We stopped for gasoline when we got near Brighton and I gave the attendant
my credit card as Al and Sarah filled up. I almost had a stroke when
I saw the total. We Americans complain about gas prices, but we have
it easy compared to the rest of the world.
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Here we see a van belonging to Bradley's World Wide Eel Consultants.
I knew that the eel is part of British cuisine, but I never would have
guessed that someone could make a living as an eel consultant.
We opted instead for some fish and chips at a sidewalk cafe overlooking the English Channel. We also stopped at one of several candy stores and got some Brighton Rock, which I always thought was a song by Elastica, but it turns out that the song is named after some rock candy. |
| We walked down King's Road which runs along the shore. We went past the old pier which burned sometime in the 60's or 70's but still stands. You can't walk out there anymore but it must have been something in its heyday. |
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Instead, we walked out on the new pier. It was a gray, overcast day so you can't see much of the city, nor did we get any good pictures of the pier itself. There's an amusement park at the end, complete with bumper cars and a roller coaster, plus some coin-operated games designed to help you and your money part ways in hopes of winning a cuddly toy. |
| There are also these things, I don't know what they're called, where you can stick your face through a cutout so someone can take your picture. Here, Sarah looks pretty cute in a top hat while Al in a wedding veil leaves a little something to be desired. |
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There's no sand on the beach at Brighton, only rocks. People spread towels on the rocks and lay down to get some sun, when there is sun. I found one rock with a hole in it, and it looks like Sarah found something interesting too. Adam was happy just to throw rocks into the sea. |
| The main reason we wanted to go to Brighton was to visit the Royal
Pavilion. We had seen an amazing picture of it in a book and were
surprised that it's in England rather than India.
This snapshot shows only a portion of it. It's actually huge. I think our entire house could fit in the kitchen. There's a better picture of it here. |
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We said our goodbyes to Al and thanked him for being an excellent and
patient tour guide. He took off in one car while the four of us got
in the other and went northwest to Slinfold, a town near Gatwick.
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We checked into the Random Hall Hotel, a beautiful old tudor style
inn. Sarah's single room had this huge four-poster bed, while our
"family room" had three twins. Go figure.
We had dinner there at the inn, and I had my first black pudding. It was delicious in a strange way, and I'm sure I'll have it again but I'm also sure I don't want it frequently. |
After dinner, we sat in a large living room and chatted until the proprietor
started turning out the lights on us. We said goodbye to Sarah because
she would probably leave for work before we woke up, but I got up before
anyone else (which is usually the case) and had breakfast with her before
she hit the road.
| I had a second breakfast when Danusia and Adam got up. We packed
for the last time and called a taxi to take us to the airport.
The taxi driver was very friendly, and it turned out he was just about to complete his MSCE and wanted to move to Michigan. I wonder if he ever did. |
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Anyway, it was a great trip and we've determined that the best way to
see a place is to have friends there - friends who don't mind carting you
all over the countryside. Al and Sarah have since taken us all over
Scotland and have, of course, visited us in Florida. I hope one day
to show them New England and New York - places I know well but they've
never been. Maybe I'll be able to repay their kindness with a Maine
lobster.
| Florida to London | ||
| London | ||
| London | ||
| London to Wisbech | ||
| Peterborough | ||
| Cambridge | ||
| Nottingham | ||
|
May 5, 1999
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Brighton |
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Distinguished Women of Past and Present
