Canterbury Tales

We're stomping around Canterbury a bit today, one of my favourite places in the world. Whenever I get back to England I come here. There's something about the narrow cobbled streets, the buildings all leaning on each other and of course the cathedral and the history that just calls to me. After last night's big rehearsal it's good to just relax and stroll around. I'm writing this in a Starbucks (as usual) next to the entrance gate to the cathedral. It's one of the funkiest Starbucks I've been in (and I've been in a few!), all small rooms, pokey corners and low beams. I don't care what people say. Starbucks' coffee is uniformly good (though admittedly not a patch on the one I bought from the Monmouth Street Coffee Company in London. Best. Coffee. Ever), and I've never had bad service there. Actually, while I'm thinking about coffee (and supping my extra-shot grande latte) I must just warn you, dear reader, to beware what you order overseas. I asked for a coffee in Singapore, a grande flat white at 55℃ (which I always do nowadays as it avoids the terrible result of having burned milk and therefore a cup-o-arse). This poor dude decided that I obviously didn't mean the milk, I meant the whole coffee so he proceeded to half-fill the cup with cold tap water, then pour the espresso and arse milk in after. Needless to say it tasted of buttocks so it made its way into the nearest pot plant.



Sarah is sitting here nose-deep in a book about Henry VIII (her new obsession) and Bridge is staring out of the window, no doubt thinking about Tom. That, or whether or not to buy that stupendous black velvet dress. She's hard to read. We had an amazing moment this morning as we entered the cathedral just as the Eucharist Mass began (being a Sunday). The cathedral was filled with the incredible sound of the Canterbury choir and for quite a while we just stood there, breath-struck. I'm not a religious person, but I have to admit it was spine-tingling. For me, the highlight of the visit was the Becket Spot, and the incredibly powerful piece of art hanging over it.



The other thing I love looking for in churches is Greenmen and Pans. I found this particularly wonderful one inside one of the Canterbury Chapels within the Cathedral!



Right, the latte is gone and the grey streets of Canterbury beckon, as does that 3/4 length velvet coat I found...