My walks in Nature don't just mean out in the countryside and with creatures other than ourselves. After all, we are part of the whole ecosystem even if a lot of humans think we are separate from it. The problem comes when we take more than Nature can replenish and don't live in harmony with it.
Even though I prefer seeing animals other than ourselves, I still find humans fascinating and todays journey took Sarah and I to Brighton for the day, for a bit of a culture fix.
We took the ferry from Gosport across to Portsmouth Harbour to catch the train
One of the catamarans was leaving for France
Even at 9am it was starting to get quite hot
The view looking back to Gosport, Portsmouths poor relation
The Spinnaker Tower looking impressive against the lovely morning sky.
We boarded the train and after 40 minutes delay with the ongoing train problems on Southern Trains we arrived in Brighton in need of some thirst quenching and found a great real ale house that served Vegetarian food.
We sat in the courtyard garden and took in the sounds of the Herring Gulls as they circled around us.
We decided against eating at our first stop as there is a great veggie pub I have visited before just off the front. We walked there via The Laines which has some wonderful independent shops and eateries. Great people watching too...
Some interesting shop titles....
Brighton is always good for some great graffiti....
We arrived at Middle Street, our lunch destination. The Hippodrome still sits forlorn and unloved...
The Hop Poles has a great vegetarian menu with a great selection of real ales too.
There is some wonderful artwork in the courtyard too..
...and some fab posters in the pub too...
After a lovely lunch and refreshment, we decided to check out the seafront.
Next doors bar always make me smile :)
The old west pier another forlorn sight but a great roosting place for birds. I kind of like the decay set against life carrying on around. Proving that change is the only constant.
The old against the new. The new i360 tower in the background. Not so aesthetically pleasing.
The Gulls here and at many other seaside resorts get some really bad and wholly inaccurate press coverage. They have been the same size as they have always been and just happen to be very clever at exploiting humans' wasteful attitude to food.
They patrolled the beach with expertise looking for any morsel left unguarded or unwanted. Judging by the state of Bournemouths' beach this week I'm sure they would do very well in this hot weather. This is the side of humanity that really baffles me and then we blame the birds for their ingenuity and need to survive?
As you can see, the birds are monstrous!!!
The people depicted here did survive the giant gull attack you'll be pleased to know!
We decided the beach was a tad too busy and hot so retreated back to sample the delights of the Laines
Although with the reflection not showing the best of this artwork in a shop window, I thought it apt with the current news, you get the drift...
These are just 3 of my favourite things.....
High above the heat and bustle of the streets, the Gulls were feasting on insects brought on by the weather conditions
Whilst some were happy to take an easy vantage point
Endless amounts of little shops around every corner. I could have spent a small fortune in ones such as this. In the end I plumped for some artwork of the Avian order by a local artist.
The graffiti just kept on appearing, another local artist!
As we made our way to the railway station, there were examples of local people in photos who help make Brighton the most eclectic and diverse city on the South Coast of England and a huge attraction for all sorts of like minded individuals, he is Norman Cook or Fat Boy Slim as many of you will know.
A different day out but one of diversity to rival that in any place whether in the countryside or not.
I'm not a city lover, but if I had to choose, then Brighton, with it's broad ethnicity, cultural depth and laid back approach would win me over, plus it's got the only Green MP in the country...speaks volumes to me. :)
Even the expected train delays and problems on the journey home couldn't dampen our spirits of a lovely fulfilling day by the seaside.
We arrived to the sound of screaming swifts around our home, fattening up while the sun shines, their cheeks bulging full of insects before they undergo their epic journey to Africa.... made our journey pale into insignificance in comparison. We don't know how good we've got it sometimes.... Bon voyage, rendez-vous l'annee!
N.B.
The title of this post is an excerpt taken from the poem - A Visit to the Seaside by Ernestine Northover
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