A day in Margate

A few days ago, Ainize and I took a beautiful spontaneous day trip to Margate. It's easy to quickly drive to the sea from here. 

Margate is a small coastal town in Kent, England and easily accessible from London. Within an hour and a half, you can reach the sea by train from London City. Which is really good for London standards, because sometimes I drive for one or two hours through London from my home to reach my destination.

When we arrived at the sea, we went straight to the beach. It felt so good to smell the sea air, hear the seagulls' cries, and let the wind tousle our hair. The weather was a bit stormy, but dry with a little sunshine.

Of course, a long beach walk includes collecting stones and shells. And there were really some beautiful specimens. Unfortunately, I couldn't take them all with me.

From the beach, you can overlook the small harbor and the lighthouse. 

On the stone embankment, where the lighthouse is also located, there are some small shops and pubs and also this statue 'The Shell Lady'.

Being located on the North Sea, tides also play a major role in Margate. So unfortunately, we could only see the harbor at a low tide.

'The Old Kent Market' is a small street food market. From burgers, to pizza, a Greek restaurant, and several other small restaurants and food stalls, we also found a small bakery.

The bakery sold the best Hot Cross Buns I have ever eaten here. We arrived just in time to get them hot and fresh from the oven.
Hot Cross Buns are very well-known and popular sweet, spicy buns with fruits, often raisins. Very similar to our raisin buns.
Traditionally, the buns are eaten on Good Friday. They mark the end of Lent. Different components of the bun have different meanings. The cross symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus, the spices inside represent embalming, and the orange peel represents the bitterness of his time on the cross. 
Hot Cross Buns are widely available throughout the country and nowadays you can buy them all year round.

The old town consists of many small shops and restaurants. The surrounding houses in the typical coastal town look invite you to take a walk.

Another attraction is the statue of a man looking out to sea.

When you get closer to him, you can clearly see the traces of the sea, the water, and the weather. Covered from head to toe with algae and shells.
Because depending on the tides, the man stands at the water or in the water or he is not visible at all.
In the early evening, we were lucky and could visit him on his platform.

At noon, when we arrived, he was standing in the water up to his knees and was unreachable for us.

The promenade is simply part of Margate. 
A clock tower is located quite centrally between the promenade and the beach and at the same time is one of the most important landmarks of the city. 
Many English people also know Margate through Dreamland. An amusement park with a Ferris wheel that towers over the rooftops. Additionally, there are more rides, a cinema, and much more for entertainment. Unfortunately, we couldn't go inside because it's currently closed.

Before we took the train back to London, we went for one last walk on the beach, bundled up. Along with the sunset, it was a beautiful end to the day by the sea.

Margate is located at the southeasternmost point of England. So it was clear that I had to wave over to the European mainland. Goodbye and see you soon!