Now the North Sea

I wanted dh to see the North Sea, a body of water that was usually rough and cold when I saw it up off the Yorkshire coast. There is no doubt that those winds coming are coming down from Scandinavia when you stand on the cliffs at Filey or Scarborough . But we planned to bundle up, and get in the car.

Surprise! We had a sunny day again! Canterbury was on our way north, and dh had spotted some used bookstores and charity shops we wanted to try. Fortunately, I had noted a parking lot behind Sainsbury's main lot earlier and we had many spots to choose from. Isn't this a funny parking meter? and such an unusual color for a government item.

Outside of Canterbury, I saw the the first oasthouse that we could stop near enough to take a picture. We'd seen a lot but never with a photo-op site close enough. If you see oasthouse, you can probably find some good beer nearby, at least if the independent brewers survive in England.

Another house caught my eye, and heart. Actually it looked a lot like the old manor houses on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

It didn't take long, driving thru this increasingly flat country, to know that the sea was getting close. I love how you can just sense it by a difference in the light and the air. Then I saw it! and the towers of Reculver Castle in the distance.

We stopped in a convenient churchyard - St. Mary the Virgin - which was good as the road was down to a lane now but still a few other cars taking advantage of the glorious sun. Some bicyclers were out also.

That violent North Sea I remembered? Not down here in Kent where the sea was like a tranquil lake. Still it was fascinating to think of the Romans here at the original site, considering Reculver is still the end of the line today even tho Margate and the other beach resorts are so nearby.

It was all better than I expected and even tho there were other people visiting, the site still had a remoteness and quietness that made it perfect for reflecting on the past , and all those who stood and looked out to sea here.