Dearest Reader,

Seasons have changed since my last post. I hope my post finds you well.

As Carson from Downton Abbey said – “The business of life is the acquisition of memories”. I’ve been out and about acquiring some more!

Took advantage of the lovely weather on Saturday and went for a day trip to Canterbury with my friend R. The ride there was just delightful, loads of catching up and laughter. After we completed the M20 section, we got on to a section of roads which were covered in tunnels of trees, the late summer sun still shining, trees a deep and vivid green. On one side of the road there were green pastures with sheep, cows, and horses and on the other side, orchards with apple trees bursting with apples ready to be picked and eaten and, probably, transformed into lovely cider! 🙂

We visited the Canterbury Cathedral which is an impressive building. The Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and it is still very much a working, living church, where Services take place every day. I don’t know much about architecture, but you can feel the history over the ages in the walls, the stained-glass windows, the many worn steps and uneven floors, even the gardens. I was particularly taken aback by the Nave, the Chapter House, and the Crypt.

Walking into and looking up in the Nave, seeing the pillars rise high to the sky, it’s so impressive. When you turn around and look back to the entrance to the Cathedral, you find yourself in front of an imposing stained-glass window. At that time of the day and the spot I was standing in, I could see streams of light flowing through the stained-glass window.

Even though there are lots of tourists roaming around the grounds both inside and outside the cathedral, there is a silence and calmness that can be felt all around. I especially felt the silence in the Chapter House. Monks used to use the Chapter House to assemble daily to discuss day-to-day activities and read chapters of their Benedictine rule. The Crypt is a quiet place for reflection and prayer with a special character. It’s the oldest part of the Cathedral dating back to the 11th century. It’s no wonder the Cathedral is one of Europe’s oldest and most important pilgrimage centres.

Walking back to the car we stumbled across a Romanian food store. Who would have thought that we would come across this on a tiny and narrow street in Canterbury! I couldn’t resist temptation and picked up a few things 🙂

We then decided to further take advantage of the nice weather and drive to the seaside to Sandwich Bay. It was amazing to see the sea again. I feel I have a special connection with the sea. It has this calming effect on me as soon as I smell it. Having said that, the immensity of the sea scares me but when I look at it, I just want to reach my hand out and touch it. Sitting on the beach, watching the sea is one of my favourite things to do.

As we were driving up to the seafront, I had this pit in my stomach. I opened the window; I could smell the sea. Looking ahead, I could see the road disappearing. It looked like we were going to fall of the edge of the road ahead right until the blue sea came into our sight. The skies were also blue, and you couldn’t tell where they met the sea…. the horizon was all blurred.

The car park is right on the edge of the rocky beach. When I got out of the car, this crisp blow hit me and sent shivers through my body. I eagerly got my stuff together and took the few steps to the rocky beach. I could see the waves rushing in and crashing heavily on the sand.

For some reason, I got really intimidated by that scene… I couldn’t move. I was mesmerised but my surroundings. I was reluctant to climb down the rocks and just stood there and took everything in.

After standing there for a few minutes, I told myself I couldn’t just stand there and not get closer to the sea. I took a deep breath and lunged forward. I am not sure how wide the rocky part of the beach was but I covered it fairly quickly and walked to the sandy wet part of the beach. I just stood there looking at the sea and listening to the sound of the wind and the waves crashing in… There is no other feeling I could compare that feeling to. It felt like that combination of the sound of the wind and the wave was encompassing me in this bubble and nothing or nobody else mattered… just me. The time there just flew by…

When I got back to the car, I felt my skin energised and all tingly having absorbed all that vitamin D 🙂

Sending you positive vibes!

Miss B