We drive to Dymchurch

Now that we finally had our car back and dh had done a bit of driving to 'get back on the horse' so to speak, we determined that it would be a fairly easy drive to the Channel, but we would avoid Folkestone and Dover. Dh wanted to take secondary roads but not thru teeny villages with oh so narrow room to pass each other. That had been the source of blip #1.

Since we had GPS, I told the British "Joan" (the name of our petulant US GPS voice) the coordinates we wanted to visit. Off we went, South, on the highway right outside Broome Park. So good so far.

But then Joan wanted us to turn off onto an unmarked road up a steep hill!! We listened to her and found ourselves as I said a lot In The Country! I tried to be as peaceful as these sheep but...

We found ourselves on very very narrow lanes, and fortunately, a few lorries knew how to back up into places we didn't even see. I suspect they saw panic in our eyes as they came around a bend. I jumped out here to get a snap and nearly went down on the ice. Not quite black ice, but mighty slick.

We finally decided to use our (my) sense of direction and just head the way it seeemed rather than stay on the backroads. Dh understood how I could go for a whole day years ago when I lived in England and never really travel even 20 miles. (Do it with a small boy who wants to stop at every church and hedgerow and you get it.) We found a lovely village, stopped for tea and coffee, and as we headed south I SAW It!! The sea! I'm like a child when I see oceans or seas. (click and you'll see the Channel just above the lorry.)

There is a massive seawall at Dymchurch which wasn't what I expected. I wondered what the people who lived below thought but I suspect flooding had been an issue so they must look at it with mixed feelings.

I had to wonder why there were all of these oranges outside this composte heap. DH tells me that varmits don't like oranges???

And finally....what else but Fish and Chips for lunch and a fairly confident drive back to our villa, even going thru Folkestone. All in all it was less than 20 miles in each direction but it was a big step in feeling comfotable driving in England.