Dover, has been the entry point to England, from the English Channel side, since ancient times . It is the closest point to France - Calais to be precise. It is said that Julius Ceaser also wanted to land at Dover,in 55B.C. but actually landed at some other beach. Dover existed in my mind, as the place from where Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton crossed over to Calais in "A Tale of Two Cities". It was the port town where people wanting to go to France, stopped before catching their ferry, and stayed in inns.
Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria landed here when he came to marry Victoria. Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth I, King Henry VIII, all visited Dover. Wordsworth and Mathew Arnold crossed the Channel from here. Charles Dickens visited often, Daniel Defoe came and wrote about it. Ian Fleming lived here for some time and wrote some James Bond books here.
Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria landed here when he came to marry Victoria. Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth I, King Henry VIII, all visited Dover. Wordsworth and Mathew Arnold crossed the Channel from here. Charles Dickens visited often, Daniel Defoe came and wrote about it. Ian Fleming lived here for some time and wrote some James Bond books here.
When I visited it recently, I was visualizing all these people travelling from London to Dover slowly and steadily in their horse drawn carriages, looking out for highway men and inns. Our journey took us less than two hours, on the motorway. The scenery on both sides surely was the same as it was then. Then also it would have been as picturesque, with its green meadows with cows, sheep and horses grazing in them, and long stretches of cultivation and farms. It was undulating expanse of beauty! How lovely is the English countryside- has to be seen to be believed!
As we reached Dover, the first view of the famous white cliffs was stupendous. I have seen a lot of mountains and hills, from the mighty Himalayas, from very close quarters right from Uttaranchal to Darjeeling, Haldi ghati, the Vindhyas, the Pir Panjal, in Kashmir, to the Yosemite Mountain, Grand Canyon and the White Mountains in USA. But the sight of these white cliffs was so very unique. They looked flaky. They are chalk cliffs which are composed mainly of soft, white limestone. They go straight into the sea. A sheer drop.
After our picnic on the cliffs we walked over them. The walk across is very scenic. The view of the busy harbour where one after the other ferries docked and departed on their way to Calais or some other close by harbour across the Channel was interesting. The comings and goings were very frequent. Walking on the cliffs, looking at ships go by, little fishing boats, sail boats, motor boats, huge liners at a distance, the seagulls flying about and making such a lot of noise was very relaxing. The blue colour of the sea and crystal clear water from a distance was soothing.
The path where we walked was full of beautiful wild flowers. The pattern made by nature is really beautiful. No one can replicate it. The wind from the sea was very fresh and a bit cold. The flowers and bushes swayed gently with the wind. The effect is quite soothing. It made me feel very free. It seemed as though all the cares of the world had vanished and nature, beauty, freedom, and fresh air had taken over.
Far away in the distance one could see the coastline of France. From our imaginative eyes we could even see houses-but that was only imagination. However in reality, the mobile phones started getting messages of welcome from the French network, welcoming us to France!! Without a Visa!!!
We walked over the cliffs and after 2 miles reached the Light House. We went into the Light House which is no longer active but has been taken over by the National Heritage Trust. It was interesting to go in and see how life must have been for the Light House keeper who lived so far away from the town, constantly watching the sea perched up in his lonely tower. He kept vigil and helped ships stay away from the cliffs and go in the correct direction. From where he would sit perched up, are two instruments with which he could communicate with people in his house. There were ventilators too. All made of brass and shining.
This tower has history behind it. It has a 100-year-old working clockwork mechanism.
This was the Light House from where the world's first ship-to-shore transmission was sent on Christmas Eve, 1898, from the East Goodwin lightship by Marconi. The test message was Greetings for Christmas. Again in 1899 the lighthouse was used for exchanging wireless messages across the Channel to Wimereux in France. It was also the first light house where Faraday experimented with his electrically powered light bulb.
The first person to cross the Channel was Captain Matthew Webb's. He covered himself in porpoise oil, and dived into the Channel from the Admiralty Pier at Dover. Although he was stung by jellyfish, and strong currents kept him off the French coast for five hours, he finally landed at Calais, recording a time of 21 hours 45 minutes. Mihir Sen was the first Indian to swim the English Channel, from Dover to Calais on September 27 1958 He took 14 hours and 45 minutes.
After our picnic on the cliffs we walked over them. The walk across is very scenic. The view of the busy harbour where one after the other ferries docked and departed on their way to Calais or some other close by harbour across the Channel was interesting. The comings and goings were very frequent. Walking on the cliffs, looking at ships go by, little fishing boats, sail boats, motor boats, huge liners at a distance, the seagulls flying about and making such a lot of noise was very relaxing. The blue colour of the sea and crystal clear water from a distance was soothing.
The path where we walked was full of beautiful wild flowers. The pattern made by nature is really beautiful. No one can replicate it. The wind from the sea was very fresh and a bit cold. The flowers and bushes swayed gently with the wind. The effect is quite soothing. It made me feel very free. It seemed as though all the cares of the world had vanished and nature, beauty, freedom, and fresh air had taken over.
Far away in the distance one could see the coastline of France. From our imaginative eyes we could even see houses-but that was only imagination. However in reality, the mobile phones started getting messages of welcome from the French network, welcoming us to France!! Without a Visa!!!
We walked over the cliffs and after 2 miles reached the Light House. We went into the Light House which is no longer active but has been taken over by the National Heritage Trust. It was interesting to go in and see how life must have been for the Light House keeper who lived so far away from the town, constantly watching the sea perched up in his lonely tower. He kept vigil and helped ships stay away from the cliffs and go in the correct direction. From where he would sit perched up, are two instruments with which he could communicate with people in his house. There were ventilators too. All made of brass and shining.
This tower has history behind it. It has a 100-year-old working clockwork mechanism.
This was the Light House from where the world's first ship-to-shore transmission was sent on Christmas Eve, 1898, from the East Goodwin lightship by Marconi. The test message was Greetings for Christmas. Again in 1899 the lighthouse was used for exchanging wireless messages across the Channel to Wimereux in France. It was also the first light house where Faraday experimented with his electrically powered light bulb.
The first person to cross the Channel was Captain Matthew Webb's. He covered himself in porpoise oil, and dived into the Channel from the Admiralty Pier at Dover. Although he was stung by jellyfish, and strong currents kept him off the French coast for five hours, he finally landed at Calais, recording a time of 21 hours 45 minutes. Mihir Sen was the first Indian to swim the English Channel, from Dover to Calais on September 27 1958 He took 14 hours and 45 minutes.
Dover town is beautiful too. It has a castle, a nice market place with cobbled roads and for modernity one has a giant TV screen where one can watch the BBC news very loud and clear.
A lovely town, beautiful cliffs, blue waters and noisy sea gulls. A lovely walk across with nature in its beautiful bounty was a trip worth taking. Lovely, memorable, relaxing and setting the mind free.
