Holiday in England - part 2/2

The second week of our holiday was spent in the south east, mainly in Ivor's home county, Kent. I will write a separate account of our day trip to Lille, France.

We visited Maidstone, where we enjoyed the river and the old buildings.

The next day we went up to London. First we visited the Guildhall, where we saw the remains of a Roman amphitheatre, the Great Hall, and St. Lawrence Jewry Church.

After lunch, we wanted a peaceful place to relax. We went to Bunhill Fields cemetery, where we saw the tombstones of Daniel Defoe, William Blake, and others. We sat on a bench and watched people on their lunch break, and also spotted some squirrels. We don't get squirrels in Israel, so I enjoy seeing them in England.

Next, we visited Shoreditch, a part of London that is becoming gentrified and hipster. We saw evidence of this, and also of the resistance to this trend in the local graffiti. We visited the Brick Lane Bookshop, which had a good selection of political and radical books. I overheard someone say "Oh yes, Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment"! We passed by several hipster-type establishments, including the famous Cereal Killer café and places selling vinyl records and rainbow bagels (or "beigels"!).

Our reason for visiting this part of London was Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium. This is a cat café, housing several cats, and decorated with a Through the Looking Glass theme. We went into the basement, where we were able to interact with the cats. We were served afternoon tea, with sandwiches and cakes. I had the vegan/dairy-free option, and there was too much food to finish. Unlike in some cat cafés, most of the cats are not available for adoption but are permanent residents. This was an enjoyable experience, and  I was pleased to see that all the guests were respectful of the cats.

The next day we had another animal-related visit, this time to Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats. We were able to feed the goats cornflakes and dry pasta.

Later we visited Tenterden, another picturesque town. I was pleased to find a Tiny Free Library and to see a bee in the fuchsias.

Another place we visited in Kent was Stoneacre House, a lovely 15th century home and garden.

Rye in East Sussex is a lovely coastal town. We visited the Ypres Tower, with its impressive views, walked along Mermaid Street, and visited Lamb House, home of Henry James.

The morning before our return home, we had a walk in Hawley Wood for a welcome final dose of English green.

We also visited the Old Windsor branch of the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, but photography was forbidden. This was my second visit to this place, and I was once again impressed with the facility. This was a lovely conclusion to a very enjoyable holiday.

Holiday in England 2018 - part 1/2

We spent the first half of September in England, four years after our previous visit. Our trips to England combine the following: meeting family and friends and their pets; visiting places of natural beauty and historical interest, and places related to animal rescue and welfare; eating (too much) delicious food; and some shopping. This time we had fifteen days, which is a substantial time for a holiday. It also gave us an opportunity to reconnect with our Englishness and to fantasize about what our lives would be like if we could live in England. We do this with other places we visit, such as Greece, but moving to England somehow feels more natural, as we have citizenship and relatives living there. It's unlikely to happen, but still fun to imagine.

When I arrived in England, I immediately drank in the soft, green nature and the calmer atmosphere. Spending time in nature is good for the soul. Trees, fields, rolling hills, bird song, the sea. The towns and places we visited were also full of a specific English character, or, more accurately, reflected various aspects of being English. We stayed in the south, and only one day was spent in London, in contrast to many overseas visitors who never leave the capital.

Some general comments about England. We noticed the growing number of wind turbines and solar panels creating non-polluting energy, and every shop assistant asked whether we needed a bag instead of thrusting one on us and us having to refuse it, as often happens here. In this respect there seems to be some improved environmental awareness. However, the supermarkets were full of over-packaged processed food, sometimes packaged in small quantities, which makes it even more wasteful. Some types of packaging are recycled, but reducing packaging is more effective than recycling.

Another thing that hasn't changed from our previous visit is the reluctance to accept fifty pound notes (bills), with some shops displaying a sign saying that they won't take them. In other countries, notes of equivalent value are accepted without problem, and I don't understand why English shops have a problem with them. However, the world is moving to a cash-free economy, so eventually there won't be any notes and everything will be done digitally.

This report will focus on the places we visited. Our first week focused on the central and western parts of southern England.

Our first trip was to Odiham Castle, a ruined castle built in 1207 by King John. We walked along the Basingstoke Canal and explored the remains.

The next day we visited Winchester. A flower festival was being held in the Cathedral, with flower-based installations inspired by the Winchester Bible's illuminations.

Winchester itself is very beautiful, and I like the statue of King Alfred.

The next day we drove west. After a brief stop near Stonehenge (which we visited on a previous trip), we spent some time at the Donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth. We enjoyed seeing the happy rescue donkeys in their fields and shelters.

We continued to Plymouth, where we met up with Ivor's best friend from school after 40 years. His part of Plymouth was very green and had excellent views of the countryside.

After staying overnight in Plymouth, we continued to Cornwall, a place where my family has spent many holidays over the years. We went to the beach at Mawgan Porth and on the cliffs at Carnewas.

Then we walked around Padstow, which retains much of its character despite becoming increasingly touristy.