Across the Univers[ity]: Writing The Words Of A Sermon That No One Will Hear

For our last excursion outside of London, we traveled to Kent to visit Dover Castle. Known as the 'Gateway to England', this giant of a castle displays a solid strength and determination that has obviously carried it through many troubled times. Proudly standing atop the White Cliffs, overlooking this busy port, Dover Castle has withstood the test of time remarkably well throughout its long and eventful history. Dover Castle, as it stands today, dates from the rebuilding work during Henry II's reign, but the site has been of vital importance since the Iron Age. At the highest point in the castle stand two buildings which predate the castle -the remains of a Roman lighthouse and a Saxon church. The surrounding bank dates from the thirteenth century but underlies one dated by archaeologists to the mid-eleventh century, suggesting that this area could be the site of the first small castle built by William the Conqueror. Pretty cool if you ask me. We also got a nice view (from afar) of France.

Our pilgrimage coincidently ended at Canterbury where we had lunch with Grandfather Geoffrey and then toured the Canterbury Cathedral. The Cathedral's history goes back to 597AD when St Augustine, sent by Pope Gregory the Great as a missionary, established his seat (or 'Cathedra') in Canterbury. In 1170 Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered in the Cathedral and ever since, the Cathedral has attracted thousands of pilgrims (now including me), as told famously in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Canterbury Cathedral is also the Mother Church of the Anglican Communion and the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury…apparently making it more legit than St. Paul’s. jk.