Day 4: Battles and Beaches
Battle Abbey
Today, we left Canterbury for a drive to the coast. We started our stops at Battle Abbey, the historic battlefield of the 1066 Battle of Hastings, the most famous and important battle in English history. It was the last successful invasion of England. William the Conqueror founded Battle Abbey’s few years later out of gratitude for his victory and a monument to the thousands who died there. We walked the long trail around the battle ground and recounted the historic battle which took place on the fields in the area. There were carved wooden statues along the trail which ended by some ruins of the original abbey and out buildings. We toured the castle as well and even got to go up to the roof. |
Beaches, Cliffs and Birthdays
After our stop in Battle, we took to the road. On our drive, we stopped at a coastal tourist area along the beach. It consisted of a long pier that jutted out into the English Channel and had shops and live music on it. We walked along the shore a bit and enjoyed the nice day. Then we headed out to Beachy Head, the location of the tallest chalk white cliffs in England. It was very windy up there and very beautiful! Back on the bus, John gave me a nice birthday card along with a wooden postcard depicting the battle of Hastings.
After our stop in Battle, we took to the road. On our drive, we stopped at a coastal tourist area along the beach. It consisted of a long pier that jutted out into the English Channel and had shops and live music on it. We walked along the shore a bit and enjoyed the nice day. Then we headed out to Beachy Head, the location of the tallest chalk white cliffs in England. It was very windy up there and very beautiful! Back on the bus, John gave me a nice birthday card along with a wooden postcard depicting the battle of Hastings.
Alfriston
After our stop at the cliffs, we headed to our hotel in the small town of Alfriston. John scheduled a group dinner for tonight since there are really no other places to eat on a Sunday in this small town. The group was nice and sang me happy birthday, and the restaurant gave me a plate of chocolates and fruits that I shared with my table. After supper, Pam and I went for a walk. We followed a trail for a while and then went into town. It felt good to try to walk off supper a bit. What a great place to spend a birthday! |