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Beauty In The Mundane: A Trip To Canterbury
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By Solomon Park
Going to the Kentish Coast!
Three hours from concrete sidewalks and glass towers lie the Kentish Coasts. Composed of clay and limestone, these cliffs have an unmatched natural beauty that stretch for a whopping 350 miles. So, when we were putting together our list of places to visit, Camden and I knew that we wanted to make the trip out. We had planned to hitch a ride with Kat who was going to a town on the way. The trip began smoothly but took a left turn when, due to a miscommunication with when we were supposed to switch trains, we found ourselves in a small train station 2 hours away from the coast. Stranded in an unknown place and already an hour away from London, we decided to all pitch in for an Uber and tag along with Kat.
Going to the Kentish Coast , Canterbury!
Far from a disappointment, what followed was one of my favorite days of the whole trip. Our revised schedule began with us talking for an hour with our Uber driver Josue.
Although he was from Brazil, he had once lived in Florida. For an hour, we learned about his job as a carpenter, the differences between life in the States and London, his hopes of one day moving back to Miami, and the shocking price of gas in the UK. And as we talked, we passed rolling green hills, small towns, and farms that all reminded me of back home. Before long, the ride was over. But as we turned into the small town of Canterbury, I wished that the ride was just a little longer.
Canterbury
The ocean is something you feel before you see – the drop in temperature and the saltiness of the air. Admittedly, this was the only thing I knew about our location as we got out of the car. Canterbury is an incredibly important and historical city. In prehistoric times, it was inhabited by the Celtic tribe of the Cantiaci, and in 43 CE it was conquered by Romans. However, it is most well known for being the home of Canterbury Cathedral. A UNESCO World Heritage site, this church is so massive that it is still under construction. Originally built in 597, I could only imagine what pioneers must have first thought when they finally arrived at their destination. While Kat went to the Canterbury Museum, Camden and I took to exploring the town. For an hour, we roamed the streets like two locals and saw what life outside of London is like. As it turns out, Canterbury’s main street with it’s assortment of small shops, restaurants and pubs has the same small town vibe as Lawrence. We eventually ended up at a local bar where we hilariously both got ID’d before we left for Evensong.
Two Truths And A Lie
1. I lost my phone
2. I met five former Jayhawks
3. I went to the National Gallery twice
See Page 97 for Answer Key
As a Game of Thrones fan, Evensong sounds like something that would exist in the seven kingdoms. Jokes aside, it is a free night service that features a communal choir. Given the church’s historic background, it is no surprise that this ensemble was particularly phenomenal.
Chance and Tribulation
As we took the train back to London, this time making sure not to get off at the wrong station, I thought about the adventure we just had. At the heart of my reflection was the question of if not. If not for that one mishap: we would not have met our uber driver, never explored Canterbury, gone to Evensong, or all gotten to know each other a bit more. It is for that last point that made the trip all worth it in the end.
Favorite tube line? Circle
Number of books bought?
Four
Favorite museum? National Gallery
Best restaurant? Dishoom
Did you ride the new Elizabeth Line? No
Did anyone in London say Rock Chalk to you? Yes
Steven is a first-year student from Costa Rica majoring in Microbiology and Molecular biology with a minor in Anthropology. He would like to go to grad school and acquire a PhD some day. He enjoys learning new things, traveling, and loves nature. His favorite places in London were Oxford and the multiple museums he visited.
