A Passage To Freedonia, And In English Too

Actually our last cultural outing on the Continent was on June 3, the morning, at the Auchon super-duper-hyper-mercado in Dunkirk, where we had driven on Sunday, stocking up on some of the French things that would be gone or dear on the next leg of our trip. Wines, cheeses, coffee, UHT cream, sweets and stuff. Particularly wine. Anyhow, we camped the previous evening outside the Auchon (with permission, even), mooching free wifi off the adjoining Flunch restaurant. Later in the day on the 3rd we would ferry to the UK and spend 90 days there, as required by the Schengen Agreement. According to the Agreement, mere tourists from the US can spend only 90 days in the Schengen countries ("Schengenia": most all of the EU, except the UK: "Freedonia"), before having to get out for 90 days. So we will be 90 days in the UK. We did this before, in 2009, and discovered that 90 days was not nearly enough of that wonderful place. And in English too. Sort of. I spent the night of June 2 trying to visualize everything on the left-hand side. I have done this before, several times. It is still terrifying, especially in a LHD vehicle. The UK would be just about perfect, except for the weather, the food, and driving on the "proper" side. And the roads. Don't forget the roads.

Our vessel, the Dover Seaways, Dunkirk to Dover, two hours 

Goodbye, France, goodbye, Continent; see you September 3rd

"White cliffs of Dover?"

Dover Castle above the ferry port

We missed the turn to Dover, as we often do, and wound up
driving the 10 or so miles to Canterbury, which has the most
marvelous camper-stop at its New Dover Road Park and Ride;
room for 20 or so vehicles, water and dump facilities; free
transportation (ten minutes, every ten minutes) to and from
the city; 3 pounds a night ($4.50); we thought we were still
in camper-friendly France; but then a veteran camper told us
what is doubtlessly true, that Canterbury's camper-stop is the
only thing of its kind on the Island

So we spent three nights there, resting, re-acquainting ourselves
with Marks and Spencer's and Tesco, and Oxfam, buying
dongles so we wouldn't have to mooch wifi anymore (for 90
days), studying our guide books, reading, re-provisioning, and
thinking "left"

We'd toured the famous cathedral several
times before, including 2009, so this time we
contented ourselves with attending the
Wednesday Evensong; I studied the
architecture and read the Anglican Articles
of Religion (with letters from Charles I and
Elizabeth I), getting myself back into the
the rhetoric and spirit of the English
protestant reforms; some very strong
language against the "Romish" types

Who still maintain an outpost in this Vatican
of Anglicanism

The next two nights we spent in an idyllic campsite in nearby
Ashford, having the Grey Wanderer's brake pads replaced
and sundry other work done

Well, actually it was in the carpark of the "industrial estate"
where the Mercedes dealership was located; but it was
quiet and afforded yet more rest and preparation for embarking
on our UK tour