TerryandKenViaFrancigena2022

Day 9. When life gives you lemons, go do your laundry.

Today marked the beginning of the Via Francigena, filled with hope and peace and purpose as we were allowed into the Cathedral grounds before opening to begin our walk from the zero km marker.

Off we go! Apologies for the big blue toilet sign behind us. This is a special marker for pilgrims – the 0 km start. They couldn’t have moved the sign 3 feet over? I shall write a letter to the Minister (the lord knows I’ve responded to hundreds of them in my career!)
How cool is that?
After a slight circle round leaving St Martin’s church, a kindly postman pointed us in the right direction.
What a magnificent beech…at least 3 feet in diameter. Ken says it looks like one of his brawny forearms sticking out of the ground…just a healthier colour than Ken’s arm.
Today’s flowers.
Leaving Canturbury with a last look at the Cathedral spires just above the tree line.
So exciting to see Via Francigena signs!
And our first VF pilgrims! Sergio and Daniella from Italy. No Italian and no English but we managed a simple conversation in Spanish. Even managed to say that my sister was also named Daniella.
Another scary badger hole.
This is Mabel…what a cutie! Me: I want to foster one of the shelter dogs when we get home. Ken: Veto! Me: That’s a great name for a dog. We’ll call it Veto. Ken: No way! Me: 2 dogs? Yes! And they shall be named Veto and NoWay! …and apparently the 3rd dog will be called IGiveUp!
Ken tried a Scotch egg and thought it was brilliant…who would have thought of deep frying a hard boiled egg in porridge?! Good stuff!
Blackberries by thick handfuls. Yummy!
Random water irrigation tower in the middle of nowhere.
That’s a tall cedar hedge. Our deer at home would have eaten the whole thing by now.
Love this driveway entrance.
Good old Canadian Massey Ferguson. Noisy whiny thing but doing its job.
These towns are so old they predate having multiple streets that needed names.
Local support for Ukraine. 🇺🇦
I looked at this sign and was feeling really good and that I could make the 32 km today.
And then…Ken’s knee started acting up again. We pushed forward for about a km…
And came to a train station…in the middle of nowhere. The Camino provides…
Ken and the ‘Snax waiting for the train…only a 20 minute wait and a few stops to Dover.
Resigned to not walking…
Where Terry spent her afternoon. Check out the old “mangle” clothes wringer. But seriously while Ken’s knee was “the lemon”, we had lemonade by finally getting to do a week’s worth of laundry. Handwashing was not cutting it anymore. Stinky!
Where Ken spent his afternoon, chatting happy with a lady from Northern Ireland…she lived next door to Van Morrison, he washed her windows. She had some pithy words about him but still loves his music. And they laughed together at another lady getting a ticket for parking in a pedestrian zone. When they parted she said it was a good craic (conversation). Was a highlight of Ken’s day…and hopefully hers too.
Wish I could have shopped here.
A teensy tiny gargoyle for my friend Ruth.
After Ken not listening to directions we finally ended up this pub where apparently drinking rum makes you a pirate not an alcoholic. But Ken sticks to beer so…
Look, Ruth…your favourite ferry (in the background 🙂). Apparently it was a rough crossing today with lots of green people hanging over the sides.
The iconic white cliffs of Dover.
The ‘Snax on the English Channel. Watch out..the tide is coming in!
Dover lost many young men in WWI and took a beating in WW2. Ken saw a Spitfire flying overhead and it turns out you can book a flight in one…for £6000. But I can’t imagine what it was like to live in Dover and have the Luftwaffe flying overhead and to be on the receiving end of bombs being sent over from France.
Britain’s version of the Dollar Store. Luckily for Ken’s backpack, it was closed.
Nuts in syrup. That’s just weird.
Peek a boo.

And Ken is going to finish off with a song that sums up the day. Rambling Rover by the Fables. Because the theme of the song is…”at least you tried” and talks about going from the Orkneys to Dover. It’s a great song if you want to check it out on YouTube.

terryzitnak

One response to “Day 9. When life gives you lemons, go do your laundry.”

  1. ruth fyten Avatar
    ruth fyten

    sorry i missed the crossing —-not! and loved the gargoyle but miss my favorite one!

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