Feb

A Walk on the Winter Side

by Joyce McGreevy on February 4, 2020

An intrepid traveler on a beach in East Sussex, England is proof of the power of wanderlust over the forces of winter’s chill. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Winter at an English beach is definitely “chill.”
© Joyce McGreevy

Winter Wanderlust in East Sussex

Rows of wooden beach huts are locked up tight, their colors vibrant as summer memories. Gray waves lunge at the Seven Sisters, chalk cliffs along England’s South Coast. January winds drive sand in fitful circles around deserted picnic tables.

Traditional English beach huts on a deserts beach in East Sussex reminds a traveler with winter wanderlust that summer will return. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Before beach huts were introduced in the 1900s, changing for a swim was done in a
bathing machine that, for modesty’s sake, was towed out to sea.
© Joyce McGreevy

But here we come in our oilskin jackets, woolen scarves flapping gamely in the wind. We are the winter travelers, hardy wanderers who love to travel out of season. This year, winter wanderlust leads some of us to East Sussex.

The Seven Sisters chalk clods on England’s South Coast inspire wanderlust, attracting tourists even in winter. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Do the Seven Sisters cliffs look familiar? They stood in for the White Cliffs of Dover
in the movie “Atonement.”
© Joyce McGreevy

Call us daft if you want, but we don’t mind. After all, we can’t hear you through our sensible “tea-cozy” hats.

Overwintering, underpaying

There are distinct advantages to traveling in winter. Affordability for one. Some of my favorite sojourns have coincided with cold, rainy seasons. Despite the Einstein Effect on my hair, it never dampens my spirits. With steep discounts on accommodation, I happily pack an umbrella.

Rainy English weather and a lush green garden in East Sussex remind a traveler that winter travel has its rewards. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

England’s rainy days yield green winter dividends.
© Joyce McGreevy

My holiday base is a red brick bungalow with a sweeping view of the English Channel. To the east is Seaford, whose quiet, polite atmosphere belies a tumultuous history. Centuries ago, when it wasn’t being attacked by French pirates, the town had a reputation for looting—and causing—shipwrecks. It also tended to burn down with alarming frequency.

A churchyard in Seaford, East Sussex evokes the contrast between the tranquility of the setting and the turbulence of the local history. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Things eventually quieted down in once rowdy Seaford.
© Joyce McGreevy

Fortunately for crown and country, not to mention life and limb, the River Ouse silted up. This rendered Seaford worthless as a port but great at producing remarkable people.

The doctor who first diagnosed dyslexia lived in Seaford. So did three of England’s prime ministers, a NASA astronaut, a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, the logo designer for Johnny Walker Black, and a Who’s Who of famous actors.

Exploring East Sussex

You don’t need a car to meander along England’s South Coast. Even small towns boast frequent daily rail services.

A train in East Sussex, one of many, makes it easy to follow your winter wanderlust and travel between the historic towns of England’s South Coast. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The train to Newhaven will drop off passengers for the ferry to Dieppe, France.
© Joyce McGreevy

Train stations here have been hard at work since 1840, when the railway connected England’s capital to the south coast. Soon, a steady supply of Londoners streamed—or rather, steamed into seaside resorts.

Follow your winter wanderlust to the train station in Rye, East Sussex, which dates back to the mid-1800s when the British railway connected London to England’s South Coast. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

When railways arrived in Sussex, they provided an alternative to waterways.
© Joyce McGreevy

Brighton is the most famous, a bohemian boomtown that attracted Regency high society and working-class day-trippers. It’s also set the scene for a long list of movies.

Brighton Palace Pier in winter has an eerie magic that inspires wanderlust to travel to East Sussex, England in the off season. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

At historic Brighton Palace Pier, a winter storm comes out to play.
© Joyce McGreevy

Farther east, Hastings may look familiar to fans of the British television series “Foyle’s War,” a detective drama set during World War II.

Here in 1066, William the Conqueror won the Battle of Hastings, radically altering Britain’s history by wresting it from Scandinavian influence. As William’s Norman courtiers smuggled new French words into the Anglo-Saxon language, the resulting mix became modern English.

