Front Entrance of The Swallow Falstaff Hotel

CHAS’ & RUBY’S 2006 UK TOUR: Saturday, May 27th Touring Canterbury

Since the Hever Castle Merrie England Weekend faire was on both Saturday
and Sunday (and Monday!), we decided to delay attending it until Sunday,
so that we could tour CANTERBURY on Saturday.
Wise decision!

We began our day with breakfast in the Swallow Falstaff restaurant.

There I saw this sign – the first of many similar ones I saw LATER on our trip.
Apparently, UK folkz are very, very leery of “genetically engineered” foods!

This is the door from the courtyard into the Swallow Falstaff Bar. Above it is a sign that I also saw several versions of during our trip.

Too funny!

After breakfast, we simply stepped outside the hotel, and began
walking toward the OLD CITY.

I’m standing just outside the Front Entrance of
the Swallow Falstaff Hotel to take this pic.

So, you can see how very CLOSELY we lodged to the
Canterbury West Gate Towers – the “Entrance” to the OLD CITY.

Although we didn’t go inside the structure, here is info about it from their website: “After the Cathedral, the West Gate is Canterbury's next eye-catching landmark. It has stood for six centuries on guard over the road to and from London. Hundreds of thousands of medieval pilgrims, on their way to visit Saint Thomas Becket's shrine, passed through this gateway into the city.”

We passed a “Kirk Yard” (cemetery beside a small church – “Kirk” )
soon after entering the OLD CITY.

I thought the skull & crossbones on this crypt were quite interesting!

Later in our trip, I came to learn that these and other kinds of “death icons” were quite common on very old gravestones and crypts.

The architecture in the old city was mostly very, very OLD …

Occasionally, however, NEW architecture popped up!

Check it out, Uncle PUNKY!

This gorgeous structure was built in the 1800’s.

Oh, check out THIS amazing building! The top floor’s façade was likely renovated in the 1800’s. The bottom floor’s façade was likely renovated in the 1900’s. But! The central floor’s façade has been maintained since the BUILDING was originally constructed! …

WOW!!! In 1573!

And HERE is a building even OLDER than that one!

Since we were blessed with the opportunity to see The Canterbury Tales performed by the RSC, we didn’t go through the Canterbury Tales Exhibit The Exhibit was HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by various websites, though. So, you should tour it on YOUR visit to CANTERBURY!

GO TO THE NEXT PAGE:
We find and tour the
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

If you have information or suggestions for Ruby & Chas’ 2006 UK TOUR Website
– or PHOTO contributions for it! –
PLZ Email CHAS!
c-d-miller@neb.rr.com
That’s: c-d-miller@neb.rr.com –
those are hyphens/dashes (-) between the “c” and “d” and “miller”