Jim and Di have known Muriel for years and in fact, Muriel delivered Di’s twins.  Having never met them but being somewhat apprehensive we arrived at 1:00 PM for dinner.

After a Pastis Jim told me of his career for more than three decades in the British Royal Marines and Di, of her son, still serving on yet another tour of duty.  Stressful, I am sure for any parent.

Dinner was all home made as follows:

Wonderful roast beef

Mushy Peas or “grit bricks” I think Di called them,

Roasted potatoes,

Summer beans,

Roast parsnips,

Cauliflower cheese,

Yorkshire pudding with gravy and horseradish sauce too.

 

Needless to say red and white wine was free flowing.

 

For desert: fresh apple blackberry pie with crème and crème Anglais and Armagnac.

 

Then a wonderful selection of English cheese.  Dad, I had the Stilton on biscuits with butter.

 

A perfect meal and even nicer company.

England: Cold, wet and raining.

Today I went into Deal for coffee and a walkabout.  Many shops have closed and the economic crisis has clearly hit Britain too.  Many boarded up shops and new shops that I suspect will be closed soon too. 

Off to Dover for dinner with Sally and Grahame.. Sally is a great cook.  Last time I was here she made lamb, my favorite dish and the next night: steak and kidney pie.  It was great.  Today, we had homemade soup, homemade bread and steak and kidney pie with baked Alaska for desert.  It was great.  Flaky puff pastry melted in my mouth.  I wish I had taken leftovers, as I am hungry now. 

We listened to Mick Fleetwood and his rendition of the blues.  Good food, good company and good music.

November 7, 2008 Deal, England

Deal is a town in Kent, England. It lies on the English Channel eight miles north-east of Dover. It is a small fishing community situated between Dover and Ramsgate. Closely associated with Deal are the villages of Kingsdown, Sholden and Walmer, the latter being where Julius Caesar first arrived in Britain. Muriel has a “cottage” here by the sea and we are off to a local pub for lunch, in Walmer and and then to visit Sandwich.

Muriel has lived here since the Middle Ages.

This pub is where we had a great fish and chip lunch today

Walmer Castle and its beautiful formal gardens are a major attraction for visitors. The official residence of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports since the 18th Century, the building is now an English Heritage property. Famous Lord Wardens have included Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Sir Winston Churchill, William Pitt the Younger (whose niece Lady Hester Stanhope first created the gardens), and the Duke of Wellington (of the Battle of Waterloo fame). Wellington lived there for 23 years and the castle houses not only a collection of Wellington memorabilia but also the room in which he died.

The Castle was built in 1540 as one of three on this part of the Kent coast by orders of Henry VIII.