____________________________________________________________

Justin had very briefly seen Dover Castle in 2002 and we both saw Leeds Castle together, but that was the extent of our Southeast England experience. Since we had a long weekend over the 4th of July, we decided to make a dedicated trip to see the area.

Our first day started in Cantebury. The city is very nice, tourist-friendly but not nauseatingly so. We wandered around, supporting the local economy before we entered the cathedral. Other than being famous, it doesn't have too much that sets it apart. It used to have St Thomas a Becket's body in a shrine that would heal all the pilgrims, but Henry VIII had it destroyed. It now has a small stone marker where St Becket was murdered and a candle where the shrine once stood. Some of the stained glass is also impressive, deep blue colors from the 12th century. Most of the glass was destroyed by the "Puritan zealots" in the 16th century, back when the members of the church for some reason considered doctrinal purity vital. Now that the cathedral is primarily a museum and no longer the spiritual center of the community, everyone is happy.

Our next stop that day was to the White Cliffs of Dover.