Brighton to Littlehampton 🇬🇧 65kms

After a later start, I popped in to a local bike mechanic as needed to book in for some new brake pads.  The young assistant is a lad from Perth and has been backpacking around Europe and UK.  On for a chat and we were swapping stories 😊. Nice to hear the Aussie accent.  Bike booked in for later in the week when it's raining.

Today's ride highlights:

✅Headwind outbound means glorious tailwind home.

✅Smell of sea air

✅Huge seagulls in the UK

✅Fabulous coastal cycleways

✅Cycled on two islands.  First residential with cute bathing huts.

The second industrial, with silos and steel factories and the cycle path crosses over movable bridges across dry docks.  As I got halfway across, the gate in front of me shut and the cycle bridge swung out of the way so a huge fishing trawler could enter.

✅Sunset views

✅Bruce the cat responded to my attempts at playing 😊

Brighton - Seaford 🇬🇧 55kms

https://tiffstraveltales.travelmap.net/uk-travel-2023

Today the sun was shining and the wind still a blowing.  I plotted a route for a cycle and cycled down to the Pier.. the ocean still rough but beautiful in the sun.

I had seen a sign saying the annual London to Brighton veteran car run would be on today.  I cycled to the finish line and waited a bit and then found out that most would still be hours away from arriving.  The finish barricades meant my route was diverted up to the roadside footpath.  Such a beautiful day to be out and the paths were full of people smiling into the sunshine and wind.

Before long I was able to take a path down to the seaside and discovered a path that ran alongside which chalky cliffs. 

These cliffs extended for much of the 25km stretch to Seaford.  They looked beautiful against the blue sky.  Lots of debris on the path made it slow going, but I had all day 😊. Pebbles and rocks had been washed onto the path from the giant waves, seaweed washed over the barricades, big chunks of chalk had blown off the cliffs and where it landed in puddles, turned to a white milky puddle to ride through. 
The path left the sea to go through Newhaven where you can catch ferries to France. 

 
I then continued as far as you can cycle or walk against the cliffs, past colourful bathing sheds.

When I turned my bike to come back, the tail wind I had been appreciating was now a firm 50km.per hr headwind 🤣 I had a number of times where I was nearly blown off my bike and at one stage had to get off and push as it was so strong!  All cyclists giving each other supportive looks.

By the time I had arrived back at the Brighton Pier, many veteran vehicles were arriving.  I watched the parade for a bit and the man next to me said he felt like he was watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!  Such a wonderful atmosphere with music playing, everyone rugged up and compares interviewing the drivers.
Great day out 😊

Brighton 🇬🇧

The storms still hanging around today and so, I spent the morning with Bruce while I worked on some logistics for the next few months.  A few things fell into place, trains booked etc.  

A break in the rain and so I set off down the hill in the wind and located the bus stop to the Pier.  So much flooding on the roads!

Soooo glad I went to the waterfront as the atmosphere was fantastic.  The winds still fierce were making huge waves crashing into the shoreline and jetty.  Everyone taking photos and laughing when freak waves would shower them

 🤣. I walked out to the end of the jetty and all the rides closed as too windy.  I popped down to the pebbly beach briefly and the roar of the waves so loud 😊

The rain started again and lots of us scrambling to find shelter 🤣. I stumbled into a coffee shop dripping and, they were just finishing table service but she kindly made me a hot chocolate.  Found my way to the bus stop and got off at the right spot!

Tonight there are some Guy Fawkes fireworks going off locally 😊. All events cancelled but people are setting off their own fireworks.

Now comfy on the lounge, with the car watching a movie 😊. A chilled, productive and fun day.