Here are a few pics from our brief jaunt across England before driving onto Le Shuttle. Le Shuttle is a railway shuttle service that takes passenger vehicles from the United Kingdom to France, under the English Channel.
Our first stop was to Cardiff City, Wales, where we got to stay with our nephew’s in-laws, Clive and Lucy Ann. Chris was lucky enough to join Lucy Ann’s running club for a Saturday morning run!
Next stop was Cornwall, where we met up with Chris’ nephew Cruz, and his lovely wife Meg, for dinner and a few pints
Definitely an evening filled with love and engaging conversation!
Or maybe we just share a hatred of being photographed : )
Next stop was Portland Island, which juts into the English Channel, just off the South Coast of England
Chris celebrates his 60th birthday at the top of a climbing route on the Jurassic Coast of England!
The Jurassic Coast stretches for about 96 miles along the Devon and East Dorset coastlines. It is famous for the number of fossils that have been preserved and discovered in the rocky cliffs of this region.
The Tower Bridge, London Town. Chris is easily overwhelmed by a big city! AJ taking it in stride.
The Tower Bridge, which spans the River Thames, was opened to the public on the 30th of June, 1894
The 1,200 men who worked on the Tower Bridge were given a celebration dinner after construction was completed. Each worker received a commemorative pipe and packet of tobacco. Each workman's wife got a box of sweetmeats. No clue what a sweetmeat is … and quite prefer to remain ignorant on the matter, thank you very much!
The upper pedestrian walkways quickly gained a reputation for prostitutes and pickpockets. They were closed in 1910 and didn’t reopen until 1984.
In December of 1952, Albert Edward Gunter famously jumped a double-decker bus over a six foot drop in the roadway when the traffic warning system failed and the bridge began to lift for a boat. Albert was given a £10 bonus for his bravery and quick thinking.
Reaction to the bridge was mixed after construction was completed. One critic wrote, "It represents the vice of tawdriness and pretentiousness, and of falsification of the actual facts of the structure" and another "A more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river". We liked it.
The Tower of London … officially, His Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London
Originally built by William the Conqueror in 1078, the Tower of London has served as a grand palace, royal residence and prison
Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster. It resides atop the Elizabeth Tower on the north end of the Palace of Westminster.
One of five bells (the other four being quarter bells, which chime on the quarter hour), Beg Ben weighs almost 14 tons, and was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation
London city birding at its best
Our last stop was to Lullingstone Castle, while they were hosting their annual Patina Classic Car Show
The show is a celebration of unrestored vintage and classic cars only
Here’s a video of the Puffin boarding one of the railway cars on the Le Shuttle train bound for France!
