At the seaside

As the weather suddenly remembered that it is summer actually and that there supposed to be some sun shining from time to time and that big dark clouds are a definite "no, no" and that the temperature should not fall below 25˚C and should preferably stay at around 30˚C, Marta’s dear brother Michal and dear cousin Grzesiu had a brilliant idea of going and spending a day at the seaside. Kemal decided to stay at home and without anyone to distract him, study a bit for his exams.

So, they woke up on Sunday before 11am (which was a big accomplishment), ate a quick breakfast and after dropping into a Polish shop for a piece of cheesecake (no trip to seaside can be called successful without a piece of Polish cheesecake) travelled to…Brighton! They took the train from London Bridge station and around 1 hour later, they set their feet on the hot beach pebbles.

Here are the hot beach pebbles:



They decided to stay on the hot pebbled beach for a while, though it resembled more a rush hour in Oxford Street than anything that can be associated with a beach. Marta’s dear cousin Grzesiu decided not to be put off by anything silly like this and went swimming, like a normal person enjoying the beach and the sea.

Here is dear cousin Grzesiu swimming (or shall we say James Bonding):



Marta and her dear brother Michal decided against even getting knee deep in the water, though they tried as much as possible to enjoy themselves none the less. Marta had to concentrate hard to actually come to terms with the fact that there she was on a beach – at the seaside – in – Brighton! It wasn’t easy. It just did not seem real, “beachy”, or even “seay”. She tried hard, she closed her eyes, tried to smell the sea, tried to hear the sea….but it was no use. The noise of people’s voices and of the traffic from the street not far in the distance made it simply impossible. Marta’s dear brother Michal decided to at least get a bit of a tan and… fell asleep. Marta’s dear brother Grzesiu slept a bit as well, probably he was exhausted by the swimming in the sea, and Marta read her Polish magazine, which was about “life as celebration” and felt happy, in spite of all the earlier disappointments.

However, the next disappointment didn’t let Marta and dear brother Michal and dear cousin Grzesiu wait for itself for long. It all started when they felt hungry and decided to try some nice fish. Being at the seaside and not to try a fish? No way! Finding a nice fish restaurant at the seaside that has a nice fresh fish and does not leave you bankrupt at the same time – no way too! So, they ended up at a small, smelly beach fish and chips place and had a very disappointing fish and chips that did not leave them bankrupt.

Here is the very disappointing fish and chips that did not leave them bankrupt:


Guess the picture speaks for itself.

Next, with full stomachs and with lots of money still in their wallets, they decided to check what the Brighton Pier was all about. That it was a disappointment was no surprise to any of them, but they took some photos, looked back at the crowds spread on the whole length of the beach in both directions, and could not help it but have some ice-cream and try to escape the madness - back to the peace and quiet of Dalston, London.

Here they are checking what the Brighton Pier was all about:




Here they are having some ice-cream and trying to escape the crowds - back to the peace and quiet of Dalston, London:



Waiting for the train, they decided to go to a pub for a pint of something that would help them forget about all the disappointments of the day and maybe to enjoy themselves for a change. The pub was nice, and so were the pints of Guinesses:

Here they are, forgetting about all the disappointments of the day:



However, the biggest disappointment yet was still to come! And that had nothing to do with the beach or the pebbles or the sea or the fish and chips or the pier or Guiness. And had everything to do with crowds and public transport. Suffice to say, they had to wait for another train to arrive as the one they hoped on taking was too crowded to even get on. Using their wits and cunning, they managed to board the next train back to London Bridge that was half an hour later and they even got the seats. Though the train kept stopping on the way because of some drunken young men trying to have fun destroying the already dilapidated train that only still worked by a sheer force of a miracle, they arrived home at around 11.30pm – that is 4 hours after the nice pints of Guinesses.


Sunday trip to Brighton? No comment! Next time we want to go somewhere exciting and with Kemal!!!! (and where there aren’t any people preferably, any ideas?)