A Bite of Sandwich

Imagine living in a medieval town. It’s not something that those of us in California can really make happen but it is an option if you live in Europe. My friends Susan (American) and Robert (British) have spent most of their marriage living in either London or New York and I think of them as big city people. But, in 2021, they decided to decamp to the small, well preserved medieval town of Sandwich in the county of Kent in Southeastern England. Interestingly, in researching the history of the town, I learned that when Queen Elizabeth I visited in 1573, the mayor that welcomed her was John Gilbert so perhaps I am connected to Sandwich in ways I did not realize.

Before I go any further, I want to answer my first question which was why the town is called Sandwich and whether it is related to my son Fraser’s favorite food. Apparently, sand-wich means settlement near the sand. Sandwich was originally a port town, one of the Cinque (5) Ports, a trade and defense alliance in Southeastern England. Today, Sandwich is about 2 miles from the sea due to silting and land reclamation over the centuries

The food item ostensibly received its name when John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, an avid gambler who did not take the time to have a meal during his long hours playing at the card table, asked his servants to bring him slices of meat between two slices of bread so he could eat while gambling. Others then started asking for “the same as Sandwich” and the term was born.

I am always interested in thinking about what makes a good life. Watching Susan and Robert relocate to a small, historic town, I’ve been curious to see whether the move will work for them. Happily, it seems to be going well, largely because they have found a terrific group of new friends who enjoy spending time together and supporting one another. This is the best of what small town life can offer. On my first evening here, we met another couple at a wine bar and had a lovely pre-dinner drink. Last night Susan hosted a dinner party for eight!

Additionally, they each have found several ways to get involved in the community. Robert just happens to have recently gone back to graduate school and earned a masters degree in Medieval History. Already a history nerd, he has become a tour guide for the Sandwich Local History Society

The town is full of fascinating old buildings including St Clement’s Church with its Romanesque Norman tower dating to the 12th century. Robert showed me around and it is quite something to see the layers and layers of different eras that can exist in one building. Apparently, there’s been a church on this site for almost 1000 years and Edward the Confessor attended Mass there in the year 1050.

Another group both Susan and Robert have enthusiastically joined is the Sandwich Honfleur Twinning Association which facilitates cultural exchanges between Sandwich and the French town of Honfleur in Normandy. The towns alternate sending delegations to the other city each summer so Susan and Robert, who both speak French, will be part of the group being wined and dined by their French hosts in Honfleur next month. Sign me up!

In addition to finding a host of new friends and several ways to participate in their new community, there is a lot of charm and physical beauty in the area. Yesterday, Susan and I drove to Dover and had a gorgeous hike above the white cliffs. We walked from the visitor center to the lighthouse and back and, true to the English way of life, we had tea and sandwiches at the lighthouse, with the tea served in traditional floral English teapot and cups.

One of the things I admire about the English countryside is how there are “footpaths” going all over, including from town to town. This morning, Susan and I walked the 2 miles to the beach on excellent trails the whole way including right through one of the golf courses. This afternoon, we walked from Sandwich to Worth, a nearby town, to have lunch at a pub. The trails run alongside farms and streams and are invariably scenic.

Tomorrow I am off to Copenhagen to meet up with John and Anders and my Danish adventure begins. I will be continuing with the sandwich theme since Copenhagen is the capital of the open face sandwich. I can’t wait!