I wish I
could’ve been a passenger on the legendary Orient Express during the golden age
of travel. The luxury train service made famous by Agatha Christie’s novel Murder
on the Orient Express is once again traversing the countries of Europe but the fare
is a little too expensive for me. I experienced the next best thing by booking
a trip on her sister train, Belmond British Pullman.
Belmond British
Pullman carries passengers on the London to Folkestone leg of Venice Simplon-Orient-Express journeys to exotic destinations like Venice, Budapest
and Istanbul. They also offer a variety of tours in Great Britain including a
Murder Mystery Lunch (the dates unfortunately didn’t fit our plans). So we took
a day trip to Historic Canterbury in southeastern England.
We were
booked on Cygnus, a vintage carriage that has been used by travelling royalty and visiting
heads of state. The car also served in Winston Churchill’s funeral train and made
an appearance in the 1979 film Agatha starring Vanessa Redgrave and Dustin
Hoffman. The word ‘cygnus’ is Latin for swan and the bird is depicted in the carriage's mosaic flooring tiles.
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Swan Depicted in Cygnus Mosaic Floor |
Day
passengers enjoy the same gourmet food and impeccable service as those
continuing onward to join the Orient Express in France. Plush velvet armchairs
replaced the typical train seats and tables were set with fine linens, crystal
and silverware.
I was quite content to sip on a sparkling Bellini and review the Brunch menu while I waited for the train’s departure from Victoria Station. Soon the Kent countryside – long known as the Garden of England – rolled past my window as liveried stewards served fruit salad, scrambled eggs and Scottish smoked salmon (plus a dollop of caviar).
By noon
we arrived in Canterbury for a walking tour of the historic city core.
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The Cathedral City of Canterbury, Kent |
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Canterbury's Medieval City Walls Made of Flint |
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St. George's Clock Tower, Burgate |
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Burgate Street
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The Buttermarket and War Memorial |
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Christ Church Gate, Entry to Canterbury Cathedral |
Canterbury Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and headquarters of the
Anglican Church. The long list of Archbishops begins in 579 AD with St. Augustine
who established Christianity in England.
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Canterbury Cathedral |
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Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh (2015) |
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Cathedral Nave |
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First Archbishop of Canterbury, St. Augustine |
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Cathedral Cloister |
In 1170, Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered by four of King Henry II’s knights in an area of the cathedral known as the Martyrdom. A sculpture consisting of four swords represents the four assassins. Becket was soon canonized and pilgrimages to his shrine inspired Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. King Henry VIII ordered the destruction of the shrine in 1538 and a candle now burns in its place.
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The Martyrdom |
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Swords Point Sculpture, by Giles Blomfield (1986) |
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Site of the Original Becket Shrine in Trinity Chapel |
Following
our visit to Canterbury Cathedral we travelled by motor coach to the port town
of Folkestone on the Strait of Dover to await Orient Express passengers returning from the Continent. A jazz band performed while we waited to re-board the
train.
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Folkestone West Station |
On the
return journey to London I settled back in my comfy armchair for Afternoon Tea with
traditional finger sandwiches (egg, smoked salmon, chicken, and cream cheese with cucumber)
and an assortment of fancy pastries. The county of Kent is known for its vineyards
and sparkling wines so it was fitting that they also served a glass of local
Hush Heath sparkling rosé.
I may
never take a journey on the Orient Express but I’m very satisfied with my luxurious
day on the rails with Belmond British Pullman.
SaveSave
This looks just lovely. I too have considered a trip on the Orient Express years ago, but was turned out when I discovered the lack of showers on segments of the train trip. Now that I am older and my skin is drier, not sure that is a big deal. How long was your entire trip to England?
ReplyDeleteWe were there about two and a half weeks. Could easily have kept busy for another week, there's just so much to see and do.
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing this. My husband and I would love to do this too.
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend it!
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