A (not so) sunny day on Brighton's (not so) sandy beaches...

Family,

And a good evening to you all from across the Pond. Today concluded another great weekend in the UK, as we crossed off another elusive destination – the beautiful…beaches? of Brighton.
Okay, so first off, Brighton is a cute little former fishing village on the South Coast of England. Now, however, it’s a resort town that sports Britain’s finest, most “award winning beach.”

Let’s just get the facts out right now – THERE IS NO BEACH. In fact, in place of those gorgeous white sands of Texas or beige sands of the Carolinas, YOU GET ROCKS. LOT’S OF ENORMOUS ROCKS THAT WANT TO RIP YOUR FEET APART AS YOU WALK TOWARD NEGATIVE SIX THOUSAND DEGREE WATER.
You wouldn’t have believed it – it was like Iceland all over again, except with a billion more people. The (rock) beaches were packed. The outdoor pubs were packed. And people were laid out everywhere enjoying the soft, cushy stones of Brighton (much like this).
However, all was not lost. For starters, vendors are selling fresh (and I mean just pulled from the water) seafood at rock bottom prices. I got a “pot” of mussels and another pot of cockles (had never tried – uber salty but better than mussels…I think), as well as 4 olives wrapped in anchovies (SO GOOD). We hit the pier (where Jenny and I played the pig racing game, which was akin to Air Hockey), as well as the Marina, and we even rode the world’s oldest electic railway (the Volks Electric Railway… yep, just about as exciting as it sounds).
The pier was really interesting – basically it was a big carnival. Some things I would call out:

1) They had a bull riding game with a HUGE American flag on the front. It was hilarious to watch the limeys try and go all Lane Frost – I watched one kid go FLYING.

2) The pier basically looked like the Tennessee Valley Fair, except the scrambler was called the spinner.

3) The more tatoos you have, the more you should wear tank tops out so everyone can admire your ink…especially if you HAVE A TATOOED MUSTACHE AND BEARD. Really, was that a good idea?

4) Instead of the “Guess your speed” game, they have “Premiership,” where you have to kick balls through different holes. I simply had to get a picture, as you will NOT see that at next year’s NC Fair in Raleigh.

We had a great lunch at Wetherspoon’s (where we had pints of Fortyniner – wicked good – and the Rev – Welsh ale), outside of which was a very popular game with the locals which I simply had to stand in front of.
After that, it was a pint of Doom Bar (tasty) at the Waggon and Horses (note the British spelling) before bouncing back to the train station and catching the bus from Victoria. And now, after some fish and chips, here we sit back at the flat whilst the rain comes down outside. Tomorrow’s back to the grind, but bring it on!

And for the record - I just have to share this great photo of my muffin puffin trying to keep warm during the "English summer." Can you spot the Floridian in this picture?

Also, it should be noted that I finished “The Reader” this morning – I was not impressed. However, I’ve since moved through ~150 pages of “Six Sacred Stones” by Matthew Reilly, and I’m much happier (Dean – this one cooks with gas).

That’s all the news that’s fit to print. Chat tomorrow!

Love,

Sam and Jenny