Dover Castle and The Cliffs of Dover

 The town of Dover is on the southeast coast of England, about an hour southeast of London. With a huge, historically significant castle and gorgeous white cliffs, the town is definitely one of England's gems. It's also where you can catch the ferry to France.

Underneath the castle is a series of hidden tunnels which served as the hiding place for many British soldiers during WWII after they were rescued from the shores of Dunkurk, France.

After several hours of exploring at the castle, we drove just a little further along the coastline to see the Cliffs of Dover.

We were so far out on the coast, my mobile picked up French phone service.

"Bffs" since 2nd grade...

We also had some fun with special effects. We all attempted, but it turns out the ginger won for most impressive jump. I guess years of playing baseball paid off. It's a catcher's pose in the air.

A view of the castle in the distance, right at the golden hour. 

Another perspective from sea level.

The Cliffs of Dover are absolutely stunning. I don't think England get's enough credit for some of the natural beauty it has to offer! 

Day at the Coast

After much searching, we finally found a great dog-friendly beach that is a reasonable distance from us for a day trip. Dunwich Beach allows dogs on the beach all year round. It has free parking, is clean, has a beautiful backdrop, and isn't too crowded.

The North Sea is a liiiitle too choppy for ideal dog swimming conditions, but Jason was careful to only throw the ball out a short distance. Just enough for Fira to show off her skills.

Like many of the England's beaches, instead of traditional sand there were tons of pebbles everywhere.

We felt like we had the whole beach to ourselves!

Back at it, after a bit of sun bathing.

Dexter the sun worshiper. What a happy boy sitting next to his Dad.

Fira was tuckered out.

Next, we drove a few miles north to the more popular beach town of Southwold to grab some dinner.

Fira was more rested after her nap in the car and had the special privilege of sitting with the humans during dinner. 

Afterwards, the four of us had a lovely evening walk.

We even caught a glimpse of the lighthouse peeking through the row of terraced houses.

Dexter was a tired boy the following morning. Lazy Sunday.

Girls' Weekend in Paris

While Nicole was here visiting, we caught an early morning train ride from London to Paris. 

Upon arrival in Paris, we immediately met up with Becky who had flown in from New Jersey earlier that morning. She had spontaneously decided to join us for the girls trip only a few days prior. After all, it wouldn't have felt right without her. Life is short, embrace the opportunity for adventure.

They say that French women have a natural ability to enjoy life and treat themselves right in a rather effortless way. We did just that.

A girls' weekend in Paris is the creme de la creme of girls' weekends. And what fabulous ladies to spend it with. Au revoir!

Just Another Beer Festival

With our new love of British Cask Ales, we decided to attend the Cambridge Summer Beer Festival. This time around, we were much more familiar with many of the local breweries and felt less like rookies. The festival was within walking distance from our house and it was a gorgeous summer evening. 

On our way there, we said hello to some of the Cambridge locals...

A beautiful green space "shared" by everyone.

So calm and peaceful, totally undisturbed by all the pedestrians walking by.

Apparently, we weren't the only ones wanting to go to the festival. Luckily, the line moved quickly.

Happy, beer drinking smiles!

We love Cambridge!