Arundel and Brighton

Earlier this year, I took a trip with some of the NYUL students to Brighton (my first time) with a stop off at Arundel Castle. Thankfully we were blessed with excellent weather, a god send after our disaster in Dover. We arrived in Arundel the same day as the farmers market (Saturday), which was great to wander around, as was the town itself. A quaint town, with cute shops and cafes - somewhere I could definitely while away an afternoon reading a book and drinking tea. We underestimated how much there was to see here - the castle is full of interesting things to see. As we were heading off to Brighton I had to rush around the castle rooms I didn't get a chance to even step foot in the gardens. A great shame as the couple of students who'd had time to whiz around them reported beautiful flowers and plants. Clearly the castle could have served as the whole trip.

Nevertheless we hopped back on the bus and made our way to Brighton. The sun most definitely had its hat on, and after some good (not amazing but decent enough) fish and chips on the pier, I wandered past the pavilion, around the Lanes and finally sat on the beach to enjoy the warmth before jumping back on the coach for an evening return to London.

Since I moved into central London in January, I've appreciated getting out into the countryside more than ever, and heading off to the coast is one step up from that. A cool and refreshing sea breeze, coupled with the salty air and vinegar chips wafting by. Brighton was great, and I'm so glad I've finally been and I won't be leaving it quite so long before I go back again. Although my true seaside love is Southend, what can I say I'm Essex to the core.

A foggy day in Dover

I've been lucky with the job I've got since coming back home allows me to explore London and he UK for free! In March, I headed off to Dover with out 150 students to visit Dover Castle and the White Cliffs. We couldn't have picked a worse day to go, the weather was drizzly, cold and foggy. So foggy in fact, that when we got off the coach, I led the students in the wrong direction as I couldn't see the mist covered castle. Dover castle is a very interesting place to visit, and during our tour, we got to see a couple of the tunnels underneath the castle that were used during WWII as a hospital. There are a lot more layers of tunnels to see, some from the time of the Napoleonic wars, but on this occasion we only had time to see the hospital. After lunch in the NAAFI, and a vote from the students, as all headed up to the white cliffs. This was a mistake, in hindsight, as the cliffs had become very wet and slippery, and visibility was practically nil. We were barely able to make out the water below. The mist did add an air of the ethereal to our photos however, and shows the castle in a mysterious light. Next time I'll definitely be hoping for a much clearer day.