Saturday I took the 2.5 hour train ride to Dover, right on the coast of England and the closest point to France. I've always wanted to see the white cliffs, and, perfectly for me, there is a castle as well! The town is a curious mix of historical buildings and touristy shops that contrasts with the huge, busy port full of cruise ships, ferries, and shipping docks. I ended up walking to the castle from the rail station, which was quite a hike uphill.
The inner keep/tower of Dover Castle was built in 1181, but other elements of the castle were built for defense during the second World War. There are 3.8 miles of tunnels deep beneath the cliffs, and you can explore some of them during the tour. You go underground in one area of the grounds and pop up out of the ground on completely the other side of the keep. It was very cool, and you have amazing views of the city and port from the top of the cliff.
The keep was also unique in that you could explore all of the rooms and take photos (I suppose because no one lives there). There's also a chapel for military use on the grounds and you can walk along the entire outer wall of the battlements.
Afterward, I walked down to the water and to the end of the Princes Pier, where you can get a pretty good panoramic view of the cliffs. I would have liked to explore the cliffs a bit more, but it was starting to get dark, so I headed back to the rail station and then home. Overall, it was a gorgeous day- sunny for once, and plenty of exploring!
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