This afternoon we paid a visit to that interesting place, Greenwich. We took a 205 bus.

Aboard the 205

We travelled on the 205 quite a way, in fact, to Bow.

We changed at Bow

At Bow we changed to a 108.

Going through the Blackwall Tunnel

This bus crosses the Thames by the Blackwall Tunnel. Best not to think of the tons of earth and water above you!

A pause in Costa

We arrived at an area within a loop of the Thames known as the Greenwich Peninsula. It is the site of what was the Millennium Dome and is now an O2 centre. The rest of the site is a mixture of residential blocks, entertainment venues and restaurants and cafes.

Tea and toasted teacakes

We made a pause in a branch of Costa and ordered an old stand-by of ours, tea and toasted teacakes. This was in lieu of lunch.

A partial view

Head in the Wind
Allen Jones

Partial view of the Dome

Penrose Tiling

This building fronts onto a road called Penrose Way, a clue that it is covered with Penrose tiling.

Emirates Air Line cablecars

Cablecar departing

The Emirates Air Line cablecar service has a role to play in London’s transport network but it also has obvious novelty value. There was a long queue for places. (I have yet to try it and am not sure I ever will.)

Shoreline

This is a photo of the “other side”, that is, North of the Thames. North and South London have distinct characters and rivalries. Many “ northerners” are reluctant to admit that “Sarf of the river” is even London. (I am not of their party.)

Quantum Cloud
Anthony Gormley

This is not, as you might at first glance think, a heap of old iron, but a work of art. Entitled Quantum Cloud, it is by Anthony Gormley, thus disproving the often expressed theory that he only creates male human figures.

We then walked SE beside the Thames by a road with tracks for pedestrians and cyclists. If it has a name, I don’t know what it is.

Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park

This brought us to the ecology park, which we hoped to visit, but it was closed and we could only catch glimpses from outside.

Over the fence

For this photo, I lifted the camera above my head to clear the fence.

Common darter dragionfly

We spotted this pretty thing on the hand rail, seemingly cleaning his or her head. It’s a dragonfly of a type called the Common Darter.

The path back

We then retraced our way back along the same path, quite a long walk on what was now a warm day.

Royal Naval College Museum

We caught a bus to Greenwich “proper” and passed through the grounds of the old Naval College. (See here for an etymological note on the name of Greenwich.)

Another view of Greenwich

Greenwich ancient and modern.

The Cutty Sark

We viewed the dramatic silhouette of the famous tea clipper, the Cutty Sark.

CThe Thames

The Thames at Greenwich and, no, I don’t know what ship that is.

Entrance to the pedestrian tunnel under the Thames

The foot tunnel was built in 1902 to provide all-weather access from Greenwich to the shipyards and docks on the north side of the Thames where many local people would have been employed.

Here comes the DLR train

We started back by taking the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Bank.

Off we go!

The train runs both above ground, as here, and…

Approaching Bank

…underground, as here, when we are approaching our stop, Bank.

Changing to the Northern Line

At Bank, Tigger agreed to travel on the tube for once (normally, she avoids it like the proverbial plague). So we negotiated the passageways and escalators between the DLR and the tube, and caught a Northern Line train.

The escalator at Angel Station

Finally, we ascended the escalator – the longest in London – at Angel tube station. A short walk from the station brought us home.

I don’t know about you but I am looking forward to my supper!

When I awoke this morning, I thought, just for a moment, that we were still in Folkestone, and wondered whether Tigger was already up and photographing the sunrise. As soon as I opened my eyes, of course, the illusion dissipated and I knew we were at home.

Myddelton Square

After a late breakfast, we set out for the deli, passing round Myddelton Square as is our wont. We saw one of the cats but a human was present so discretion forbade photographs.

The Curvaceous Tree

I did take a “hello” photo of the Curvaceous Tree, glad as I was to see it again.

Doorstep flowers

I like these tiny flowers that grow on the steps of some of the houses in the square. I don’t know what they are and really ought to download one of those plant recognition apps. Then I can pretend to be oh-so-knowledgeable about nature!

Window box

I also admired this window box. Tigger warned me that someone was watching me through the window but I don’t expect they minded me photographing their window box. More likely they ate pleased.

Outside Myddelton’s deli

We found a table free at the deli and enjoyed and coffee, watching the activity in the street.

The sun came out

Up to this point, the sky had been cloudy but now, suddenly, the clouds parted snd the sun appeared. But will it last?

