South - East England and the Cotswolds 2017
More pictures:
https://goo.gl/photos/USxgkyTedBQ3g7vX6
July - holiday time ....
This summer we went to England. The main purpose of this trip was The race to the stones ultra trail, 100 km on the Ridgeway trail going up and down about 1300 meters. Starting in Lewknor and ending at the stones in Avebury. Dave finished in 12 hours and 43 minutes.
Tanja followed with the car as good as possible to give him some extra food and encouragements. All went well except for 2 blue toenails.
Tired after a long day we ended up in a hamlet called Berwick Bassett, where we booked a room via Air bnb.
The next day we said goodbye to the friendly owner Lizzie and drove through the lovely Cotswolds villages. First stop was Chipping Campden. Walked around, went to see the houses and had a good lunch in The eight bells inn, roasted beef, mashed potatoes and pies where on the menu, a nice typical English meal. Broadway and especially the tower was our next stop. The tower looks like a mini castle between rolling hills. The last stop in the Cotswolds was Painswick. With heavy rain, we had to explore the inside of a pub for a pint, not bad at all.
After some driving we left the inland and went for the coast. First stop Cuckmere haven.
Here we saw the Seven Sisters, rolling chalk cliffs high above sea level, beautiful scenery. The parking lot of the Cuckmere Inn is where we stayed for the night in our small campervan. Next day we walked on the South Downs Way over the rolling cliffs to Eastbourne, 16 km, very windy but exceptional beautiful.
In Eastbourne we had a coffee break and took the bus back to Cuckmere. Eastbourne is a place with a lot of people on retirement, you can see it in the street but even in the restrooms in the tavern where we had a coffee, very spacious restrooms.
That day we drove to Capel-le-Fern and had a nice stop at The Lighthouse Inn.
A good sightseeing spot on higher ground. In the night you see the lights of the fishing ships and lighthouses from France.
One big touristy place in South East is Canterbury. So we went for it. Cathedral in renovation, small Streets with here and there nice buildings. After a couple of hours we saw enough. We parked our small camper in a park & ride outside the city centre, for 3 pounds you can park all day and take the shuttle bus to the centre. Thumbs up for this.
That day we ended with a fresh pint on the sunny terrace from The Old Gate Inn, around the corner of the park & ride "new dover road".
With the good weather we went back to the coast. First stop Seasalter, from here we walked along the coast to Whitstable where the oyster festival was taking place that day. After a few oysters and a cod fish we left Whitstable for Herne Bay.
From Herne Bay we did a very nice walk to the Reculver towers, had some refreshments at the King Ethelbert Inn and walked back. A good active day with good food and drinks.
The next day Ramsgate was on the list, here we booked a room at the Pegwell Bay Hotel, in an old building from 1891, very nice hotel.
Ramsgate is a touristy coast city, nice but not special.
After a filling breakfast we left England by ferry from Dover.
https://goo.gl/photos/USxgkyTedBQ3g7vX6
July - holiday time ....
This summer we went to England. The main purpose of this trip was The race to the stones ultra trail, 100 km on the Ridgeway trail going up and down about 1300 meters. Starting in Lewknor and ending at the stones in Avebury. Dave finished in 12 hours and 43 minutes.
 |
| Before |
 |
| and after the race |
Tired after a long day we ended up in a hamlet called Berwick Bassett, where we booked a room via Air bnb.
The next day we said goodbye to the friendly owner Lizzie and drove through the lovely Cotswolds villages. First stop was Chipping Campden. Walked around, went to see the houses and had a good lunch in The eight bells inn, roasted beef, mashed potatoes and pies where on the menu, a nice typical English meal. Broadway and especially the tower was our next stop. The tower looks like a mini castle between rolling hills. The last stop in the Cotswolds was Painswick. With heavy rain, we had to explore the inside of a pub for a pint, not bad at all.
 |
| Chipping Campden |
 |
| Broadway tower |
After some driving we left the inland and went for the coast. First stop Cuckmere haven.
Here we saw the Seven Sisters, rolling chalk cliffs high above sea level, beautiful scenery. The parking lot of the Cuckmere Inn is where we stayed for the night in our small campervan. Next day we walked on the South Downs Way over the rolling cliffs to Eastbourne, 16 km, very windy but exceptional beautiful.
 |
| Seven Sisters |
In Eastbourne we had a coffee break and took the bus back to Cuckmere. Eastbourne is a place with a lot of people on retirement, you can see it in the street but even in the restrooms in the tavern where we had a coffee, very spacious restrooms.
That day we drove to Capel-le-Fern and had a nice stop at The Lighthouse Inn.
A good sightseeing spot on higher ground. In the night you see the lights of the fishing ships and lighthouses from France.
 |
| Dover Castle |
Dover Castle was next on the list, especially the WW II tunnels. We had a tour in the underground hospital and one in the tunnel where they orchestrated Operation Dynamo. All about how they saved 360.000 soldiers from Dunkerque beach, impressive!
Back on track on our road trip, we went to Sandwich, a small and historical town.
From Sandwich we did a nice hike to Sandwich Bay and back through the St. George Golf course.
The beach is covered with small stones instead of sand. A nice hike in typical English weather, rain .... That day we ended with a few pints in the Red Cow.
 |
| Sandwich bay |
That day we ended with a fresh pint on the sunny terrace from The Old Gate Inn, around the corner of the park & ride "new dover road".
 |
| Canterbury |
With the good weather we went back to the coast. First stop Seasalter, from here we walked along the coast to Whitstable where the oyster festival was taking place that day. After a few oysters and a cod fish we left Whitstable for Herne Bay.
From Herne Bay we did a very nice walk to the Reculver towers, had some refreshments at the King Ethelbert Inn and walked back. A good active day with good food and drinks.
 |
| walk to the Reculver Towers |
The next day Ramsgate was on the list, here we booked a room at the Pegwell Bay Hotel, in an old building from 1891, very nice hotel.
Ramsgate is a touristy coast city, nice but not special.
After a filling breakfast we left England by ferry from Dover.
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