Day 13: Tuesday, October 11, 2016: Calais, Dover
After breakfast we will drive up to the port of Calais for the ferry ride over to England. We will see the famous White Cliffs as we sail into Dover. We will stay in Dover this evening, in the Ramada Dover Hotel. We will dine in our hotel. (B/D)
Notes from the travelers (Isabella):
Today after a classic French breakfast of cheese, croissants , and coffee we dozed through a four hour bus ride from Bayeux to Calais. In Calais we boarded a Ferry and waved au revoir to France as we began crossing the English Channel. Whilst on board, we took advantage of the duty free shopping to buy souvenirs and lots of Cadbury chocolate! Soon the White Cliffs which Dover, England is so famous for began to appear out along the horizon. It was a stunning view as we approached the Dover Harbor and sailed along the coastline of England.
Our bus driver picked us up in the harbor to take us to our new hotel, but Dr. Wilson convinced him to stop off on the cliffs so that we could see the view from the top. The weather was fantastic as we hiked up the cliffs: cool, crisp, refreshing sea air and warm sunshine. Soon we got carried away picking fresh blackberries and running through the fields on top of the cliffs. Picture the classic adorable English countryside of rolling meadows and picket fences and add the magnificence of a 180 view down the coastline with sunlight filtering through to illuminate sparkling white cliffs. After trailblazing for a while, we found a narrow pathway that led down a cliff to a small ledge area where we could sit and see straight down the cliffs. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of our surroundings and the grandeur of God's creation. I could see His power in the strong elegance of the white cliffs, His painterly strokes in the varying shades of blue in the sea below, and His love in the camaraderie of our class as we all explored and climbed the cliffs . After a few hours of running around the little trails, we reluctantly headed back to our bus. Our bus driver was really patient and nice about us being quite late. We then checked in to the Hotel Ramada, and ate a wonderful four course dinner with bread pudding for dessert. Later during our evening devotionals, Dr. Wilson introduced an activity started by Ms. Leong on the senior trip last year. We went around the room and each person said something that they appreciated about every other person in the room. While it ended up taking about two hours, the activity turned out to be a really wonderful time of fellowship and a good reminder for us of the things we truly appreciate about each other.
While today was really just a traveling day, where we didn't actually see any monuments or crazy cathedrals, it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip for me. After seeing so many ornate and masterful works of art in Europe, it was really special to still be blown away by God's beauty in nature, the ultimate painter and master sculptor. I think that sometimes it is the small things in life that are the sweetest, like fresh wild blackberries while sitting on a cliffside with your best friends.
I am excited for the last few days of our trip coming up, and will always cherish the memory of our afternoon adventures in beautiful Dover!
After breakfast we will drive up to the port of Calais for the ferry ride over to England. We will see the famous White Cliffs as we sail into Dover. We will stay in Dover this evening, in the Ramada Dover Hotel. We will dine in our hotel. (B/D)
Notes from the travelers (Isabella):
Today after a classic French breakfast of cheese, croissants , and coffee we dozed through a four hour bus ride from Bayeux to Calais. In Calais we boarded a Ferry and waved au revoir to France as we began crossing the English Channel. Whilst on board, we took advantage of the duty free shopping to buy souvenirs and lots of Cadbury chocolate! Soon the White Cliffs which Dover, England is so famous for began to appear out along the horizon. It was a stunning view as we approached the Dover Harbor and sailed along the coastline of England.
Our bus driver picked us up in the harbor to take us to our new hotel, but Dr. Wilson convinced him to stop off on the cliffs so that we could see the view from the top. The weather was fantastic as we hiked up the cliffs: cool, crisp, refreshing sea air and warm sunshine. Soon we got carried away picking fresh blackberries and running through the fields on top of the cliffs. Picture the classic adorable English countryside of rolling meadows and picket fences and add the magnificence of a 180 view down the coastline with sunlight filtering through to illuminate sparkling white cliffs. After trailblazing for a while, we found a narrow pathway that led down a cliff to a small ledge area where we could sit and see straight down the cliffs. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of our surroundings and the grandeur of God's creation. I could see His power in the strong elegance of the white cliffs, His painterly strokes in the varying shades of blue in the sea below, and His love in the camaraderie of our class as we all explored and climbed the cliffs . After a few hours of running around the little trails, we reluctantly headed back to our bus. Our bus driver was really patient and nice about us being quite late. We then checked in to the Hotel Ramada, and ate a wonderful four course dinner with bread pudding for dessert. Later during our evening devotionals, Dr. Wilson introduced an activity started by Ms. Leong on the senior trip last year. We went around the room and each person said something that they appreciated about every other person in the room. While it ended up taking about two hours, the activity turned out to be a really wonderful time of fellowship and a good reminder for us of the things we truly appreciate about each other.
While today was really just a traveling day, where we didn't actually see any monuments or crazy cathedrals, it ended up being one of the highlights of the trip for me. After seeing so many ornate and masterful works of art in Europe, it was really special to still be blown away by God's beauty in nature, the ultimate painter and master sculptor. I think that sometimes it is the small things in life that are the sweetest, like fresh wild blackberries while sitting on a cliffside with your best friends.
I am excited for the last few days of our trip coming up, and will always cherish the memory of our afternoon adventures in beautiful Dover!