Now I'm no stranger to the coast after spending the last three years in the Golden State, with its sunsoaked, sandy beaches and (relatively) warm waters. But the southern coast of England is something else. Though they're called beaches, this last stretch of land before we hit the Channel has very minimal sand - mostly rocks - and huge chalk cliffs that dominate the skyline. Just inland are castles older than America, and towns with no 3G.
Our first stop on our Sussex Countryside tour was at the Seven Sisters Cliffs nestled in Birling Gap. Similar to the cliffs of Dover, these chalk cliffs look so much like the ones from the show Broadchurch (any takers?!). They're actually quite dangerous because the cliffs keep receding due to erosion. The house in the photo below will probably be the next to go, but for now it's just lovely to feast your eyes upon the sight and then get back on the bus because it's cold.
At Beachy Head we visited the monument to WWII pilots. Beachy Head would've been the last sight of England that these pilots saw before flying into battle, and for some of them the last sight before their deaths. It was a beautiful windswept promontory that I will definitely be exploring at some later date. My goal: to climb down to the lighthouse.
We stopped for lunch at the seaside town of Eastbourne. The location of the film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging a quality coming-of-age film. Sort of like a British version of Clueless. Anyhow, the town itself was a sleepier version of Brighton. Very cute and touristy though the pier was under reconstruction after being on fire earlier this year.
I visited my first castle of this trip - Pevensey Castle - as we travelled a bit inland on the way back. It's so strange to come to Europe and see these buildings and hear about stories that happened long before the Europeans even discovered America let alone wrote the Declaration of Independence. We celebrate the 200th anniversary of our country with so much pomp and circumstance while this castle is casually close to 1800 years old.
Our final stop was in the tiny village of Alfriston for afternoon tea and a stroll. The church and grounds were timeless, and the lack of 3G or internet made it a peaceful afternoon. I got my scones again. I don't know what I'll do without them when I'm back in the states.
It was nice to be able to explore the local area around campus a bit more and to see some traditionally British sights. Every day I fall more in love with this country...though a bit more sun would be nice.