White Lion Street

We walked back along White Lion Street so that I could buy a replacement light bulb from Ryness on the corner.

We returned home briefly then set out again.

Cloudy morning in Folkestone

This was the view from the hotel window today at 8 am, indicating another cloudy day in prospect. Later today we catch the 16:13 train for London, bringing our short stay in Folkestone to an end.

A relative is coming to pick us up in his car so, having readied ourselves and packed our cases, we settled at the window. I shall miss this fine view of the harbour and the sea.

Inner Harbour

Later we went outside to wait where I took a souvenir shot of the inner harbour.

Martello Tower No 3

We put our baggage in the car and then went to take a look at what is known as Martello Tower No 3. 74 such towers were built to protect the SE coast in the early 1800s. Manned by 25 men, each had a roof-top cannon, with a range of one mile. Happily, they never needed to show their mettle as Napoleon abandoned his plan to invade Britain.

Views of sea and coast

As you would expect, there are fine views of the sea and coast from the tower.

Siren
Marc Schmitz and Doigor Ser-Od

We encountered this piece of Creative Folkestone, entitled Siren. Inevitably, perhaps, it was being used as a shelter by a rough sleeper.

The Captain’s Table

We returned to town for a late breakfast or brunch at the Captain’s Table.

The Outer Harbour and our hotel

Afterwards, we went for a stroll round the harbour. This is a view of the outer harbour with our hotel, the Grand Burstin, in the background.

The Harbour, looking towards the entrance

The tide was coming in though the harbour was only half-full of water. That was enough to allow a small vessel to enter and tie up.

Vessel entering the harbour

You can perhaps see that vessel in the centre of the picture.

Lade Pits

We then went on a fairly long drive to a place called Lade Pits. Originally a military site and then a gravel quarry, the area is now part of the RSPB’s Dungeness Nature Reserve.

Ripples on the lake

I watched the ripples blown across the surface of the lake by the stiff breeze. There was plenty of bird activity but no humans. My kind of place!

Costa Coffee

When we arrived back in Folkestone, we had a couple of hours to spare before our train so we went to Costa and had a lunch of coffee and toasties.

Confronting the long, steep slope

We were driven to the station where we passed through the ticket barrier and found ourselves confronting the long, steep slope to the platform that I mentioned previously. This time, we cheated: we took the lift!

Juvenile gull begging

On reaching the platform, we found a pair of gulls, an adult and a juvenile. The juvenile was begging to be fed but the adult took no notice. This story reappears every year: when the young are old enough to fend for themselves, the parents stop feeding them. It takes a while for the juveniles to accept this and they go about begging fir food from from any adult, emitting a plaintiff “Seep! Seep!” call. The adults ignore them and the juveniles eventually start finding food for themselves.

Aboard our train

Our train arrived and we went aboard. It’s not an HS1 but one of those badly designed trains with inadequate provision for baggage.

The only solution

Our solution is to find a table with four seats and put our baggage on one pair of seats. This has the added advantage of maintaining social distancing by stopping anyone else sitting there.

An escalator at London Bridge

Our ticket took us only to London Bridge where we left the train and made our way through bustling crowds to the bus stop.

Aboard the 43

We caught a 43 bus back to the Angel and thus ended our Folkestone adventure for now.

We entered the dining room and approached the lady standing at a desk, obviously to receive such confused mortals as us.

It was explained that there was a buffet and you have to prepay at the bar. We did so, came back and presented our receipt. The only vegetarian item on the menu was vegetable curry. We should place our order with the lady at the desk and it would be brought to our table.

The dining room from our table

When the curry arrived, it contained chunks that were obviously meat. We called the lady at the desk. She agreed that it looked very much like meat. She took the curry back the kitchen. Later she returned, this time with the advertised vegetable curry. A cock-up in the kitchen, so to speak.

After the main course, we served ourselves dessert from the buffet then we sought coffee.

Barman: What can I get you?

S.T.: A latte and a black americano, please.

Barman: Oh no, sorry, mate, can’t do a black americano. Could do a cappuccino?

S.T.: Er, no. Do you do tea?

Barman: Yes, mate.

S.T.: What teas do you have?

Barman: Oh, all sorts. (Starts to reel off a list) … green tea…

S.T.: Fine, give me a green tea, please.

Barman: Oh, no. Sorry, mate, there isn’t any. See, it should here but there isn’t any.

