China Lust

Spotted in a window in Boston. I want them now.

Puzzling British Road Signs: Part 3

Seeing Sights

Easter Monday, which is a holiday here, we rose early and drove East down the coast, though a fine mist that blurred the edges on everything. The mist lifted as we drove and the sun came outt. It was that first perfect warm sunny day of the year when I always feel as if the sun is filling the dark empty corners of my mind. We drove as far as Birling Gap, which is a notch in the cliffs where the Coast Guard once kept watch for smugglers and where you can now buy coffee, cream teas, and spend the night. We got out to walk on the cliffs. We used to walk on the downs when we lived here a long time ago, but we couldn’t find the place where we walked. There were a number of crowded new parks along the way and we think it may have been incorporated into them.

After hanging about the coast for a while, we meandered inland along tiny roads, eventually ending in Lewes, where the COG and I worked for a while. We had lunch in a pub by the River Ouse there. Lewes is a lovely bustling old town with a ruined castle. Then we drove back to Brighton and down the coast to the west.

The white horse carved in the hillside, which you see in one picture, dates only from the 1920's. Still rather cool to come across it unexpectedly.

Later in the afternoon, we drove back through Brighton and sent west, toward Portsmouth and Southhampton. We only got as far as Worthing. This direction is much less impressive. In fact, it's rather horrid. Kind of industrial and rough. Worthing was prettier, but we didn't really see it. We just turned around there.

Finally we drove back to Gatwick, returned the rental car and took the train home. I will just say, in a philosophical vein, that the experience of returning a rental car is much different when you aren’t in a hurry to catch a flight somewhere.

Seeing Family

Spent Easter Sunday as follows: rose early and walked to the station to catch a 7am train to Gatwick airport, where we rented a car. Drove 3 hours to Birmingham to spend a lovely afternoon with the COG’s relations, then drove 3+ hours back to Brighton. Arrived very tired, but were delighted to discover a parking place right in front of the flat. We had previously earmarked many places where we might park, but really never expected one of the few spots on this street to be open.

All in all, a very good day.

Puzzling British Road Signs: Part 2

The Brighton Pavilion, again

Just details of the Pavilion and the gardens around it, which have been restored to the way they were in 1820. The original gardens were designed by John Nash who also designed the Pavilion.

By Contrast, Here is the Breakfast Room in the Hotel

Here are a couple of pictures of the breakfast room of the hotel we were in (The Royal York, a regency period hotel recently restored to glory). The ceiling was really beautiful, the picture doesn't do it justice.