In late July, we visited Whitstable and Canterbury, for the seaside Whitstable Oyster Festival.
Whitstable's beachfront
Oysters, beer, random fried fishies, sunshine, beach...whee!!!
Enjoying a sunny seaside day in Whitstable...
And of course sampling the infamous ciders of Somerset. Delicious.
Raw oysters, you have pleased me
That night, we arrived at the Christ Church Gate of Canterbury Cathedral.
My pilgrimage, begun in 1988 when I memorized the Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, is complete!!!
The next morning, we visited the stunning cathedral.
A beautiful summer's day in Canterbury
We visited the gardens behind the Cathedral, and its small graveyard.
The inside of the Chapter House, where monks gather to discuss Cathedral issues. The oak ceiling is one-of-a-kind, from the 14th century.
A close-up of the gorgeous stained glass window in the Chapter House.
The Chapter House had a mirror set up in the center of the room to easily view the intricate oak ceiling. We took a selfie in it :)
The monk-kept gardens of the Cathedral.
The gardens lead to the monks' Cloisters.
Matt in the gardens!
Walking the breezeways between the Cloisters and the Cathedral.
In the Crypt, while we weren't allowed to take photos, somehow Matt sneaked this photo of the statue of Thomas Beckett.
This used to be a shrine to the martyred St Thomas, until Henry VIII ordered it destroyed in the 15th century. Now it's just a flame.
England Summer 2016