Hastings, East Sussex, a key location for the British television series “Foyle’s War” and England’s steepest funicular railway are inspire travelers with wanderlust, even in winter.

For a scenic shortcut in 1066 Country, make haste to Hasting’s funicular railway.
Photos by Pixabay and Pxhere

A Pocketful of Rye

Don’t overlook the smaller towns. One of the most captivating is Rye. For centuries, it prospered as a royal port—and a popular haunt of smugglers. Over time, the sea receded by two miles, and Rye became less lively, much to its benefit.

The lyrics of Rudyard Kipling’s “A Smuggler’s Song” on a wall in East Sussex reflect the turbulent history of England’s South Coast. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Poet Rudyard Kipling, a man of Sussex, collected local lore.
© Joyce McGreevy

Today, Rye deals chiefly in visitors, who come for the sheer pleasure of wandering its beautifully preserved streets.

Mermaid Street in winter means fewer tourists in the picturesque town of Rye, which inspires a traveler whose wanderlust has led her to visit the historic towns of East Sussex, England. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Some buildings in Rye are so old that they were renovated in the 1400s.
© Joyce McGreevy

To experience Rye in January is to discover the best reason for winter travel: no crowds. You can explore the twitterns, scenic alleyways that link the labyrinthine streets, without walking a gauntlet of kidney-crushing elbows. You can linger in idyllic settings without crashing anyone’s photo opp.

In Rye, a twittern, or scenic alleyway offers tranquility to a traveler with wanderlust for a winter holiday in East Sussex, England. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

The twitterns of Rye set an Anglophile traveler’s heart a-twitter.
© Joyce McGreevy

Rye is so small you can’t get lost, except in reverie. Stroll the cobbles of Mermaid Street and you may feel as if you’ve stepped into a literary novel.

You have.

In the 1920s, author and former mayor E.F. Benson used a barely disguised version of Rye as the setting of Mapp and Lucia, his popular series of humorous novels. In brief, it’s an epic battle of brilliant wits and wealthy twits. Two public television adaptations were also filmed in Rye.

Even before Benson’s tenancy, Lamb House was home to another famous novelist, Henry James. In 1898, the author was on a quest for a “charming, cheap old” refuge when he spotted a painting of the place and fell in love with it. During 19 years there he wrote many of his greatest novels.

A view of the rooftops of Rye, a picturesque English town in East Sussex, England, is ample reward for a traveler with wanderlust for a winter vacation in England. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

“Old, square, red-roofed, well assured of the place it took up in the world, “
wrote Henry James of his home in Rye.
© Joyce McGreevy

Winter Pleasures

Summer in East Sussex buzzes with entertainment, like the world-famous famous Glyndebourne opera festival and Eastbourne’s Magnificent Motor Rally.

A replica of the 1902 halter skelter on a winter’s day evokes wanderlust for summer excursions to the Brighton Palace Pier on England’s South Coast. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Since 1902, revelers have raced to the top of the helter skelter
—in summer, that is.
© Joyce McGreevy

But the quieter pleasures of winter have a richness all their own. Brisk walks make a virtue of visiting pubs with open fires and friendly locals. Old bookshops, eccentric museums, and ancient churches become places to linger, for true fascination cannot be rushed.

Oh, I see: The slower pace of winter can deepen one’s sense of place.

A tiny bookshop in Rye, a picturesque town in East Sussex, inspires wanderlust for winter travel to England. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Ideal for one or two customers at a time, Rye’s Tiny Book Store accommodates countless fictional characters.
© Joyce McGreevy

And so, I settle in one rainy evening with a cup of tea and a copy of Mapp and Lucia. On the page, it’s summer in Rye, a terribly hot June morning, and the eglantine is in full flower.

Thanks to winter wanderlust, I can picture it all so clearly.

