy French accent what I was
drawing and I gestured to the Cathedral across the river. He asked me if I was
English and I told him no, that I was American and studying here for a
semester. We did not talk a lot, but I did learn that they were French and were
visiting London for a week, the first one seemed rather cheerful and said that
they were talking to as many people as they came across. The conversation kind
of faded but they didn’t move away, just chatted amongst themselves in French
while I continued to draw. Occasionally they asked me the occasional question,
generally wondering what the English word for something was or how to phrase
something. The first guy seemed particularly interested in what I was working
on and talked to me the most, he also complimented my drawing and said it was
beautiful. Eventually they moved on and I continued to draw in relative peace
save for the throngs of school children running all around. When I met up with
Alyssa, we went over to the British Museum for a good hour and then headed over
to a pub that she had heard about and had been wanting to try. To celebrate St.
Patrick’s Day we just had a drink and just sat there talking for a while and
enjoying the atmosphere of the cozy pub. Lately her and I have gotten to know
each other a lot better and have gotten quite a bit closer. You know, I said
before in one of my earlier posts that one of the best things about being here
was quite simply that “no one cares,” and I sort of meant that in a way that
even though I love the hell out of everyone at home, I desperately needed a
break from myself and who I was when I was home. I needed something new, I
needed out, I needed a change of scenery with absolutely no ties to home. Well.
Unfortunately, you can’t run from yourself, and even when you are in one of the
most incredible cities on the planet having the time of your life, the person
you are doesn’t change – good or bad. So, when that happens, it’s a welcome
surprise to find someone who does
care. It is going to be sad at the end of this when we all have to go our
separate ways again, but one of the best souvenirs I am going to take home with
me at the end of this trip are some lasting friendships.
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