Above: Inside the Canterbury Cathedral: The glass amphorae dangling from the ceiling represent a ship and commemorate 100 years since the end of WWI.
July 3rd (Day Two): CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL AND AFTERNOON PUNT TRIP
We met outside the hotel around 9 a.m. to begin our tours of the Canterbury Cathedral and the stained glass restoration workshop. We were so fortunate to have Mark Seymour and Liz Boardman as our tour guides for this trip. A large advantage of a Rick Steves tour is the knowledgeable and personable guides. Ask them questions while they are talking to you about a site or while you are on the bus. They also have great recommendations for sites to visit and places to eat. Once inside the cathedral we were assigned an excellent docent that provided an in-depth tour of the cathedral. I fell in love with Canterbury Cathedral and visited it on four separate occasions during our time in Canterbury. Later in the afternoon we took a wonderful punt trip down the River Stour. The afternoon was free for exploring.
MUSINGS ABOUT DAY TWO
- Sensory Overload: There is only so much your brain can take in at once. I was still a bit jet lagged today so I found I couldn't keep everything in my brain from my trip to the cathedral and the stained glass restoration workshop tours. Even so, it was so interesting seeing the stained glass close up and how they work to restore it. Focus on what interests you. For me that was the stained glassed windows and the columns inside the cathedral. I also love stories about people and places. The docent of the church had much to say about Henry II. I still remember him telling us the quote from Henry II about Thomas Becket, "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" That afternoon I decided just to visit the ruins of St. Augustine's Abbey. I enjoyed walking among the ruins but couldn't hold any more information in my head from the informational signs.
AFTERNOON ON OUR OWN
A Sketchable Moment
I did not notice that each column in the cathedral, near where I was sitting, had a bit of a different design and shape to it until I sat down to sketch it. That is one reason why I enjoy drawing. You make new discoveries that you might not notice unless you really look.
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Solo Travel Tips |
Slowing Down |
Stepping Up |
Take advantage of the extra activities that your tour guide provides. Mark invited us all out to watch England play in the World Cup on a big screen TV at a nearby restaurant that evening. It was a great way to connect with others in the tour group and experience the culture of the country. |
I think providing the punt trip at the end of the day was an excellent way to relax and smell the roses. I also took about half an hour to sit and eat a picnic lunch at St. Augustine's Abbey. |
Walking + Running: 6.4 miles Steps: 15,357 Flights Climbed: 9 floors |