Dover Castle

Over President's Day (and Patrick's birthday weekend) we took off on Sunday and spent the day at Dover Castle and then spent the night in Canterbury which is just up the road a half hour or so. It was a truly beautiful day and we were so happy to be outside even though it was chilly. It was the end of the British half-term so the castle had activities going on and that day were acting out what it would have been like to have lived at Dover castle and trained as a Knight. They had the kids go thru "training" and then had to slay a dragon. It was pretty cute and the kids enjoyed it. I liked that they told them all about how life was like for kids training to be knights- especially about how they used to have to kneel and hold platters of food for the adults eating for hours on end. Kids these days.... have it so good. :)

Dover Castle at the end of the day. This castle has been in continuous military occupation for over 800 years and is one of the oldest around that is intact.

The kids all getting their training as knights


Being "knighted" by King Henry II


Now to slay the dragon... Patrick was in hot pursuit!

Emma (on right) and another girl offering up the dragon's head after they got him.

The kids walking around the walls of the castle.

The Roman lighthouse that was built in the first century AD.

Jack reading about how they used to use these rooms as look-outs during WWII and how to destinguish between "friend or foe" airplanes. This picture is for my mom who taught the kids to say "friend or foe?" when someone knocks on the door! :)
The tunnels in the White Cliffs that were built in the Middle Ages but have been used by the military for years. They have a really cool exhibit in there and you can tour them. They used some tunnels as a hospital and barracks during WWII. It was so interesting and fun to tour them.
After we wandered around the castle we walked down to the beach and hung out for a bit.

No matter that we said not to get wet.... they did, of course.

We drove over to another spot where you can get a better view of the white cliffs and this was looking back at the castle during the sunset. It was such an amazingly beautiful night.
The kids were tired and didn't want to get out of the car but after I walked around a bit I went back and insisted that they get out (or walk home!) and they finally did. I think they were happy they did. Here is Patrick checkin out the white cliffs

and since they were out of the car... may as well goof around for some pictures!