Although Brighton is only 55 minutes outside of London, I still wanted to get an early start. I woke up at dawn, went to the gym, and showered before catching the 9:54 am train from Waterloo. For a mere £15.50, I was transported to one of the first of the great seaside resorts of Europe.
I couldn't have had a better day to go. Not only was it 55 degrees Fahrenheit out, but it was SUNNY! Needless to say, I was excited.
Upon arriving to Brighton, I decided I could do with a spot of tea. Heeding the advice of my trusty Frommer's Guidebook to England 2011, I headed towards the Mock Turtle Tea Shop. My guidebook promised that this "small but busy tearoom has many locals stopping by to gossip and take their tea." I was not disappointed.
According to my map, the tea shop should have been located about a stones throw from the water. So I just walked along the boardwalk, looking for a tea room. I couldn't find it. I couldn't even find the street it was on! Giving up hope, I decided I would have to skip on tea, and started heading towards the Royal Pavilion. As I was walking I passed an alley and casually looked in. GUESS WHAT I FOUND?!?!
The Mock Turtle, the most amazing tea shop EVER!That's right! Nestled in this little alleyway was the quaintest baby blue building. I may have squealed. Yeah, girly, I know. But I was so excited! I noticed some people in it, so I decided to venture in. And found Heaven on Earth.
The inside of the Mock Turtle- my idea of HeavenThat's right. Blue and White China. Ever since I was young, I have loved this classic china. In my dream house, I have a room just to showcase what will be a fine collection. Yellow walls and mahogany shelves will highlight the beauty of the collection. I will have the perfect little baby blue armchair in there, where I can plan out recipes for dinner parties and... OK, enough with my fantasy. Back to the tea shop.
So according to my guide, the shop is KNOWN for their scones with cream and strawberry jam, which they make themselves. Indeed, when I walked in, it was the first thing on their menu. For £5.95, I was promised tea and 2 scones. I had no idea how much this would turn out to be. After ordering, I got a table. Within minutes, my tea came out. It was REAL tea. Like, no tea bag. You got a strainer. And extra piping hot water to add to your teapot when you finished your initial tea. And a cup of sugar cubes. And a little pitcher of milk. I was impressed.
After making myself a cup of tea, my scones were brought out. I got one brown and one white scone. These were accompanied by a small bowl of homemade strawberry jam, fresh whipped cream, and a tiny pot of fresh butter. I haven't had butter since coming here, trying to maintain my "girlish figure". But I had to give in. And it was SO worth it. Although they gave me enough jam, butter, and whipped cream for 4 scones, I caked the stuff on, and finished EVERYTHING. It was so delicious. Seriously, I could go on forever about this place. If you are ever in Brighton, look it up. I am definitely going back before I have to go back to the States. It MIGHT just be so I can go to the Mock Turtle Tea Shop again.
So according to my guide, the shop is KNOWN for their scones with cream and strawberry jam, which they make themselves. Indeed, when I walked in, it was the first thing on their menu. For £5.95, I was promised tea and 2 scones. I had no idea how much this would turn out to be. After ordering, I got a table. Within minutes, my tea came out. It was REAL tea. Like, no tea bag. You got a strainer. And extra piping hot water to add to your teapot when you finished your initial tea. And a cup of sugar cubes. And a little pitcher of milk. I was impressed.
After making myself a cup of tea, my scones were brought out. I got one brown and one white scone. These were accompanied by a small bowl of homemade strawberry jam, fresh whipped cream, and a tiny pot of fresh butter. I haven't had butter since coming here, trying to maintain my "girlish figure". But I had to give in. And it was SO worth it. Although they gave me enough jam, butter, and whipped cream for 4 scones, I caked the stuff on, and finished EVERYTHING. It was so delicious. Seriously, I could go on forever about this place. If you are ever in Brighton, look it up. I am definitely going back before I have to go back to the States. It MIGHT just be so I can go to the Mock Turtle Tea Shop again.
My delicious spread... commence drooling. Also, another reason to go? It is not a shop frequented by tourists! It really is a local haunt. I have never felt more like an outsider. Every person that came in knew someone else in the shop, and I heard SO much gossip! For example, did you know that Mary is pregnant again? It's her sixth child, and she and her husband can't afford any more. According to the lady telling the story, it was in her opinion that couples like that should have the man's tubes tied.
...imagine how hard it was for me to contain my laughter.
...imagine how hard it was for me to contain my laughter.
Now it was around lunch time, but because I had just eaten SO much, I decided to walk it off. I walked back to the waterfront to take in the sights.
Brighton lies on the English Channel. It was gorgeous. The air smelled clean (funny, I didn't notice how bad the air was in London), and all I could think of was how this town reminded me of Narragansett and a little bit of Old Lyme. Which made me a little homesick.
Coming upon the beach, I was delighted to find that it was a pebble beach. Back home, Adam and I love going to rock beaches and carrying on a tradition my parents started- finding heart-shaped rocks. We are in the process of building up our collection, so I decided to find some good candidates for us, as well as my parents and grandparents. I was successful! After, I walked down to the water, touched the water of the English Channel, and then set off again.
