The first leg took me to Chilham. It wasn't long but boy did it rain! The route took me past the last church that the Pilgrims gathered at before reaching Canterbury. they would wait until there was safety in numbers as the next section through King's Wood was fraught with perils of robbers who would assault our poor pilgrims. Today according to the North Downs Way bible the biggest risk seems to be bumping into a wild boar. I however found the wood to be of young growth, muddy and grey. I did meet a cyclist but that was it. However the route was atmospheric as the silence and damp reminded me of how tough the pilgrims would have had it.
Sunday dawned bright and cheerful! Ready for my arrival in Canterbury on a warm Spring day. Sadly the first bit of this section isn't inspiring at all as it was mainly over roads. You pass a pub called the Chapel Arms with its pub sign in Canterbury Cathedral colours to remind you of what you are doing.
You hope that some woods and apple orchards will get you in the mood as you pass the iron age castle but no. A small group of people are doing some motorbike rallying. Once that it is over you cross the A2 and walk beside it. So you don't reach Canterbury in a reflective mood but rather a, at least that is over, mood. But then you reach Canterbury and that changes.
Canterbury - a city that bustles, a city with students and cafe culture, a city of history and medieval buildings. For me, a city of the sun. First stop for the pilgrim, St Dunstan's church - where Sir Thomas More's head is possibly buried and where Henry II stopped to don sackcloth to prepare for the final homage to St Thomas a Becket. From there to the Cathedral, today crossing the railway line that cuts through but through the keep to the medieval gate. Inside the gate the peace of a great institution. I was lucky enough to stay in the grounds in Canterbury Lodge and it was a privilege. I went to Compline (the final service of the day) and stupidly forgot my glasses. It wasn't the size of the print that was the problem but the lack of light meant that I strained to see the text! A moving service with a thoughtful reflection on the reaction to the death of Margaret Thatcher. And so to bed with a stunning with of the Cathedral lit at night.
I woke to the news of the death of Sir Colin Davis but more of that another time. A visit to the Cathedral and to pay tribute to Thomas a Beckett. Going through the tunnel built to divide the pilgrims from the monks meant a lot to me, putting things into context. Not many of us attended the brief service where the pages of the books of remembrance are turned but I am glad I did and pleased that this is a tradition that we still follow.
Departing Canterbury, I had one of those moments when the mind goes blank. I decided to get some sugar and went into a small shop and for the life of me couldn't remember what I wanted so asked for Opal Fruits. Fortunately the teenager serving me was used to people with long memories and realised I wanted Starburst. Oops. It was sad to see the end of Canterbury but onwards and mass agricultural fields followed. legs began to ache but at least there was an absence of road.
The final day began well with decent weather and attractive fields. Sign posts gave ever decreasing mileage and Roman Roads headed to Dover.
But oh how modern roads get in the way and I agree with the author of my bible that there should be a direct crossing over the A2 instead of the detour!
By now the fog was coming in from the sea and the great views I was hoping for were obscured and so it became a limp to the bottom. It is a good finish line but on a grey day with no one around, it was a trek back to the station and a bad cup of coffee to celebrate.
The high speed train took me past various bits of the route and I was left reflecting on the pace of the modern world and thinking that we should reflect a little bit more and take our time to appreciate what we have.
PS What knitting did I take? Not much for once but the bright blue sweater.
