Drive to Canterbury – Day 6 of 2025 England Pilgrimage

Wednesday 9/24/2025

Last night the sky was even more clear and the STARS! Oh, my! The Big Dipper was easy to spot and the Milky Way was very clear. I loved it! We walked out to the beach after 9pm night prayers. I’m so glad we did. I love the night sky!

This morning we woke up to clouds and light drizzle. After packing up and I had a cup of tea, we walked to the Priory ruins so that I could take a picture with Tree Frog. Aunt Kitten was with us last year so it was only fair that he got to come this year.

Save crossing was at 8:30 and we left around that time. There was still a little water on the road in spots, but nothing bad. And the further we got off the island, the drizzlier it became until finally we drove in rain. It is amazing how beautiful the weather was for the two days we were on Holy Island!

I’ve not pondered aloud on a blog some of the various parts of my faith and beliefs about God I’m refining. Here is one that has rattled around in my head today as we drove away in dreary weather:

I’ve become hesitant to ask God for things like “good weather.” Weather that I consider “good” might be considered “bad” by others. Maybe farmers needed rain. I’d hate to “pray that away.” And if the farmer is praying for rain while I’m praying for sunshine, what do we each tend to believe about God in light of the results. That God blessed us? That God didn’t hear our prayers or doesn’t care?

I thank God for the opportunity to enjoy the sunshine and clear weather during the two days and nights we were at Lindisfarne. My hope is that I would have thanked God for the opportunity to enjoy Lindisfarne even if it had been rainy those two days and I had not been able to see the night sky.

So, we set out for a long, seven hour drive from northeast England to southeast England. That long seven hour trip turned into a longer 10 hour trip thanks to heavy traffic and road closures around the London beltway. I began reading a book (out loud) Jennie recommended and loaned to us. We arrived in Canterbury around 6:30, sadly missing the 5:30 choral Evensong service at Canterbury Cathedral.

The Hampton Inn is in a perfect location, you just can’t get there from here. Seriously. Roads were closed. And it is off of a walking street. So by the time we got parked (and a man yelled at us that we were going the wrong way in the parking garage,) we were both stressed and I was hangry.

The young Romanian woman who checked us in gave us a great suggestion for dinner. We walked to The Foundry, a pub which makes it’s own cask beers as well as various spirits. Gregg enjoyed trying a flight of beer. He also had a variety appetizer plate that included houllami (a fried squeaky cheese), green olives, and I don’t remember what else but it looked great! I had Steak and Ale Pie. We were revived!

Thinking that Canterbury Cathedral might be lit up at night, we tried walking there. These streets are narrow, cobble stones, and dead end into other roads. Plus, we are just inside the OLD city walls. We got within a block of the Cathedral and heard the bells ringing, but we could not figure out how to get closer. We decided to go back to our hotel and try again in the morning.

Returning to our hotel was easier said than done (for the same, above reasons.) But we finally made it!

Off to bed. We’re five hours ahead of Eastern time.