Dover – My short and sweet solo trip! (2)

…So, it was a beautiful afternoon and I sat there relishing my cream scone at the Secret Wartime Tunnels tearoom in Dover Castle. That was my moment for some quiet contemplation, and I realized, how my initial apprehensions had gone out of the window, and how much I had been enjoying myself.

Although, people who know me, would disagree that I am a loner, but on the contrary, I was loving the lone time (I think I make pretty good company 😛 ). May be it was my excitement of being in a completely new land, full of friendly strangers. So, as I sat there, I spoke to a few folks and figured out how to reach my next destination.

I came out and headed straight to the Tourist Information Center and the lady there was sweet enough to book a cab for me. Ten ‘people-watching’ minutes later, a cab showed up and asked for me. I hopped on like an excited kid, ready to visit the insanely beautiful White Cliffs of Dover.

The cab driver spoke about her childhood days when the wide expanse of White Cliffs used to be her playground, and how she disliked the fact that it is filled with tourists now. Anyway, after a short 10 minutes drive, I was there and I could feel the wind in my hair already!!

This place had me at hello! As I started to walk towards the cliff, this was the view I had in front of me.

The walk to White Cliffs!

And when I reached there, boy! was I bowled over!!!?? It’s an unending stretch of chalk white cliffs and you have the most gorgeous view of the English Channel from up there. The English Channel is the body of water that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the southern part of the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.

Look at how the moving clouds reflect on the water, changing their color.

Reflections of the clouds on the water

Well, they say that you need to be on a ferry in order to get the best view of the White Cliffs. But I was loving what I was seeing, so who cares!

It is super windy up there, so no matter which time of the year you visit, do carry a jacket. I was glad I had one on.

Ships to/from France

The plants swept over in the direction of the constant wind.

I perched on a little bench in complete solitude. I just sat there, absorbing the tranquil view, the wind soothing my soul, enjoying the moment, not thinking about anything at all. Ah!! Bliss!!! (Want to be there NOW!!!)

My favorite place!

I could sit here all day and not complain!!

My Throne!!

 

When I looked up, the sky above was the blue-st sky I had seen in a long time (it was cloudy in London most of the days). The skies looked all the more amazing with Seagulls flying by.

I walked some more to be rewarded with these amazing views. Don’t be fooled by the fencing, there were little turnstiles in between so you could easily go to the other side, and step to the edge of the cliff if you want to. I did go to the other side, but was not adventurous/crazy enough to step on the edge.

 

I also came across a few others like me. 🙂

As I looked at the time in my watch, I did not realize how time had flown by. I decided to make a move to be able to catch my train back to London in time. The walk back was steep yet beautiful.

As I walked back, I could view the castle and I could not help but click another pic of it.

I tried calling up a taxi, but apparently I was on French network 😮 . So, the tourist center came to my rescue again and helped me book a cab. I clicked this while I waited for my taxi to pick me up…

As I bid a final goodbye to Dover, I honestly thought that I could not have picked a better place for myself. I was returning happy and content: Castle – check, Sea – check (Bonus: White Cliffs and Port) !! And that my friends, was the magic of Dover!! 🙂

Are you a “list-list” kinda traveler as well? Tell me of a time when you had something particular in mind and you checked it off your travel list. 🙂

PS: Traveler tip- The tourist information centers in England are usually very helpful to provide you with maps, guide books (at a nominal price at times) and book cabs for you. This came in quite handy for me.