Yet Another Blog
It seems to have been a while since my last blog, time flies
I guess, and I seem to have been reasonably busy lately. Not everything in life
is rosy, and this last week has been no exception, I've had a bit of a setback.
Nothing too exciting, it's more that I'm not good with sudden changes of
direction that interfere with my plans, and so for the last few days I've had a
few mixed emotions to cope with.
Time however is a great healer, and very soon I expect to be
running on an even keel again, my usual optimistic self. Life has a habit of
throwing spanners to keep us on our toes and I should be used to that, but I tend
to grumble when something happens. Overall it ain’t too bad, and probably won’t
make a lot of difference, but that’s not how I see it (yet).
Anyway I’ll leave it there for now, and stay calm.
Yesterday, Anna and I went over to Dover, and then onto St
Margaret's Bay where we parked down by the beach. It's a spectacular place with
a cliff backdrop, and yesterday it was a real sun trap, despite weather
forecasts suggesting dullness and rain.
We sat outside "The Coastguard", a pub with a
large patio and a wonderful Sea view. In yesterday's bright sunshine, sitting
outside and enjoying the view while listening to the splashing of waves on the
beach, was really pleasant. I always feel that it's a great place to have some
kind of fish dish, very apt, considering there are fish living just a few yards
from the pub. I remember seeing lots of shellfish (winkles mainly) in the past,
at low tide, but yesterday the tide was in. On the beach were half a dozen or so fishing
boats, beach boats, drawn up to the wall, above the high tide mark.
In winter, one can sit inside The Coastguard at a table,
perhaps in the restaurant and watch the shipping through double-glazed windows.
Talking of shipping, so much passes St Margaret's Bay, that
there is always something sailing by. Nearly all the ferries into and out of
Dover pass close by, and yesterday there were several, including the new
P&O ships, which are the biggest ferries ever to use Dover. The constant
passing of ferries suggests that there is a lot of business on that route at
the moment (either that, or a lot of spare capacity!).
The coastline around Dover has a great deal of history
attached, and the old coast road between St Margaret's-at-Cliff, and Dover is
no exception. This small road which follows the coast behind the cliffs passes
or goes through many sites of interest connected with World War I, and World
War II, as its close proximity to Europe put it in the firing line, so to
speak.
This road also passes the site of Bleriot’s landing (more
sudden than a landing I reckon! I think he was keen to get down!), He landed in
the shadow of the castle, which this road also passes. If you're familiar with
Dover Castle, you will know just how impressive it is from any direction, large
and imposing.
It was still sunny in Dover, but returning towards
Folkestone, low clouds were blowing in over the cliff, and so the weather
changed completely within about 3 miles, turning dull. A good trip out, it took
my mind off things for a bit.
Thanks for reading, Dan
