My first big trip in England, since I started studying in Lincoln and I was so excited! I started my south coast trip in Bristol, followed by Bath, Bournemouth, Portsmouth and last but not least Brighton! I was so looking forward to this trip, because the beautiful south coast of England is known around the world and definitely worth a trip! Telling you about the beautiful things and places I visited within my 5 day trip would probably be too much, therefore I will share my impressions of my two favorite cities from this trip with you.
Portsmouth – what a beautiful place to be!
I started my visit with checking into my accommodation which was the Blue Star House (Booking.com, undated) – beautiful and nice decorated accommodation close to the city center. I fell in love with Portsmouth the moment I saw it! Strolling through the city centre along small shops leads you closer and closer to the water – and that’s what the south coast is all about! When you reach the end of the shopping street you find yourself looking at a big park that runs along the waterside. The green area invites you to stroll around, lie down for a little sunbathing, sit down with your friends for a little picknick or to use the roller skating park to exercise. Whatever option you choose, it will be worth your while. Behind the park the waterside starts. I don’t know about you, but I could sit in front of water for hours and just gaze in the blue, watch the waves and listen to the wind and the seagulls. I just love it! And that is exactly what I did – I walked a few meters than stopped on a bench, closed my eyes and enjoyed the sun and the smell of sea air. I repeated that procedure for I don’t how long. After a few miles the waterside led to a pier where people can ride different kinds of roller-coasters and loose their money in a small casino. After trying my luck a few times in the casino, I resigned and headed back outside to continue my walk on the waterside. After the pier the harbor of Portsmouth came into view and what a view it was! The end of the open water led to a beautiful harbor with little restaurants and pubs at the water for the people to enjoy the evening sun and the charm of Portsmouth. The Emirates Tower at the harbor makes it easy for tourists to always find their way back to the water, as you can see the tower from nearly every angle within the city. On my way back I took a different route through the streets of Portsmouth and past the cathedral back into town.
Last stop on the south coast tour – Brighton!
Brighton is probably the most famous coast city in England! I bet that everyone has seen a picture of Brighton on the TV, maybe even without knowing that this picture was taken in Brighton. I knew that the Brighton Pier was going to be the highlight of this city, therefore I started with the city centre to leave the best for the end! Strolling through the busy streets I was surprised once again how hilly the coast cities in England are (except Portsmouth!). I went past the usual shops, but there were also little unique shops which raised the value of the city centre. One of those tiny and unique shops was McCreadybag (Facebook, undated). If you ever come to visit Brighton go and check out this absolute fantastic shop at 47 Upper North Street! Alistair creates individual, handmade bags in different sizes, colors and styles – every bag is a unique specimen! I spent over an hour in that shop because I couldn’t decide which bag I should buy. Not to mention that I could have bought every single bag… Alistair is a nice man, spends a lot of his free time in Paris and is not a fan of Brexit. While chatting about politics and how we wish the world to be, I could bring myself to decide which bag I would buy. If you are looking for a nice place where you can get a coffee and find more of these unique shops ‘The Lanes’ is the place for you to be. After finishing my stroll around the city I finally made it the famous pier. You can find the Brighton Pier from far away, because it is the busiest place at the water side. While walking along the water and enjoying Fish and Chips, you will hear musicians playing and singing and a group of people playing mini golf or basketball. The pier itself offers you even more Fish and Chips, casinos to loose your money and a stunning view on the ocean! While enjoying the sun set sitting close to the pier one thing became clear: Should I ever be rich, you know where to find me!
References:
- Booking.com (undated) Blue Star House. Booking.com. Available from https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/blue-star-house.de.html?label=gen173nr-1DCAEoggJCAlhYSDNiBW5vcmVmaDuIAQGYAQe4AQfIAQ3YAQPoAQGSAgF5qAID;sid=fae3b04ab8275de329b3538a4aba73d0;checkin=2017-05-15;checkout=2017-05-16;dest_id=-2605646;dest_type=city;dist=0;group_adults=2;hpos=1;raw_dest_type=hotel;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;soh=1;soldout=0%2C0;srfid=4df4487191cc9f2e804cfcdac5099643079127eeX1;type=total;ucfs=1&#hotelTmpl.
- Facebook (undated) McCreadybag. Facebook. Available from https://www.facebook.com/Mccreadybag-542512269132704/?fref=ts.