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Fri Sept 19. Dover. 16.6 km.

  A late start this morning due to a long conversation over breakfast. The landlady, now quite elderly, has had an eventful life and has hosted (and fostered) people and children from Slovakia, Afghanistan and Ukraine.

Then a fairly short walk down to Dover. My hotel is right opposite the docks - very basic bathroom down the hall, but there is an armchair in my room (big miracle) and I can get the tv to work.  Bliss!

The ferry docks are like the Chichimaun’s multiplied by 50.  A bit scary to navigate at first, but I had to as I couldn’t manage to book a ticket online. Ships coming and going regularly - ferries, cargo boats, one huge cruise boat, and what looked to me like submarines anchored in the Channel. The British news was full of the government’s recent resolve to send back one refugee for every refugee arriving by boat.  Yesterday (day 1 of implementation) about 40 arrived by boat and one was sent back to France by plane. A photo of part of the docks.


Anyway, after that I skipped the historic castle, the iron-age boat museum and the Roman villa and went for a long walk on top of the White Cliffs, looked after by the National Trust. For a few days now I’ve been walking through ‘chalk’ country. 450,000 years ago, France and England were joined by a chalk ridge.  The rock is formed from microscopic marine algae.




In case castles interest you.


This is what walkers deserve! À tea room in a lighthouse at mid-point of the walk.



Comments

  1. I like the idea of "tea time" as a break from walking! We went on a short hike in our Hawkins Preserve yesterday and plan on a longer hike today. Dover reminds me a little of the Halifax, NS harbor. I love your images of the walk! Perhaps we should plan a walk in Europe!

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  2. OMG that looks just lovely. Tea in a lighthouse. Wonderful Looking forward to hearing of the boat trip.

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