Camping in Kent with Daddy and Top Ender - Day 2
Hi, Daddy here with a run down of our camping activities on Day 2 in the Garden of England.
Top Ender assures me that it rained overnight, but I am not so sure - the wind got up a bit overnight and I think she heard the sound of leaves rustling, but she won't hear anything of the sort! Either way, we both slept well - even if both air mattresses seem to have slow leaks...
An early start saw us head into Dover to visit the castle. I have only seen Dover Castle on the hillside on a previous visit to the town, on a Sunday about 13 years ago. And Dover was closed then, save for the KFC on the high street. Top Ender and I were reliably informed by Castle staff that visits that long ago were also poor - but some £3.2million has been spent on the castle in recent years.
The castle is a great day out - it's a huge site so despite a lot of visitors (a cruise ship was in town), it never felt cramped. Most of the tour is self determined, but the map they give you at the ticket office is free, and there are plenty of helpful signs. Including a guided tour of the underground hospital that dates from the Second World War, we spent about 3 hours there, and could have spent more.
The castle is a great day out - it's a huge site so despite a lot of visitors (a cruise ship was in town), it never felt cramped. Most of the tour is self determined, but the map they give you at the ticket office is free, and there are plenty of helpful signs. Including a guided tour of the underground hospital that dates from the Second World War, we spent about 3 hours there, and could have spent more.
Speaking of "spending more", we had lunch in the Castle cafe. Top Ender had the worlds biggest sausage roll, while I sat embarrassed that I hadn't checked the price on my Ploughmans Salad before I got to the till (£6.95!).
We then drove the short distance to the White Cliffs Visitor Centre, which mainly consists of a car park and a series of walks along the fabled cliffs. We had intended to visit the South Foreland Lighthouse from here, but the suggestion of a three mile walk there put us off! Instead we enjoyed the scenery and took lots of photos. White Cliffs? Check. Dover? Check. Bluebirds? Hmmm..
With time on our hands, we decided on a return trip to the beach at Margate - after finding a car park that allowed non-cash payments, we hit the arcades again and then off to the beach, where Top Ender dared to brave a splash in the sea and avoid the seagulls. Sunshine and heat being the order of the day again, I was content to slap on the Factor 30 and enjoy the sand.
After a quick change at the tent and chance to find out what Mummy and Big Boy had been up to today, we ventured into Canterbury again for Pizza and a trip to see the city walls. And now, to bed and to sleep!
Tomorrow the plan is to visit Canterbury Cathedral (free child entry thanks to the voucher on their website) and then off to Port Lympne Animal Reserve. Sleep well!