As we prepared to set sail for the second part of the Voyage of the Vikings from Amsterdam, we went through our mandatory lifeboat drill on the walkaround deck. It was a very windy afternoon so everyone wanted to get the drill completed quickly. The early arrivals and taller people stood to the back and as more came, the newcomers shielded those of us in the back a little from the wind. A little bit late, but just before the drill began, an older lady arrived, announcing, “Oh, it’s very windy. I want to be in back.” Those of us who had been standing there thought she had a bit of nerve and without thinking, I said in my schoolteacher voice, “No! You were late. You can stand in the front!” I hadn’t intended to make it quite such a loud announcement, but those nearby chuckled.
The captain then made a general announcement that the sail from Amsterdam would be scenic but the seas would be very rocky and that the winds were high and we needed to be very careful and even have things secured in our staterooms. He also said we would depart Dover a little early tomorrow and that we needed to be back on board by 3:30 at the latest since the tides at St. Malo, France, our next destination, would make it impossible to drop anchor there if we arrived at the originally determined time. And if that happened, very simply, we wouldn’t be able to visit our only French port.
As we sailed out, I claimed a spot at the outside stern of Deck 5 and had the entire area to myself except for a few crew that wandered through. No one said I shouldn’t be there, so I stayed, watching the ropes be released and the ship beginning its sail toward Dover. By dinner time, with our table at the very back windows, we could see the industry receding and more farmland as well as additional locks and greenery appear. There also seemed to be a boat so close to us that we couldn’t see its bow. After dinner, I went out on deck to see this new boat and found it tied to the Maasdam and we were pulling it. Soon, I realized a lock was ahead and I watched us enter, the gate close and the water rise. Barb had gone down to secure good seats for the evening performance (good seats are at a premium in this theater unlike the Amsterdam and Westerdam which are the two ships we have sailed most recently). I went up and told her to go out to watch us clear the lock and I would save the seat. The rest of the evening was, as the captain promised, very windy and we could feel the boat rock back and forth.
This morning we arrived in Dover to be greeted on both sides of the ship by the famous White Cliffs of Dover, the chalky white rock that greets ferries coming across the English Channel to England. We love London and never tire of that great city, but decided two hours bus ride, four hours in the city, and two hours back was a bit more than we wanted, particularly since we have been in London more than any other city in the world of more than 500,000 people except for Chicago. We hated to be so close and miss it but were just as glad as we have seen reports of the uncharacteristic violence and looting in recent days in London. Much of the ship was on its way at 7 AM however so they could be back before the required 3:30 all aboard.
Instead we opted to go to Canterbury, less than a half hour ride from Dover. In all the times we have been in England, we had never been to Canterbury. We made a quick photo stop at the Dover Castle overlooking the English Channel. We were able to get some pictures with both the Castle and the Maasdam in it. From there, we headed up to Canterbury. The guide explained that if a town had the suffix “-ing” or “-ham” represented a town where land was originally owned by a particular family¸ while places ending in “-den” connoted that a pig farm had originally been there! We were heading toward Canterbury, originally a walled city. Without all the detail, after the murder of Thomas a Beckett, Canterbury became a place where pilgrimages took place (i. e., Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales”). The guide told us that as pilgrims arrived on horseback¸ they wanted to arrive before the gates closed for the night. Thus, the horses were urged into a “Canterbury trot” (or canter) to arrive in time. (A canter is between a trot and a gallop.)
In Canterbury, our bus dropped us off for our short walk through the old city. We saw the sights there and stopped to look at Butter Market where the old market was centered. We arrived at the Cathedral, the seat of the Anglican Church, and the home of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Anglican Church. We went through the Cathedral on our own, being permitted to take pictures everywhere except for the crypt where Thomas a Beckett who had been murdered there, was buried. Our guide described the story of the murder of Thomas a Beckett on the bus during our return but there is a choice of great detail or none, so I will opt for none! The Cathedral and grounds were beautiful as might be expected. However, naturally major parts of the Cathedral were covered by scaffolding. We seem to find that a lot but must remember if none ever had scaffolding, the old building wouldn’t be preserved.
After visiting the Cathedral, we had time to wander the interesting streets of Canterbury and see the weekly Wednesday street market before our return to the ship. Now we await the return of the London travelers and hope they will make it back before the early 3:30 deadline. Tomorrow it’s ahead an hour and back from pounds to Euros in France before back to England and pounds the next day.
Chuck
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