Tuesday 24 April Market Harborough to Seer Green
Another homemade breakfast greeted us downstairs as Lin had made porridge for us. It was a relaxing way to start the day, especially with Handel’s Largo playing in the background. Afterwards we bade John and Lin farewell and headed for Milton Keynes Centre to find a car charger for the IPad. It just happened that the Lego shop was across the way from the Apple shop. Imagine that! We filled up a tub with bricks. Then we went in search of a suitcase on wheels which could use as carry-on. It was good to wander through the Centre and surprising how familiar it all was.
Pieter was overjoyed we got back to the car and discovered that the new charger did its job. He programmed the gps on the dashboard for Rochester and soon we were traveling south to the orders of Miss GPS, “in 300 yards veer right, take the second exit, continue on the M1 for 9 miles” . I relaxed. Some other woman was telling Pieter where to go.
A few hours and half the London ring road later, we got to Rochester. We did a walking tour to see the buildings and sites that inspired Charles Dickens. Just as we started the rain stopped, at last. When we got to the tourist office a group of loud schoolgirls were testing the patience of the staff. The lady behind the counter told us about another Dickens exhibition at the Guildhall. We hurried off and discovered not only an excellent video of how Dickens saw Rochester in the 1850-80s. There were also exhibits of the hulk ships, maritime items and town history. They used mirrors creatively to make spaces appear larger. Altogether it was well presented and supplemented what we saw yesterday at the Museum of London. When we get back home I will have to read Edwin Drood, Dickens last unfinished book, set in Rochester.
We wound up Miss GPS and she got us to our campsite in Seer Green, via the other half of the ring road (yes we’re almost back to where we started).
We have had a lovely meal in the local pub- The Jolly Cricketers. Pieter’s thumb looks dreadful and makes cutting his food nearly impossible. “Bryce Courtney” is sitting at the next table behaving lecherously towards a blond half his age. Disgusting!
Tomorrow we will catch our flight to Goteborg, Sweden, after bringing the car and Miss GPS back to Hertz.
PS. I listened to The Archers tonight before going to the pub and meeting people who must have been the inspiration for some of the characters.
Travels from Ur 