Times when we spend more than five days away from home and not working.
Room with a sea view — We opted for a room with a sea view, for a day spent catching up on work. Watching the changes in the weather and enjoying the view up and down the coast was, as they say in the ads, priceless. Best Western Clifton Hotel, Folkestone.
Wait, I didn’t think we were in Missouri — This looks very familiar, and sparked a conversation on copying in architecture and art. This is the Step Short Memorial, honoring WWI soldiers, not a copy of the Gateway Memorial Arch. +1
Folkestone beach and habour wall — Ginger captured this excellent view of the beach and harbour wall. The next morning I had a great run here, from the hotel, through the back streets and passages down to the harbour, out along the wall. Then back along the beach and sea front ending with the 200 ft climb back to the hotel.
Even the bathroom was ‘Victorian Style.’ +2
Home Altar — I’m used to religious artifacts and architectural features having special names (I even have a book dedicated to the topic). However, despite numerous web searches, the best I could come up with for this is ‘Home Altar.’
Bi-Fold Room Divider — St. Benedict’s B&B. +1
Our room at St. Benedict’s B&B — What an absolute gem this B&B was. We stumbled upon it quite by accident, and it was wonderful. 2
Dressing Room at St. Benedict’s B&B — Complete with a home altar, storage, and, of course, the en-suite. +1
Our room at St. Benedict’s B&B — What an absolute gem this B&B was. We stumbled upon it quite by accident, and it was wonderful. +1
Marine Court on St. Leonards-on-Sea seafront (East Sussex, UK) – an Art Deco apartment block built between 1936 and 1938 and modeled on the Cunard ocean liner Queen Mary.
Seafront at St. Leonards-on-Sea featuring Marine Court, an Art Deco apartment block. +1
Seafront at St. Leonards-on-Sea.
Ginger testing the water at St. Leonards-on-Sea — We have a few days to explore and this is where we ended up on the first day. Five-minute read.
Fox — seen on the way to visit my brother. +1
HMS Prince of Wales — Today is our last full day at Gunwharf Quays. We took a stroll along the Millennium Walkway to pass the time and were there to watch HMS Prince of Wales leave Portsmouth Harbour.
Interesting things happening in front of our hotel — We were fascinated by the construction of this miniature golf course going on below our hotel window.
What Gare Bears might wear in the woods — With the emphasis on might. Well actually, might not. We had a good laugh though.
Fish & Chips and a couple of pints at The Still & West — A pint and pub grub on our first evening in Pompey.
Ginger, Gary and the Spinnaker Tower — Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth.
London Heathrow, T5 — I love buildings like this, and we spent ages looking at the construction details.
Heathrow T3 from our hotel — The hotel’s sound insulation was very impressive. 2
To all appearances, we might still be flying — Good flights, an excellent connection, and we zipped through border control in the UK in minutes. Down in Baggage Reclaim our bags were first on the carousel, and our hotel was just a short (inside) walk from Heathrow T3 Arrivals.
Ginger watching the dawn at 30,000 feet. We are off on the first leg of a visit to the UK. Our first since 2019.
Storm clouds over the Solent – Vacation Day 12.