Dover, England May 7th

Today we docked at Dover England and had some free time in the morning to take in Dover Castle and then our excursion to Walmer Castle and the town of Sandwich.
We took the shuttle to Dover Castle on our own and the day started cloudy and foggy as it usually does in England this time of year, especially on the coast. Dover is an amazing castle from the 11th century. It is a fortified castle and called the 'Key to England' due to it's military signiificance as a stronghold at the port of Dover over the centuries. It sits high on top of the White Cliffs of Dover overlooking the ocean and bay.
We took a tour of the military tunnels which started in medieval times to hold troops, gun powder and military equipment. Then in WW2 they were expanded and used extensively as a military base to defend England against the Germans when they occupied France. The English Channel is a narrow waterway between France and England and the cliffs were used to defend during the war. Our tour in the tunnels was a very small look into them. There are over 4 miles of tunnels and bunkers built into the cliffs. We then toured the castle which was the usual medieval stone castle with many rooms and towers with great views of the countryside and ocean from over the cliffs.
Our afternoon adventure was to Walmer Castle in the town of Sandwich. It is a 16th century castle and former military fortifications that is now the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cirque Ports. The office once held by Queen Elizabeth. This is still a part time vacation residence for the royal family. The gardens are extensive and very well maintained. There is a huge hedge row of 'cloud' bushes and many bushes, flowers and trees all around. We stopped in the coffee shop and had scones with jam and clotted cream with tea. A typical British thing to do in the afternoon.
We then had a quick walk through the town of Sandwich through another European town of cobblestone streets that wind around with tudor buildings on each side.もっと詳しく