Brighton Diary 2020

 Have you ever been to Brighton?

I first went on a University visit in 2009, as soon as I stepped out of the train station I had a really good feeling, I felt calm and at home. The atmosphere was really friendly, I loved the vibe I got straight away. Although I never ended up studying at Brighton (The course was a bit too 'out there' even for me) I love to visit it when I can.

Can you spot the dog?

After working in London for a few days I got the chance to visit, I stayed at the Jurys Inn near the train station and I'm glad I did. The room was small but clean and I was about a 15 minute walk to the beach, plus there is a car park opposite the hotel (you do need to pay though!) I had enough space to lay out a towel and practice some yoga in the evenings, which I found kind of hard, do you ever just get out of the yoga zone sometimes and find a downward dog really tricky? Maybe it is because I was walking around so much and it get's dark by 4pm at the moment! Some areas still had the chilled vibe I remember, like the beach and the lanes.

Check out the upside down house at the beach

Travelling alone is something I have not done for so long, it was a weird atmosphere in Brighton, not the one I remember from that University trip. Living in this new Covid world is strange but I'm glad I adventured out of my home town if only to see that the grass is not as green as you think on the other side. There was a sense of unease across the city, but maybe that was my feeling of being on my own. Some people wore masks and some did not, there was a lot of Christmas shopping happening with massive lines outside Primark and H&M.

Although most of the trip was full of rain I had an amazing afternoon sitting on the beach with the sun glinting on the water and a guy playing guitar filling up the airwaves. Watching a paddleboarder and people skipping rocks was very relaxing, until a group of tourists decided to ignore social distancing and take pictures right next to me!

It was a chance to get some sea air though which I will always recommend to anyone. Apparently the moving water creates negative air ions which improves your mood... I hope this is true as it improved mine! I did wish I was with a friend though, it can be lonely travelling alone. 

The place to go for vegan goodness

So my top tips for a Brighton visit -

• Take and umbrella and waterproof walking boots (you will be glad of them on the pebbly beach!)
• Sit and watch the ocean with some chips, but beware the seagulls...
• Visit 'The Happy Chicken' for delicious vegan food.
• Wander around the lanes and see what unique items you can find.
• Walk up and down the pier and breath in that sea air!
• Brighton station has a great bagel shop with vegan options.