My husband has a 90 year old aunt who lives in North London. We go across to visit regularly. She loves having us come over. She also doesn't love having us around. She's lived alone her entire adult life. She wants to know we care. We help with things she can no longer do. But she gets a fright every time one of us pops up. She cannot get used to other people in her house.
Brighton Promenade
We decided to go to Brighton for three nights to get out of her hair. We chose Brighton because it was the quickest, cheapest and easiest place to get to from London. Plus my husband had never been there. My primary income is derived in South Africa. The current exchange rate is horrible. We're paying R19 for £1. I can buy four to five cups of coffee in SA for the price of one in the UK. It was my decision to stay in a hostel. My husband has never done so before. I used hostels in Scotland
Art deco buildings
and Orkney with friends. Read about those trips - here - and - here. The accommodation was acceptable to fabulous.
So I found us a hostel in Hove which is about 2 - 3 miles from Brighton. It looked fine on the web.
Greenie on Brighton Pier
We found instructions for the bus and got there easily. The guy who managed the place was a really nice chap and I feel bad for saying this, but the place was awful. He told me it was owned by a charity and all proceeds went to a good cause. He also said they were looking at fixing it up.
Our rooms were clean enough. The linen was garish and well worn. The shower had a gaping hole and no trap. I lost a razor down there. There were notices on the walls imploring people not to
White cliffs
make a noise. The communal area was dark and dingy. The kitchen cupboard doors had fallen off. I wouldn't use anything there or eat there.
I also suspect this place is used by homeless people. The same faces constantly lurked outside drinking beer and I could smell weed. Maybe that was the charity? A place of safety perhaps?
We decided that we were only sleeping there and resolved to get out as much as possible. Turns out
Seaside eateries
Brighton is a mecca for vegans, vegetarians and organic foodies. Who knew? Happy Cow listed loads of places to eat out. We walked along the promenade from Hove into Brighton instead of catching the bus. Much nicer.
There are brightly coloured beach huts along the way. As you come into Brighton you can see beautiful white cliffs. The sea was calm and flat that day. The beach is pebbled. A novelty for us. South African beaches are white powder sand. I LOVED the art deco beachfront apartments. I wouldn't be surprised if the Agatha Christie Poirot series were filmed in Brighton and Hove.
