The weather @ Whistable

June 18th, 2006

Leevi and I had our first english seaside experience at a little fishing town called Whitstable located on the south east coast of Great Britain.

I must admit the seaside is a little different to what we are accustomed too. Maybe it was the pebble beaches or that the waveless beach was more like a lake, whichever the case it was still a surprisingly beautiful scene.

I haphazardly misjudged the english weather (full sun - 30° C) and ventured out in a singlet top and shorts only to be red raw by one o clock. Leevi politely told me i looked like an imitation lobster tail. It was sooo hot that i even went and cooled down in the sea aka lake. It was funny and mildly disturbing to see all of the poms stripped off and enjoying the sea, it really was an experience.

Lou and Rich took us to their favorite pub in Whitstable which was this old rickety pub called The Old Neptune and it was amazing. The owners of the pub have two massive dogs that just wonder around the pub, the floors and the bar are all so un even they dip and slant and slide it makes you feel like your on a ship and when you leave the pub you feel like you have sea legs. According to the eccentric man who owned the antique shop in town this was the second Old Neptune the first really really Old Neptune was swept away by the sea and to be honest it wouldn’t surprise me.

For lunch we went to the famous fish markets were Leevi and I tried whelks - (snail like texture), cockles - (boring, tasted like unflavored popcorn), oysters, crab and last but not least cod and chips. It was a real seafood lunch that was enjoyed by all. Richard entered a brave new world and joined us in our cockle feast.

Addition by Leevi: Personally I believe examples of good service should be spread by those who have received it. On the flip side people should be warned of bad service. Unfortunately this is a tale of very poor customer service.

The incident happened at The Duke of Cumberland Hotel located in central Whitstable. After enjoying a couple of pints in the sun at The Duke of Cumberland with Richard, Louise and Sarah we ventured for a walk along the foreshore. As is the normally the case when drinking in the sun the beer had a very nice effect on my brain but more importantly my bladder. Richard and I ventured back to The Duke of Cumberland to use the bathrooms.

Five minutes later as we where leaving the hotel the owner / security guard intercepted us on the pathway outside the hotel. He then interrogated us about our bathroom habits stating that the bathroom was for the use of customers only. I politely pointed out that no longer than 30 minutes ago we where happily sitting drinking pints poured from his beer taps and therefore we where paying customers. Without any kind off apology he mumbled some neanderthal phrase and returned to the pub.

Now there seems to be a policy of bathrooms for customer use only in the UK which is the right of the owner. That’s not my problem, its the aggression and the interrogation that left me with a bad flavor in my mouth. So to the Duke of Cumberland Hotel and its owner I say this, I hope your hotel burns to the ground and its ashes washed away with the next big storm to hit Whistable.

Whistable 11
Leevi and Sarah w/ a fiberglass fisherman