Canterbury Tales

It really is pleasant to be in England where the people really are cheery, friendly, and helpful.  As we were trudging down the narrow sidewalk in Dover looking for our B and B, a woman walking from the opposite direction stopped and asked us if we were finding what we were looking for.  She confirmed we were going in the correct direction.

Patricia, owner of the East Lee Guest House gave us great directions to catch the bus to Canterbury, the bus driver happily told us he would take us to London or Canterbury and gently placed our bags in the storage area of the bus, and finally, the tourist information lady directed us to our next B and B, let us know she could provide cheaper tickets for the Roman Museum, and wished us a lovely day in Canterbury.  My watch band had come unglued and needed to be repaired.  I stopped in at a shoe/watch repair shoppe where the owner quickly and competently reglued it at no charge.  How cool is that?

The Canterbury Cathedral was so different from the other cathedrals we have visited (and you have read about here).  It is the Church of England or the Anglican Church.  There are no images or figures of Jesus on the cross, there is only a simple cross on the altar, and women are part of celebrating the service.  We saw the crypt, the treasury, and parts of the building that ranged in age from the 7th to the 12th centuries.  There were many, many highly detailed leaded glass windows that portray the various stories from the Bible; these enabled the early residents of Canterbury to know them since most could not read.

Late in the afternoon we were able to attend Evensong, a daily worship service in which, today, the Northern University of Illinois Chamber Choir sang the prayers and responses.  It was simply beautiful to listen to their voices magnified and echoing in the high vaults and domes of the cathedral. 

While in Canterbury we poked around in the little shops, spent some money on clothes, and sat down to have tea and tarts on a little patio while watching the people wander by us.  Our quaint Tudor House B and B looked as if it had been a part of Canterbury for hundreds of years, complete with cracks and creaks.

Tomorrow we meet Jim and Austin, who will be flying in from Norway, in London.  Hopefully, we will get them to share photos and stories.