canterbury tales

we woke up early one saturday and took the train to canterbury to create some tales of our own. actually, all i wanted was some oysters - we had had whistable oysters at bentley's near piccadilly's circus a few weeks earlier so i had whistable + oysters on the brain.



but to work up an appetite, first we cycled the 7 1/2-miles from canterbury to the coast, up and down hills, vales and past vast fields - including one where some boys were kitted up in black American football jerseys, a strange sight for the english countryside.

(i had a sudden flashback to my high school days: in the weeks before school began, we had daily tennis practice - twice a day, i think - and there was always a sense of excitement and anticipation in the air of what was to come that school year. i can still remember the smell of the football fields in august and the sight of the boys running up and down the bleachers...)



once in whistable, we took in the ocean air and then ducked as quickly as we could into a restaurant for oysters, dressed crab salad, thick brown bread and champagne. and then, tipsy, we took the train back to canterbury.

all of england was in the midst of a rugby frenzy that day. on our way home we watched the england v south africa final at an all bar one near london bridge. francis was cheering for south africa; i thought there was going to be a rumble!