DOVER (updated)

WEATHER: 15 °C and lower, rainy, cloudy, windy

Well, it certainly wasn't a good idea to visit Dover on 24th June, the weather was awfull. But at least I experienced a bit of the real English weather.

Again I travelled by train, the return ticket cost £7.75:

Dover Priory, the rail station is quite far from the Castle, about 1 mile. It took a good 40 minutes on foot to reach the castle especially because the castle is located on the top of a hill:

Dover Castle is a big complex consisting of several separate buildings:

You buy your ticket at the entrance (£17.50 - student concession), you get a wristband and you are allowed to visit each part of the castle on that day:

I also got a map to use but hunestly it couldn't be used because of the strong wind.

This is the view you first meet when stepping in the complex. Quite impressive, isn't it?

The castle was built for Henry II (12th century) and was actively used again during WW I and WW II.

Inside the complex a Roman Pharos and the Curch of St Mary-in-Castro:

The Pharos:

The church:

 

Playing corner (!) inside the church:

The most important sights in the castle is the Great Tower where Henry II lived. But before you go there, tourist are directed to another part of the Castle where the history of Henry II is briefly explained on the one hand through videos running in different languages and on the other hand through pictures, maquettes and short paragraphs:

Here can be found a maquette of the Great Tower:

The Great Tower from the outside:

In the inside there are four rooms which look like as if they were in the 12th century. Unfortunately the lights were awfull so the pictures aren't so clear:

You can also go on the top of the tower, which, of course, I did. I'm a great fan of climbing onto the top of buildings so I couldn't miss it even in this weather:

As I have already mentioned, the castle and the underground tunnels were actively used during the wars. The famous Operation Dynamo, Rescue from Dunkirk was operated from these tunnels. You can also visit these tunnels if you go on the guided tour. The group goes into the underground tunnels, is directed through different rooms, where the story of the WW II and the rescue from Dunkirk is told using each and every new technologies (projecting videos to the most unexpected surfaces, combining speeches with pictures and sound effects...) Unfortunately taking photos is not allowed there, so I haven't got any proof to show you, except for the statue of Ramsay who was in charge of the rescue:

After I finished at the castle, I wanted to go to the seaside, too. Yes, I was crazy to think it would be lovely but...

Five years ago I was already at the seaside in Dover, when it was abouve 25 °C and sunny. I loved being there on the shore as it is a lovely one. The view from the Castle:

I thought it would be easy to find it on foot from the castle, but it turned out to be very difficult. I was wondering around in this weather about 30 minutes before I found the way. I arrived there took some photos and that was it. No sitting down and admiring the view, no coffee/tea drinking at the shore, unfortunately.

All in all, I have to admit that the castle is really a good thing to visit, but otherwise the city is quite grey and unfriendly. (But maybe I see it like that only because of the weather, who knows...)

How much did I spend altogether?
£27.65 (bus and train ticket included) ~ about 10.000 Ft

And a picture that about covers my day: