We just spent the last 4 days in a village called Littlebourne, right outside of Canterbury in Kent. We’ve been very kindly hosted by Howard’s Uncle Ron, who lives in a cozy cottage, covered in ivy. I’ve been drinking my tea with milk and the very first night I was finally introduced to the famed cider of Kent that I’ve been hearing about for the last month (mainly due to the lack of such ciders back in the states). Our first night, we went to the Rose, a pub in a neighbouring village, Wickhambreaux, that’s been around since the 1300s. Hops hanging from the ceiling and with 5 ciders on draught, I knew why Howard loves coming here. For the next 5 days, we filled our time with eating pub food, drinking lovely cider and training in the rolling fields of Kent.
-One night we found ourselves in a village of 200 people, drinking cider with a group of Ronnie’s friends. They had been there all afternoon and we found them with 5 or 6 empty wine bottles on the table. We got to speaking and after 10 minutes I let fly that I was originally from Lebanon. The 4 wine drinkers of the group all looked at each other in disbelief. One of them grabbed one of the empties and showed it to me. Chateau Kefraya, a bottle of wine from Lebanon. How strange to find Lebanese wine in a teeny tiny English village.
-We had heard of a good French movie playing at the cinema and every night we tried to go see it, but every night we found ourselves in a different 15th century pub, speaking with locals who were curious about my accent (one person mistook me for a Polish person), curious about the Fijian flag on Howard’s shirt and generally interested in our ride. We’ve gotten so many words of support and good luck, the day we actually start can’t come quick enough.
-The countryside of Kent is very enchanting. Fields and orchards, old villages, buildings that have been around for hundreds of years, but unlike many historical buildings I have seen, they are still inhabited. There is a barn next door to Ronnie’s that still has its original wood work. It was built in the 1100s and is used for weddings and receptions.
-A very heavy Texan accent coming from behind me in the Rose on my first night in England. Where did he come from, I wonder? Texas, I suppose, but what is he doing in a random pub in a random village. Sigh, the world gets smaller and smaller.
The next week will find us very familiar with the English rail system, as we’ll be doing a bit of hopping around to visit a bunch of Howard’s friends. I hope the weather holds up as we’ve had a 50/50 mix of sunny to cloudy days. Next stop is London for a night then on to Havant, then WDCS International’s Head Office in Chippenham, back to London for the Aquarium Fiji display opening ceremony, Hastings, back to Canterbury to see Ted and back to London then the ride starts.
We’re picking our bikes up on Monday and I can’t wait to get back in the saddle. Soon the cider will cease and the long rides will commence and I’ll say goodbye to England. In the meantime, I’m enjoying seeing the different parts of this country and getting to know Howard’s friends and family. They’ve been very inviting and I thank each of them for hospitality and support.
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