Monday 6th April, Brighton
A day trip to Brighton.
A small lie-in, but still awake nice and early!
First thing I see in the morning, sunlight and shadows on the curtains. It's going to be a beautiful day.
Brush my teeth in the jungle bathroom.
First tea of the day (assam with soy milk) - in bed, because it's a bank holiday so why not?
Breakfast in blue and yellow! Toasted hot cross bun, pear & plain yogurt, green lemon tea and my birthday daffodils from my Dad.
Just enjoying those daffs a bit more...
Waiting for a bus.
Right on time! My ticket, with a cheeky time check in there too.
I'm early to meet my friend, so there's time for...
Peppermint tea!
E. meets me at 10. He's wearing his LGBT trainers because...
We're going to Brighton!
Waiting for our first train of the day.
We get to London and take the tube to Victoria station.
Stop off at a Wasabi for some early lunch to eat on the second train of the day!
Pulling sexy stunner faces on the train to send to my bff via whatsapp.
And we've arrived!
Brighton has very distinct street lamps.
The sea! The sea!
E's mum ships us, so we took a couple shot for her on the beach.
Found a slipper shell for my Mum.
I love the sea.
E buries me under shingle while I take photos.
The burnt out old pier.
More shells.
We spent a while watching this dog chase stones and swim in the water.
S'me!
E's hungry (he didn't have sushi lunch), so we stop for him to get some seaside chips.
I take pictures of the Victoria memorial while he queues.
E + chips!
I got more tea. Seaside tea. Probably English Breakfast, or PG Tips or something.
Walking to Hove, past all the beach huts. I want one.
We call in to see E's grandmother, who grows beautiful plants.
And feeds us Passover cinnamon balls.
And then we walk back to Brighton!
During which time the sea is this particularly beautiful shade of turquoise.
We wander through the Lanes before they close.
This pink pebble is my favourite.
Stop for some Moroccan mint tea at one of my favourite Brighton cafes, Temptation.
Bump into Moomin Pappa.
Smell some teas at Bluebird Tea Co (and buy some, of course...)
And eventually meander back to the station, past these pretty rainbow lights under the bridge.
Catching train #3...
Dinner from Marks & Spencer on the train (goats cheese and lentil cous-cous salad).
And now train #4, from platform ZERO, which always sounds like it's one that shouldn't exist.
Re-reading Slaughterhouse 5 on the way home, as I'm lecturing on it in two weeks' time.
Sunset!
Get home and it's straight into pyjamas.
My flatmate is just back from Sri Lanka, and she brought me tea!
And this beautiful tunic.
I try it on while I brush my teeth.
And it's early to bed after a long day, lots of journeys and an eight mile walk in the sea air.