To read the post on Day 2, click here.
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Today’s highlights: Leeds Castle, Dover, Canterbury Cathedral

We woke up early today. 5am to be specific. We were out the door by 6:30am. It was cold! Really cold! I could feel the cold penetrating through my jeans, my shirt, and my shoes. Even after I’ve put on my jacket, it was still very cold! It was only around 11am did I start feeling warm enough to take off my jacket. By that time, we were ready to explore the breathtaking Leeds Castle, a 12th century castle in Kent, England. It was about an hour and a half away by luxury coach from central London. It was certainly worth the trip! The castle is small but the grounds on which it stands is sprawling. It was described as the “loveliest castle in the world”. We spent an hour touring the inside of the castle and also taking photos outside of it. There are a few bedrooms open to the public, as well as the dining and sitting areas. What amazed me the most is the library. It was filled with books from floor to ceiling and some of the books are about 2 feet long, all of them are hardbound! Outside the castle, I fell in love with the trees and flowers. For the first time, I saw a Wisteria tree in person. It doesn’t only have beautiful purple flowers, they are also very fragrant. The highlight, for me, are the tulips! They come in several bright colors including deep purple blooms. So pretty!

Stevenage Train Station – about 20 minutes from Central London (photo c/o Ariel)

Inside the train to London’s King Cross station where we will transfer to the Tube (photo c/o Ariel)

Going into the Leeds Castle grounds (photo c/o Ariel)

Part of Leeds Castle

Entering the castle from the back entrance – the castle is surrounded by a moat (photo c/o Ariel’s brother)

Going inside (photo c/o Ariel)

Pausing for a photo

One of the main bedrooms inside the castle

Another bedroom

And yet another bedroom

The books inside the library – they are huge! Some are about 2 ft long.

Library

The castle – it’s small but very pretty

Picture muna (photo c/o Ariel’s brother)

Posing in front of the castle (photo c/o Ariel)

Tulips in the garden

More tulips!

A purple one

In the beautiful tulip garden in front of the castle (photo c/o Ariel’s brother)

After Leeds, we made a quick stop at Dover, a small coastal town in Kent, England. We walked to the beach to take photos and we got amazed by people wearing swim suits. It was freezing cold!

At the beach – instead of sand, the shore was lined with pebbles. It was a sunny but chilly day.

The beach

Kayaks for rent

Then we proceeded to Canterbury to see their cathedral. By this time, we were already famished, so before proceeding to the church, we decided to have lunch first. We opted to eat in a local pub and I ordered fish and chips with Coke. Ariel got a burger.

Waiting for our lunch (photo c/o Ariel’s brother)

After our lunch, we finally had the energy to explore the church. The structure was huge with very intricate details both on the exterior and interior of the church.

The magnificent Canterbury Cathedral

The impressive interiors – love the architecture! Look at those details!

At the side of the cathedral (photo c/o Ariel’s brother)

Another exterior shot

For Day 4, click here.