Comment on the post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Joyce McGreevy 4 Comments

Adventure Travel/Art of Travel/England/Literary World

Jan

A Barking Good Time in Carmel-by-the-Sea

by Meredith Mullins on January 27, 2020

Too cool . . . in Carmel-by-the-Sea
© Meredith Mullins

The Art of Travel in Dog-Friendly Cities

Are you yearning for a spirited run on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world? Are you dreaming of a shopping spree for something sparkly, or a couture halter or tie. Are you thirsty for a round of martinis at Happy Hour, as you relax on a fire-pitted, flower-filled patio?

Running free on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world
© Meredith Mullins

Most humans would treasure such a “to do” list. But this particular agenda caters to the canine vision of paradise. (In fact, muttinis are served during Yappy Hour, to be precise.)

Not Muttini Hour, but Piper enjoys quiet conversation with his friend Catherine.
The Papillon breed can sit at attention, as if on a royal cushion, and is elegant in table etiquette
(that is, only gobbles food if invited).
© Meredith Mullins

This is life in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California—one of the most dog-friendly cities in the world.

One of the dog friendliest cities in the world
© Meredith Mullins

There’s No Place Like Home

Full disclosure. This is the home base for OIC Moments. Although we’re an international publication, and the writers are always roaming the globe, our headquarters are in Carmel, where “village” life takes priority.

Carmel-by-the-Sea: Paradise . . . for humans and dogs.

There’s no place like home. Click your heels three times and you’ll find yourself in Carmel paradise. A city with no neon signs, no fast food, no street addresses, no parking meters, no streetlights, no national chain coffee shops, and a permit needed to wear high heels on the streets (for the health and safety of the women walking the uneven pavements that have been distorted by tree roots).

Dogs don’t need fast food, street addresses, or streetlights.
© Meredith Mullins

And if dogs click their paws three times, they will find themselves in Dog Heaven on Earth.

Who’s a good boy? You’re a good boy.
© Meredith Mullins

Everything is Pawsible

On any given stroll through Carmel, you’ll notice quite a few wagging tails—dog after dog after dog. All sizes. All breeds. All happy.

A typical day in dog-friendly Carmel-by-the-Sea
© Meredith Mullins

There are dog water bowls in front of shops, dog treats at the local bakeries, shops dedicated to every possible pet desire, a water fountain just for dogs in the Carmel Plaza (The Fountain of Woof), biodegradable mitts at the ready, and a range of restaurants and hotels that welcome dogs as guests with their humans.

A city of water bowls
© Meredith Mullins

Dogs are even welcome at some of the spas, and can hop up on the massage table to be with their human (or to get a massage themselves).

The Fountain of Woof, an elegant watering hole in dog-friendly Carmel Plaza
© Meredith Mullins

In the Beginning . . .

The dog legacy started long ago, but many people give credit to animal lovers Dennis LeVett, film star Doris Day, and Doris’ son Terry. Doris and Dennis became the co-owners of the Cypress Inn (on Lincoln Street) in the 1980s and made sure that four-legged friends would be welcome.

A tribute to one of Dennis LeVett’s poodles
© Meredith Mullins

Since then, the hotel has been named “pet friendliest hotel” by many publications.

Orchids and dog biscuits at check-in
© Meredith Mullins

Its amenities include treat bowls throughout the hotel, an outdoor dog-sized shower for rinsing off after a romp at the beach, dog blankets and water bowls in the rooms, and some rooms with balconies so a lucky dog can keep an eye on the passing parade in the street below.

Elegant amenities for all the guests at the Cypress Inn
© Meredith Mullins

The Cypress Inn also has a terrace restaurant and fireside living room that welcome dogs, and, of course, dog cuisine on the restaurant menu, like beef patties and grilled chicken.

Murphy and Bruiser relax on the Cypress Inn terrace.
© Meredith Mullins

The hotel staff keep dog profiles on file, so they can welcome back these four-legged guests by name—especially important since they have so many return visitors.

As Operations Manager Khamis Haji says, “They’d rather you remember their dog’s name than their own. If you think you’ve seen someone love their dog, you haven’t seen anything yet. The people who come to Cypress Inn would do anything for their pets.”

