The Canterbury Times

I have lots of great memories from my trip across the pond, not the least of which was visiting the Canterbury Cathedral. That's not a photo of it I posted here, however. This is the famous dunking (or ducking) stool in Canterbury - and I think everyone who went on this trip with G&G Hall saw this particular sight. The other thing that made this particular portion of the trip so enjoyable is that this is when Vern introduced me to the just about the best food item in the whole of Great Briton. Ice-cold milk dispensed from a machine in little cartons - 2p each. Actually, now that I think about it the price may have been 4p. Whatever.

Nevertheless, WOW! I also think it was the first time I realized how much I have in common with Vern. Over the years I have come to believe that he and I may be more alike than any other ancestor familiar to me. I'm certainly much more like him that I am my own father. I don't know that there's anything wrong with that. I enjoyed being around my Dad more than almost anyone else I know. And quite frankly, if Vern and I had grown up together it's possible neither one of us would have amounted to any good at all.

But here's a case in point. Vern and I are in Folkstone (on the coast in Kent). Having wrapped up the day's work he says to me: "Hey, want to go see France?" "Sure!" say I, thinking this is the opportunity of a lifetime. So he takes me down a few blocks to the coast highway, points across the channel and say: "Look. There's France."

I might have been mad - except I couldn't stop laughing. What a guy. What a trip.