Whitstable
For a day trip Esther, Alexis and I took a quick bus trip up to Whitstable, a coastal town over looking the Thames estuary. We walked along the beach pathways, almost getting blown off our feet by the ocean winds. English beaches aren't exactly the paradise beaches you'd see in a travel agency; they're grey rocks leading into a grey ocean and out to a grey sky but it's charming nonetheless. Even though summer's long since gone there were still couples and families walking their dogs along the path and people eating in all the seafood restaurants that line the boardwalk. There's also a solid line of colourful little sea shacks for the summer's tourists.
Looking for a bit of a wind shield, we walked into town, popping into charity shops and a farmer's market before we headed up the hill to Whitstable Castle. While it's really more of a manor house it does bear a resemblance to Leeds Castle, and like most historic properties in England it's been inherited, added to, renovated, and then bought by a city trust. Now it's a very fancy community centre for events, meetings, weddings, and of course the tea shop on the main floor. We settled next to the fireplace for cream tea (an arrangement of tea, scones, jam and cream which Alexis had been raving about so I had to try - and it's awesome) and chatted about our family's different Christmas traditions. One I want to steal from Alexis' family is that in early December, after they've decorated, they'll camp out in their living room under the light of the newly glowing Christmas tree.
We headed back to Canterbury just as it was getting dark, comparing our countries in a lot of varied areas, eventually landing on sports: football vs american football vs hockey. I feel like I need to find a really good hockey game for people to watch, one from the Olympics, and have a stereotypical Canadian night complete with maple syrup, hockey, toques, and whatever else I can scramble together. Might happen. In town, now that the lights are on, the Christmas markets have come too with all their adorable little knick-knacks. It reminded me very much of the Christmas markets we got to see in Stuttgart 4 years ago, just on a much smaller scale. Canterbury's is snaked through any street wide enough, so you can just follow the smells and songs from booth to booth through the town.
Sunday was practice at Whychurst, and this time I took a much more active participation. We did do the escort missions again - this time with javelin, and I did manage to actually get someone (take that grade 9 track and field). Wearing a large leather jerkin and borrowing whoever's kit was available, I went through the basics of 12 ft spear, 9 ft. spear, scram combat and then did most of the practice maneuvers with a sword and round shield. I can already feel how much my spaghetti arms are going to hurt tomorrow but this is a form of exercise I can get behind. As with most British group activities, (with exception to choir - that ends in tea time) we had a quick stop at the pub and had a good laugh and critique of historical dramas. I've started watching a new one with Kat, called Reign that's about Mary Queen of Scots, but it's so ridiculous in almost every aspect that both of us just have a running commentary on inaccuracies. Who puts regency era dresses in 1558? And then uses Bastille's Pompeii for a soundtrack!? Honestly.
