England - Brighton

Colourful boat sheds along the Brighton parade.

We had a good trip from Fes to Brighton involving Grande taxi, plane, minibus, tube and coach. Took all day. We got to Brighton around 8.30pm and went to meet Harley at the cute pub she works in. It was the oldest pub in Brighton - around 450 years.

"The Cricketers" Harley's pub.

We stayed with her and her sister Harley in their flat. It was so lovely to see them both and we had a really nice time there. It was nice to be back in a home. Its amazing how much you miss it when your always staying in guesthouses.

Harley and Prue

It was really good to be able to cook meals again. We made a huge roast chicken with vegetables, and mulled wine. It was nice having wine again after 5 weeks in an alcohol free muslim society.

Brighton is a really cool city. Its full of beautiful shops, fantastic looking cafes, bars, and restaurants. There were also heaps of cool retro shops, and lots of jewelers. Im sure that if you had high paying jobs in London (lots of people commute) you could easily spend all your money in Brighton and have a great time doing it.

The beach is very long and pebbly. Theres a walkway along the entire length, with fish and chip shops, and ice cream stands. We went for a couple of nice walks when it wasn't to cold.

Rita with windswept hair, and an old boat.

One of the things that Brighton is famous for is its Pier. The pier is a strange place full of pokies, and wierd sideshow rides. It was amazing to see so many people spending so much money on crap. But it was cool to see what happens at a British beach resort in the winter.

Pier rides, and view of Brighton from the pier.

Another of Brightons sights is the Royal Pavilion. This was built by king George IV in his younger days as Prince Regeant (looking after the country because his dad was insane). He was a real drinker and womaniser.

The pavilion was amazing inside. It was decorated in a oriental style, whcih was very fashionable at the time. This was one of the best sights weve been to in the UK because it was so well maintained, and had loads of its original furnishings.
The kitchen was especially amazing. It was huge, and very modern for its time.

Illustration of the banquet hall, still looks just like this.

We also went to the Brighton museum and art gallery. They had a really interesting and diverse collection. It ranged from traditional British ceramics, to a collection of outfits worn by people off the streets of Brighton in the 90's. There was a section of world art including some Maori carvings. It also had a really cool collection of furniture and furnishings through the 20th century.

It was lovely to see the start of the English spring.