S.T.: Fine just give me the latte.

We sat in the hotel lounge while Tigger ate her dessert and drank her latte and I wondered how a hotel could run things so ineptly. Then we ascended to our room where I had the cup of tea that the hotel bar had been unable to provide.

Tomorrow is our last day in Folkestone this time around. We have to check out by 10 am and our train departs at 16:13, so we will still have the morning and part of the afternoon here. How shall we fill that time?

The view from our hotel window this morning is very different from what it was on the previous two mornings.

A view from the window

Has the heatwave turned tail and fled? It rather looks like it. This was how it looked at 6:45 am today.

The young gull pays a visit

As we sat and drank our tea, the young gull came back and perched on the balcony rail. He remained longer this time than on previous visits, showing no impatience, just waited quietly for whatever he was hoping for. At a particular moment, the gull “community” in the harbour became active, flying about and calling noisily. “Our” gull turned round to watch, obviously paying attention to what was going on. When things quietened down again, he turned back to us and resumed his patient wait. He flew away at last but will no doubt return later or tomorrow.

The sun breaks through

Contrary to the Met Office forecast, the sun later broke through the clouds and by 8:30 the scene looked as shown above. As we are taking the train and visiting a relative in Birchington-on-Sea, this change for the better is welcome – assuming that it stays.

Aboard the bus

We took a bus to go to the station but…

Some Creative Folkestone

…it turned out to be the wrong bus so we had to walk a bit, passing some more Creative Folkestone on the way.

Bridge Coffee House

We stopped at this small cafe, the Bridge Coffee House, for coffee and croissants.

Antique cigarette machine

Set in the wall outside is this memento of times past, an old cigarette machine. When did it dispense its last packet of “gaspers”? Years ago.

Folkestone Station

At Folkestone Station, we just missed a train and had a while to wait for the next one.

On our way

The train is an HS1 but in this area it has to travel on ordinary low-speed tracks so there is no speed advantage.

We needed to change trains at Ramsgate.

Birchington-on-Sea Station

We arrived at Birchington-on-Sea. Above is the picturesque railway station though we think the larger building on the right may have been sold off.

The name of Birchington dates from Anglo-Saxon times, being formed of two words, bircen, “birch trees”, and tun, “farm”.

Station Road

We were meeting a relative and so went to a cafe in Station Road. Birchington has a mixture of old and new buildings and in parts has a village atmosphere.

Victorian canopies

This shop still has a Victorian-era canopy covering the pavement.

Dog Acre

In Sainsbury’s we bought items for a picnic and to eat it found a shaded bench in this small park or garden bearing the picturesque name of Dog Acre.

Birchington Library, exterior

Birchington Library, interior

We visited the small but pleasantly styled Birchington Public Library.

Obelisk in honour of Dante Gabriel Rossetti

On our way to the railway station, we paused in the diminutive Rossetti Gardens to photograph the obelisk raised by the Birchington Rossetti Society to the famous artist who died in the town in 1882.

House and business of John Chawner & Sons

Just beside the railway bridge stands the house and business premises of John Chawner & Sons, established 1891, repairer of clocks, watches and barometers. There are precious few such businesses left in this age of electronic devices.

Birchington Station

We went into Birchington Station and caught the first of two trains back to our current base. Once again, we needed to change at Ramsgate.

Through the window

The second train, destination Charing Cross, is an HS1 “Javelin”, but running here on ordinary slow track. Not that it matters as we do not have far to go.

The long slope

The exit from Folkestone Central Station is down a long, steep slope. It’s also the entrance in which case you have to climb the long, steep slope. Going down is easier!

Back in Folkestone

Soon we found ourselves out in the streets of Folkestone. I realised that I am already quite fond of this oddball town with is maritime history and its brave attempts to reinvent itself.

We now had to wait for a bus back to the hotel. I won’t bore you with further grumbles about the defective bus service but you may take it as read.

Arriving at the hotel, we called the lift and rose to the 8th floor. We entered our room and… who was waiting for us?

“Our” gull was waiting

Yes, “our” gull was perched on the balcony railing. He didn’t stay long, though, and soon took wing, whither I do not know.

Though we spent much of today sitting talking or eating, what with the travel by bus and train and the heat, we were quite tired on arriving back in the room. We shall probably have recourse to the hotel restaurant for our evening meal. I will, though, leave my account at this point for now and take it up again in due course.