There are not enough treats in the world for the dog you love.
© Meredith Mullins

It’s especially fun to come during special events, like Poodle Day. Dogs spend hours at salons getting groomed and pampered. They then search for an outfit to outdo even the most stunning couture. It’s a dog version of Oscar night.

A map of Carmel notes all the dog friendly places with a tiny dog icon.
© Meredith Mullins

Life Can Be Ruff, But Not in Carmel

The city of Carmel has added to the Cypress Inn culture by making dogs an equal opportunity group. The city map is filled with tiny dog icons, indicating dog-friendly places.

Dog cookies at The Dog House
© Meredith Mullins

Dogs can go not only into designated restaurants and hotels, but they are allowed in most shops. They no longer have to wait patiently outside.

Rocco checks out the “impulse buys” at the counter.
© Meredith Mullins

There are also several boutiques dedicated exclusively to all things pet. You can find haute dog couture, rhinestone collars, designer water bowls, and cocktail toys such as a stuffed Arfsolut Vodka bottle or a Johnnie Dogwalker Ruff Label Old Scottie Whiskey.

Fur and Sparkle: Dog Haute Couture
© Meredith Mullins

Remember Rocco? He’s looking stylish in his new rhinestone collar.
© Meredith Mullins

And when their humans get hungry, they can peruse the local dog menus for delicacies, such as the Hot Diggity Dog (an all-beef kosher hot dog) and the Quarter Hounder (a quarter pound hamburger patty) found at one of the dog-friendly restaurants (Forge in the Forest).

The best of canine cuisine
© Meredith Mullins

For the true sense of freedom, dogs are allowed off leash on Carmel Beach and at Mission Trails Park, as long as they’re under voice command and get along well with their peers.

Bruno wonders what to do with all this freedom.
© Erick Paraiso

All of these special privileges and accoutrements confirm Carmel’s international reputation as one of the most amazing dog-friendly cities on Earth.

Who wouldn’t be this guy’s best friend?
© Meredith Mullins

Best Friends

“I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source.”—Doris Day

The “Oh, I see” moments in dog-friendly Carmel-by-the Sea are many. But, for me, the positive energy that dogs bring to the world is undeniably life-changing.

Eternally curious
© Meredith Mullins

They love unconditionally. They are curious about life. They are forever loyal. They look forward to meeting other beings. They are genuine and honest. And they bring out the best in their humans.

What better way to change the world.

Thank you to the City of Carmel and the following dog-friendly Carmel businesses: Cypress Inn, The Dog House, Diggidy Dog, Forge in the Forest, The Animal Friends Rescue Project (Pacific Grove). Visit here for more information on Poodle Day.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Meredith Mullins 4 Comments

Art of Travel/USA

Jan

London, Lost and Foundling

by Joyce McGreevy on January 20, 2020

An array of silver charms seen on Marchmont Street are evocative markers of Britain’s past, inspired by historical tokens at London’s Foundling Museum. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Historical Markers Lead to Fascinating Discoveries

I’d walked along Marchmont Street often yet never noticed them—small, mysterious objects embedded in the pavement. Unlike London’s “blue plaques,” historical markers at eye level that link figures of the past with buildings of the present, the Marchmont Street objects were easy to overlook.

On Marchmont Street, London a token embedded into the pavement becomes an historical marker for those with the focus to spot it. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Here was public art at its least public, eloquent objects underfoot, shyly waiting to be seen and heard. Yet they, too, were historical markers, clues to a poignant chapter of London’s past.

A metal object embedded in the pavement on Marchmont Street marks a poignant chapter of London’s history. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Shining a Light on History

Marchmont is one of my favorite London streets, a place of bookshops, cafés, art house cinemas and pocket parks. Of its history, I knew that it was named for an earl, and that he’d been governor of Britain’s first charity organization for children—a home for “foundlings,” as abandoned infants were referred to long ago.

As for the mysterious objects, I’d never noticed them until that morning, when a glint of sunlight on rain-washed pavement caught my eye.

A heart shaped silver token on a London Street is an historical marker and a symbol of the parent-child bond. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

There they were, a scattering of silver tokens. What could these fascinating artifacts mean? I had to find out.

