THE THREE AMIGOS

Pearl, Salt and Pepper - The Three Amigos 

One of the threesome 

Pearl, Salt and Pepper had tired themselves out scratching amongst the lavender, retreating to the front door step where they lay peacefully together unconcerned by our arrival.

We were tired after the overnight flight and the drive down to Kent from Heathrow.

The motorway had been awash with trucking from every corner of the EU, coming and going to the Port of Dover. 

We eventually left the motorway driving north of Dover to the Alkham Valley.  The contrast was striking, vehicle mayhem replaced by verdant tranquility.  Birds sang, hedgerows fresh with new growth spilled over onto winding roads and cows grazed laconically in the fields.

The scene was almost perfect as we consulted our directions to the farmhouse:  the problem was that the abundant greenery had all but obliterated the road signs.  

Meggatt Lane lay under an emerald canopy

We found Meggatt Lane in the end and it didn't disappoint!  The Lane wound its way past well kept cottages and farms up the hillside through a canopy of trees that practically shut out the sunlight.  The odd filtered ray of sun managed to peep through the branches and foliage.  It reminded us that there is no place on earth quite like the English countryside.

Our Farmhouse hosts Wendy and Neil gave us a warm welcome, including the chickens who we dubbed “The Three Amigos”.  Unperturbed by the interruption they arose slowly from their resting place on the doormat and clucked their way back to the flower beds. 

View from the farmhouse over the Alkham Valley

From our vantage point in the garden we had a spectacular view out over the Alkham Valley.  Horses and sheep stopped chewing briefly to consider the new arrivals and then returned to the grass.  The hen coups were empty as the chicken community went about their business - the Three Amigos were the pets, the remainder the serious egg layers. 

The next morning a fox patrolled the garden but luckily the chickens were secure in their coups.  Oscar the cat sauntered by, peeking into our bedroom.  Tilly the black Lab bounded towards us looking for a pat and a stroke.  During the night we could hear owls hooting and doves cooing, those glorious sounds replaced temporarily by the noise of the paperboy who seemed to deliver the morning news in the middle of the night.

Wendy’s “Full Englishes” - a generous breakfast of egg, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms and fried bread, sourced locally and produced organically, were sensational and fuelled us for the day’s activities.

Canterbury Cathedral - poster child for Pillars of the Earth

One jaunt during our stay took us to Canterbury and its iconic Cathedral, and while perhaps not as impressive from the exterior as some of its counterparts in other parts of England, the Cathedral's interior bowled us over. The columns, ceilings and windows were absolutely breathtaking.

A volunteer guide gave an interesting tour that focused on historical anecdotes, underscoring the importance of the Cathedral and its place in English history.

A stroll along the White Cliffs of Dover

That afternoon we returned to Dover and walked the White Cliffs, the French coast clear across the English Channel.

During our walk we noticed an abundance of wild cabbage and the rabbit community which was flourishing.

A rabbit totally unbothered by us

Before reaching the lighthouse we came across a steep cut into the limestone cliffs - apparently manmade to retrieve a cargo of valuable grand pianos caught in a shipwreck in the 1800s. 

The next day we drove the narrow country lanes past Oast houses and country cottages, many of which were adorned with impressive climbing roses in full bloom. Visiting the country town of Tenterton and the medieval enclave of Rye we returned over the Romney Marshes along the coast road. 

The chocolate box town of Rye

Travelling through Folkestone we continued on to the turnoff for Sanphire Hoe - the resting place for the excavation materials from the Channel Tunnel‘s construction.

The Euro Tunnel organization has done a great job of transforming the site into grasslands with walkways along the foreshore. It’s also a popular spot for fishers, although the fish were not biting today.  One fisher complained that the sea was just too rough.

Enjoying a "99" on Sanphire Hoe

Beyond Sanphire Hoe, the Port of Dover gleamed in the sunshine, the White Cliffs of Dover living up to their reputation, the limestone looking particularly milky white.

The next day we would board the Ocean Princess for our journey up the Norwegian coast and over the Arctic Circle to the Land of the Midnight Sun.