The Canterbury Tales

The beauty of many cities in England is measured by the value of their cathedral, and it is not surprising thinking of examples such as Salisbury, Winchester, or York; three cities with spectacular cathedrals. Hosting the headquarters of the Church of England, and having the oldest cathedral in the country, Canterbury offered me a similar experience. Just 100 kilometres south-east of central London, the Kentish capital is one of the most popular places for a day trip from London, offering history, culture, and plenty of life at every corner. A town that thousands of pilgrims have visited over the centuries. Canterbury has always been a transit point, thanks to being halfway between Dover, the closest point to France, and London. It was a Roman settlement, and it was the capital of the Saxon kingdom of Kent when in the year 597 Saint Augustine arrived, sent by the Pope to establish the Christian faith in the British Isles. Saint Augustine chose Canterbury as his professorship and his Christ Church monastery would eventually become England's first cathedral.

The legend of Canterbury began when a power struggle between King Henry II and Archbishop Thomas Becket ended with the latter's assassination in 1170. Since then, there has been a constant pilgrimage to Becket's grave that lasted for centuries, a pilgrimage that Geoffrey Chaucer would narrate in 1387 in The Canterbury Tales, considered the first work in history written in English. Since then, the centre of Canterbury hasn't changed much, retaining the Tudor charm of a small town. It is a pleasure to walk through its narrow alleys, surrounding by the remains of the old wall, walking along the river Stour or accompanying dozens of other passers-by on the main street. Its cathedral is still the main attraction with the main temple of the Anglican Church, built between the 12th and 16th centuries and being a World Heritage Site next to the Abbey of Saint Augustin and the Church of San Martín.

I previously mentioned "The Canterbury Tales" which are considered a masterpiece of global literature and one of the best books in the world. It is one of the most important works of English literature and the most transcendental of the Middle Ages in England since it became a model in medieval writings widely imitated by Renaissance writers. This work was written between the years 1386 and 1389, and consists of 24 stories, preceded by a prologue, in which there are different interruptions of the characters to discuss various topics. The pilgrimage to the Canterbury sanctuary to visit the tomb of Saint Thomas Beckett is a mere excuse to bring the different characters together on the same path. Thus, the book focus on the allegory about the meaning of life and the steps that are taken to reach a destination. The characters are followers, a highly varied group representing practically all the different social classes of the Middle Ages: the knight and his squire, the cook, the judge, a student, a monk, a friar, a landowner, the priest etc. The tales tell us about very diverse issues that cover topics such as love, sex, nobility, religion, science, marriage, humour, and many others, and the characters express their opinions, sometimes contrary, and discuss different points of views.

What I chose to show in this post doesn’t align with the town’s history necessarily but could be a contemporary traveller’s outfit. I am wearing a geometrical, colour-block t-shirt in red, navy, and grey, with short sleeves, tucked in high-waste trousers. Very flattering, wide-leg pleated trousers in stone colour that go beautifully with the white sneakers. The latter with small, colourful details in the shades of blue, red, yellow and silver with tiny lightning symbols or star icons compliment the socks. All above is accompanied by an instantly recognisable military jacket which has attracted quite the attention since its introduction to the battlefield by the British Military in 1937. P37 is one garment with great versatility and distinctive style for its rather boxy silhouette and slightly shorter cut. The fact that this is made in denim makes the army nature of it more casual and relaxed.