A silver token engraved with a name and birth date and found on a London street becomes an historical marker, prompting the author’s visit to the Foundling Museum. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Tokens of Affection

Created by artist John Aldus in 2006, each token represents the bond between parent and child. In the London of the 1700s, that bond was tested to the breaking point as extreme poverty forced countless women to separate from their children.

According to one historian, mothers who relinquished infants to the care of a nearby “hospital” (a term used broadly then) were urged to “affix on each child some . . . distinguishing mark or token, so that the children may be known hereafter, if necessary.”

It might be a heart or a locket, a brooch or a humble bottle tag. Each token signified the hope of reunion.

Where had the children gone? As historical markers, the tokens pointed the way—to the Foundling Hospital, just around the corner.

London’s Foundling Museum, the former Foundling Hospital, contains poignant treasures and surprising historical discoveries. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Following the Clues

In its time the Hospital had been a place of hope. Prior to 1739, abandonment was rampant and often fatal. Parishes were overwhelmed and some refused to help children labeled “illegitimate.”

Thomas Coram, a ship captain who’d calmly weathered the traumas of life at sea, was stunned to see children dying in the London streets. For 17 years, Coram campaigned to create a refuge, convincing Marchmont and other prominent Londoners to offer support.

A historical marker tells the story of British sea captain Thomas Coram, who campaigned to create London’s first charity for children, overcoming widespread prejudice about children born into poverty or outside of marriage. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

While a statue of Coram gave few clues to his character,
this historical marker revealed his compassion.
© Joyce McGreevy

Surprising Discoveries

Something I hadn’t expected to see at the former hospital was a collection of priceless paintings. How did they relate to the practical needs of at-risk children? Historical markers solved the mystery.

In 1739 as the Hospital began welcoming children, portraitist William Hogarth found the perfect way to raise public awareness of the charity—he donated several masterpieces and convinced artists like Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough to do the same.

The Foundling Hospital became London’s first public art gallery, a place where people could gather while supporting a worthy cause. Hogarth the great painter had also proved a genius at PR.

A Rousing Chorus of Support

Soon afterward, Hogarth asked a musician friend for a favor. Little did either man guess that it would change history. In 1742, the musician’s latest work had received dismissive reviews at its London debut. Hogarth asked his friend—George Frederic Handel—to try again, this time at the Foundling Hospital.

Buoyed by a rousing Hallelujah chorus, the new, improved performance of Handel’s “Messiah” was a phenomenal success. So many people wanted to see it that performances had to be added and it raised a fortune for the children’s charity. Instead of fading into obscurity as Handel had feared, it became Great Britain’s most beloved choral work.

A London choir evokes the historical connection between Handel’s Messiah and the first British charity for children, Thomas Coram’s Foundling Hospital. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

One More Surprise in Store

As I left the museum, a volunteer told me to keep an eye out for another historical marker, just up the street. I soon found out why.

An historical marker, one of London’s blue plaques, identifies Charles Dickens’ home on Doughty Street near the Foundling Hospital, a charity that influenced his novel Oliver Twist. (public domain image by Wally Gobetz)

In 1837 author Charles Dickens moved to nearby Doughty Street, taking regular walks through the Hospital grounds. Dickens was so moved by accounts of “good Captain Coram’s heart” that he raised funds for the children’s charity organization and wrote about it in his most famous works. In Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist, the orphaned Oliver’s true identity hinges on the discovery of . . . a token.

A silver token engraved with a flower gathers moss on Marchmont Street, a marker of history, unnoticed by most passersby. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Today Is Historically Remarkable

Coram, as the children’s charity organization is known today, has expanded as its goals have evolved. They now include upholding children’s rights and empowering parents to provide a loving, secure environment to their child. The former Foundling Hospital has become a place to celebrate the power of individuals and the arts to change lives.

Oh, I see: When you follow historical markers into the past, you make important discoveries about the present. Which might just inspire you to contribute to making a better future.

See some of the original tokens here. (Scroll down.)