Trip to Dover Castle

Hi again everyone who is keeping up with us from the other side of the world! Sorry it has been a few days since I have been able to post anything, our internet is increasingly more sketchy due to so many people PCSing in thus more people sharing the same internet here in TLF. Anyways, since the last time I wrote a lot has happened. We were approved to move into the house & will do so on Thursday (9-18). Keep in mind we will not have internet until it gets hooked up in our new house...hopefully a week. Over here you wait on the utility companies to come to you & we have heard not to be in too big of a hurry because they are not. WOW moving in cannot come fast enough! I cant wait for that house to be ours! We are so ready to have OUR things back & be in a HOME again instead of random hotel rooms spread across the world. We did receive our "Quick Shipment" (a few things you send a head of time to get you started) & we put a few toys in there for the kids. Charley was SO HAPPY!!! She squealed & said "Oh YES I got my toys back! YES! YES! YES!" She hasnt taken her princess dress off since. Last week I got my UK drivers license which is very scary but I guess I am doing ok you just have to be constantly aware of which side of the road you turn onto. Its not bad when you are driving but turning is where it gets confusing! We bought another car for Daniel to drive back & forth to work. It is an old white Mercedes but I still think its pretty & believe that I am fancy because I have a Mercedes...who cares how old it is right? I will post a picture of our new, old car soon. We also turned in our form to get our appliances for our new house (that are supposedly guaranteed) only to find out that they are out of UK refrigerators, microwaves & washers! We are getting a dryer (not of much use without a washer) & an American spec frig the day we move in. Which means the frig will only go through our big front door because US spec are much wider, we will have to leave it in our living room/foyer until they get in more UK spec frig's (whenever that will be probably a while because they have no clue & we are 10th on the list), we will have to do laundry somewhere else, & buy a 220V microwave (double the price). I count us as being pretty lucky that this is the worst thing that has happened so far & hopefully the rest of the things we need will come in quickly. This weekend I started getting sick but that didnt stop the traveling band of gypsies you refer to as the Peebles. We drove 2 1/2 hours South to the port town of Dover. We toured the Dover Castle & the White Cliffs of Dover. This town has been such an important piece of history spanning time from the Roman Empire to the Victorian Era to WW2 to the Cold War. It has a huge underground tunnel system that was built so the troops would be more protected during the bombings & to provide an underground hospital very close to the front lines. Dover was the decoy during WW2 on D-Day when we stormed the beaches of Normandy. Dover was built up as a massive decoy (Hollywood scene designers were sent out to build sets that looked like a huge army & tons of supplies were being set up at Dover. We allowed transmissions to be intercepted & let their spy planes get a good look at what we were "doing") & fooled Hitler into thinking we were going to come across the English channel & attack. So much so that even after the first wave hit the beaches of Normandy he still didnt immediately avert all of his troops to those front lines, he was convinced Normandy was the diversion & we were coming from the Straight of Dover. The castle was awesome & the tunnels were absolutely amazing! I was so thirsty so I went into the gift shop & bought a bottle of Queen Victoria's Lemonade...it looked SO good! I went outside took a big drink & spit it everywhere, apparently Queen Victoria liked her alcohol! I couldnt believe it was an alcoholic drink being sold in a gift shop! WHAT??? Anyways after going back in & buying a REAL Coke the tour started near the underground hospital & we followed the story of a mosquito pilot shot down & brought to Dover for treatment. Each room had the smells as if it were really happening as you were walking with them (no people just sounds & smells)! You could hear the Dr.s, nurses, etc. When you walked through the mess hall, there was meat,potatoes & carrots on the table & the wonderful arouma made your belly ache with hunger, it smelled just like Daddy Gee's house after church on Sundays! When you walked through the operating room the smell of anticeptic filled your nose & then the smell of sweat shortly after in the bunks & restrooms. It was so neat to know how many HUGE decisions were made in those tunnels, to see their "war rooms" & telephone lines that kept them in touch with the angry world above. The walls around that castle have stood through some of Great Britain's hardest & bloodiest battles. We walked on the same stones as Ramsey, Churchill, & so many more people who have shaped even our future during the 2nd World War. On our way home, we stopped & ate in a French restaurant in Canterbury. We would have loved to have done the Canterbury Tour then but it was too late so we will go back another weekend. It will be equally as fascinating I am sure! Promise to write more soon about the driving, the crazy TV, the weather & the wonderful people so that you all will be able to really get a sense of what its like to be here! Thanks so much for reading & praying for us! Love you all! - The Peebles