Sand sculptures, Brighton

Last month my friend Sheila and I decided it was time we had another little outing, and as she had heard about the Sand Sculpture exhibition in Brighton we decided to go and see what it was all about.

                                 

                                 

It takes a couple of hours to drive to Brighton so we set off about 9.30 and arrived about lunch time, then drove around until we found the Sand Sculpture at the Eastern end of the beach, near The Marina, and quite close to the nudist beach!! The exhibition had only been open for a day or two, but the sculptures will be on show all through the summer. Apparently the sand used is a particular sort which holds its shape for a long time, even if it rains.

The theme for this year is ‘Around the World’ and, as I am sure you can see from the photos the sculptures are just amazing. I particularly liked the Geisha, but to be honest they were all fantastic, I very much admire the talents of the artists.

We were just about the only visitors, which was great for taking photos and having a really good look at the sculptures.

After we had looked round the exhibition we went on the Volk’s Electric Railway to the Pier, where we enjoyed a brisk walk on the pier, and Fish and Chips in the restaurant at the end of the Pier, which was lovely, and by that time much needed by both of us.

   

   

    

Sheila and I always have a good day out, this was no exception, and we have already decided that we need another day in Brighton to visit the Pavilion, and maybe go on the wheel next to the Pier. I am already looking forward to it

    

Canterbury

Medieval characters in the Canterbury Tales

Canterbury is a fascinating City, there is always something new to see, and of course there are some lovely shops and cafe’s!

This manikin was a bit scary I think!

Thursday last week my friend Pauline and I had a day in Canterbury, a mixture of sightseeing, shopping and eating. I had never been to the ‘Canterbury Tales’ Visitor Attraction, and as the weather was not being very kind to us we decided to start the day with a visit there.

The Wife of Bath about to tell her Tale

The attraction is based on the famous Canterbury Tales which were written by Geoffrey Chaucer, and consists of various tableaux accompanied by a shortened but funny adaptation of the various characters tales. It is very well done, we enjoyed the visit.

Greyfriars House

I had told Pauline about the Greyfriars House, so next we made our way there. My last visit was in December, so this time it was lovely to see this beautiful building in the Spring, even if the sun was not shining. The building was closed so we couldn’t go inside, even so it is worth a visit. In front of the building is a wild flower meadow, which is just starting to grow, so maybe next time we visit this will be in bloom.

Looking towards the street from the Crypt, Eastgate Hospital

The Crypt, Eastgate Hospital – the walls really do lean that much!

We then wandered back into town where we did just a small bit of shopping then went to Boho’s restaurant, where we had a lovely lunch.  After our lunch we visited the Eastgate Hospital, built c.1175, another place I had never been to, or if I had it was so long ago I had forgotten it!

The beautiful fresco in the large Hall, Eastgate Hospital.

The amazing Medieval Roof in the Chapel, Eastgate Hospital.

The Chapel, Eastgate Hospital

We had a lovely day, there is plenty more to explore in Canterbury, so I expect there will be more Canterbury blogs in the future.