This past weekend, I went on a day trip to Brighton with my study abroad group. Brighton is a charming seaside city located in the southern part of England. It is also the city that stole my heart within 10 minutes of stepping off the bus.
The weather was gorgeous, sunny and warm with the occasional refreshing ocean breeze. The pier had all kinds of food shops along each side. Through the middle, there are various little knick-knack shops. The big building in the center is an arcade full of every classic game you can think of. To top it all off, the backside of the pier is also an amusement park, full of roller coasters, bumper cars, henna and a haunted house. It’s basically a smaller, seaside version of Valley Fair.
During our few hours in the city, we spent a little time at the beach. The water was cool and refreshing, but the waves were crazy and one pushed me over onto the ground. That wouldn’t have been a bad fall, but the beach was made of pebbles instead of sand. So, that landing was a bit hard. Which leads me into my pro-tip for all of you: if you find yourself in Brighton, wear sandals if you plan on going to the beach.
If you forget or choose to not wear sandals, then only take them off once you are a few feet away from the water. Your feet will thank you. I did the exact opposite of this and it didn’t turn out well. I ended up crawling back to where my friends were sitting on the beach, much to their amusement. There’s a video of it and I’m 99 percent sure that it will end up on Facebook soon.
Along the beach, there are vendors that zigzag along the sidewalk. There’s also a carousel on the beach that you can ride. Because, why not?
Brighton has more to offer than just a lovely beach. You can also visit the Lanes, which is comparable to a farmer’s or flea market. The narrow streets are filled with artisans and small business owners, selling anything from art to vintage clothing. It’s really a lovely area and the locals were vibrant and fun, not nearly as posh as the people in London.
One of the fun little shops in the Lanes was the Bison Beer. The Bison was what caught my eye, so we went in to give it a gander. Here they sell locally brewed craft beers. We didn’t have an opportunity to taste anything, but I’m hoping to remedy that in a few weeks.