Folkestone, Leeds Castle and Euro Tunnel

We crossed the Channel to help our Baby Girl, who's just finished her first year at uni in England, move out and bring back her "junk" home. (Next year, she will be renting a house with some of her close uni friends -- a real house out of campus -- and so, we won't have to come every end of term to move her things back and forth...)

We decided that a brief sightseeing tour was in order on the way back to our home in the European Capital.

First stop was Folkestone, a nice, sleepy seaside town in the southern coast of England. The sea front is lined with beautiful Georgian and lovely Victorian homes and buildings. On a clear day, one can see France across the English Channel (or La Manche as it's called in France!)

We stayed overnight at The Grand, a beautiful, genuine Victorian hotel facing The English Channel.. It was rumoured that Edward VII used to spend his dalliances with his mistress(es) in one of the hotel rooms above overlooking the "monkey conservatory", hence the expression "doing monkey business" as one lady inhabitant of Folkestone told us.

We then made a side trip to 12th century Leeds Castle, a ruin that was purchased by Hon. Olive, Lady Baillie, daughter of an American heiress, who transformed the castle into one of the most glamorous homes in England.

To me, Leeds Castle is the epitome of 'modern' grace and glamour re-built and refurbished ever so tastefully, in a most romantic and gorgeous setting.

The welcoming committee was composed of lovely peacocks, swans, ducks, birds of all colours promenading about in the sprawling estate which is adorned by lovely landscaped pocket gardens at every turn. It definitely is worth a detour-- never mind that an entrance ticket costs 16 Sterling Pounds per adult (note that ticket is good for multiple entries for a year!)

Here are some pictures I took of that brief but memorable trip to this nice, quiet English coast which happens to be linked to the Continent by the efficient Euro Tunnel... After a brief but enjoyable visit of that part of England, we then hopped onto a Euro Tunnel coach with our car for the half hour crossing that took us to Pas-de-Calais in France, en route for the European captial...

(1) Folkestone tourist map
(2) One of Folkestone's beaches
(3) A view of the beach from the cliff
(4) A stately Victorian home in Folkestone
(5 & 6) The Grand Hotel
(7) Georgian homes line up the sea front
(8 & 9) The relatively small but lovely Leeds Castle
(10) Castle map
(11) A typical commode, one of the beautiful pieces of furniture in the castle
(12) A rather 'bold' picture gracing one of the walls in the castle
(13) One of the guest rooms
(14) Lady Baillie and her two daughters
(15) A display of Lady Baillie's finery
(16) A beautiful painting, most likely that of Lady Baillies, who was considered one of the most accomplished hostesses of her time
(17) Baby girl at the bottom of the main staircase
(18) An array of old books in the library
(19) Baby girl with a daring white peacock in the background
(20) The unusual white peacock posing for a picture
(21) Ducks everywhere!
(22) Plants with gargantuesque leaves!
(23) One of the sitting rooms in the Leeds Castle
(24) A lonely parrot in the aviary
(25) One of the hidden gardens within a garden in the sprawling Leeds Castle estate
(26) Another peacock promenading among the tourists
(27) On our way to boarding the Euro Tunnel train
(28 & 29) Inside one of the coaches of the Euro Tunnel
(30) Half an hour later, we are in France and on our way out of the Euro Tunnel
(31) On the road home...