On Monday, the entire class took a day trip to Canterbury and Dover. Because there are so many of us, a double-decker bus was required to transport everyone. I took a seat on the top level in the very front. Sitting in front of an unobstructed windshield at a high that allows you to look down on the top of most other busses is a wonderful vantage point for watching the scenery. Dr. Bruhn's four year old son Sam was sitting in the front as well, and provided a bit of entertainment. He pretended to be a baby kitty-cat, and spent about fifteen minutes meowing songs. Sam tends to make a wide variety of noises and likes to move around a lot.
It took us perhaps an hour or two to reach Canterbury. We went to see the cathedral there. It was the site of the martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket in 1170. Pilgrims came to Canterbury Cathedral from all over, because it was believed that miracles occured near Becket's body. There were apparently portholes in his coffin where people could stick afflicted body parts in in the hopes of being healed. Canterbury Tales tells the story of some pilgrims on their way to Canterbury to see the relics of St. Thomas.
We walked through the city to get to the gate of the church yard. The cathedral is not simply set in the middle of the city. It is a bit secluded behind walls and is surrounded by grass and buildings attached to the cathedral. I found it highly amusing that next to this old gate is a Starbucks. When we passed through the gate, we heard the incessant ringing of the church bells. I do mean incessant. They aren't really audible inside, but they were still ringing when I left the cathedral. We didn't really stick together once we entered the cathedral. Instead, we all received audio guides--the little devices that play a recording of someone talking about the sights you are seeing. The audio guide directs you around the cathedral to all of the interesting things to see.
Canterbury Cathedral is massive. The nave runs a long ways east and west. Cathedrals are often built in the shape of a cross, with the long axis running east-west and the altar at the east end. The ceiling is incredibly high, and the architecture is beautiful. There is stained glass everywhere. We viewed the actual site of Thomas Becket's murder--the very stones where he fell. It was fascinating seeing this place after reading a fairly detailed account of the incident. 
I could see the door that the other monks dragged him through in an attempt to protect him from the knights. I saw the steps he descended to meet the knights. It was odd to think that this spot has not changed all that much in nearly 900 years.
After seeing the place where Thomas was killed, we viewed the spot where his shrine once stood. Henry VIII ordered the shrine destroyed in 1538 as a part of the destruction of Roman Catholic art and imagery which took place during England's rocky split from the church. Today, only the stone tiles remain and the place where the shrine was is marked with a single candle. Nearby is a chapel for modern martyrs. Additionally, there is a great deal of stained glass around that area, depicting miracles associated with St. Thomas.We viewed a great deal of other art and artifacts as well. These can be seen here.
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