Forget the White Cliffs of Dover...I love the white cliffs of Beachy Head. Beachy Head is the scenic high point of the popular South Downs Way -- a hiking path an hour or two south of London...and a world away from the big city.
We're just finishing up 18 days of filming three brand-new public television shows in England, and I'm so thankful for the sunny weather we're enjoying. The shows are looking just great -- as you can see here.
In this clip, I just filmed the "tease" to start our Southeast England show from this queasy perch. (The "tease" is that goofy little clip before the formal show open, where I say hi and explain where I am -- usually with something crazy or striking going on around me. For example, on this spot, I said, "We're just hanging out on the South Coast of England.")
Stay tuned. We'll be releasing this show and nine others -- Rick Steves' Europe Season 9 -- on public television starting in October.
By the way, hikers love Beachy Head and, sadly, so do distraught people ready to end their lives. As we filmed here, the Beachy Head chaplain was parked in the nearby lot, ready to counsel people ready to take a suicide leap. (About 20 people a year used to take their lives by jumping off these 500-foot cliffs. Now, in part because of the work of these chaplains, the number is lower.)
This is Day 80 of my 100 Days in Europe series. As I research my guidebooks and make new TV shows, I'm reporting on my experiences and lessons learned in Vienna, the Alps, the Low Countries, England, and beyond. Find more on my travel blog.
(This post originally appeared at blog.ricksteves.com/blog/beachy-head.)