Brighton lies on the English Channel. It was gorgeous. The air smelled clean (funny, I didn't notice how bad the air was in London), and all I could think of was how this town reminded me of Narragansett and a little bit of Old Lyme. Which made me a little homesick.
Coming upon the beach, I was delighted to find that it was a pebble beach. Back home, Adam and I love going to rock beaches and carrying on a tradition my parents started- finding heart-shaped rocks. We are in the process of building up our collection, so I decided to find some good candidates for us, as well as my parents and grandparents. I was successful! After, I walked down to the water, touched the water of the English Channel, and then set off again.
My first view of the English Channel
Just to prove I was there- me in front of the English Channel!My next stop was the famous Brighton Pier. The Pier in Narragansett has NOTHING on this. Not only is there a casino in the middle of the pier, but the end of it has a ton of amusement rides. It kind of had a Coney Island-like feel. I absolutely loved it. As I walked along the pier, there were tons of vendors offering a variety of goods. Jewelery, clothing, and food items were popular. One of the stands that stood out was the Shellfish Seafood Bar. Besides selling a variety of shellfish (all of which I am allergic to, so no I didn't try them) they also sold "Jellied Eels", which are apparently a big seller out here. Nothing could possess me to eat an animal that absolutely terrifies me, so I passed. What I did find amusing, however, is that the servers arranged your seafood in a Styrofoam cup and made it look like an ice cream sundae! It was so cool!
Brighton Pier After the pier I continued along the beach for some time. Along the boardwalk a bunch of shops had been built under the road that runs along the beach. They sold a variety of beach related goods, and if I had unlimited luggage space, I would have definitely picked up a few knick-knacks. O well, browsing is just as fun!
The shops along the beachAfter deciding that I had passed enough time, I made my way to East Street to get some fish and chips. I mean, you can't go to a seaside resort and NOT get them, right? My original plan was to head to English's of Brighton, which was recommended by my guidebook. However, after much searching, I still couldn't find it. Instead, I happened upon The Fishbowl. I thought it looked kinda funky (in a good way), so I decided to head in.
The Fishbowl The Fishbowl turned out to be a really nice pub! Although they had 4 different batter options for their fish and chips, I decided to go with the good ol' traditional beer batter. I couldn't have been more pleased. Not only is one plate of their DELICIOUS fish and chips enough to feed two people, but they give you a TON of tartar sauce, which is a big plus for me. Other places barely give you enough for 1/4 of the fish. Here, there was enough for the entire fish piece AND the chips! YES! Also, the US needs to get on board with serving peas- whether mushy or not- with their fish and chips. Seriously, how did we miss this memo?!
Yeah, I bet you are jealous of all the amazing food I keep having. So full I was about to pop, I decided to head out again. At this time, I barely had 3 hours before my train left, and I still had so much to do! I made a beeline for the Royal Pavilion, once the home of George IV and then later on Queen Victoria. However, Victoria abandoned the residence because she thought that it was too "flippant" for her, and she was upset that a palace in a seafront town didn't even have a water view. (I would be pretty pissed too, poor planning on George's part.)
Upon arriving to the Pavilion, I realized how correct Victoria was in her opinion of it. John Nash's version of an Indian Palace was extremely flamboyant.
Upon arriving to the Pavilion, I realized how correct Victoria was in her opinion of it. John Nash's version of an Indian Palace was extremely flamboyant.
Some views of the Royal Pavilion at Brighton
I paid the £7.80 charge to get in to the Pavilion, and spent about 45 minutes touring it. It is too bad that photography is not allowed. Words can not even describe. Actually, I can try. Imagine China threw up inside a house. That is how it was decorated. I have never seen anything more inspired by the Orient. To the point where it was tacky. George IV had interesting taste...My next stop was the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, which was directly next to the Pavilion and thankfully free. Because if I had paid money to go in here, I would have been angry. It was really just a hodgepodge of modern art, a small room on Ancient Egypt, and a gallery dedicated to the history of Brighton, highlighting the recent past. Which is when Brighton opened it's arms to the gay population of Britain. Some of the stuff in the exhibit was not suitable for the children that passed through. That gave me a laugh. Poor kids and their virgin eyes...
I spent about 45 minutes in here in order to finish it, and then I headed back out.
Brighton Museum and Art GalleryBecause I had a little less than 2 hours, I decided to take a stroll through the Lanes, which is a close-knit section of alleyways that sell trinkets and gifts. The most amusing? A book of William and Kate paper dolls which you could dress up for different occasions. REALLY, ENGLAND?! The amount of William and Kate memorabilia is starting to get sickening.
By the time I had walked through The Lanes and explored some of the shops, I still had about an hour and a half to explore. So I headed towards St. Nicholas' Church, which has been around since the 11th century. I snapped some pictures, but the church wasn't open, so I couldn't go inside.
This is where things go dangerous. I had an hour. And residential Brighton was right there. I went exploring. And fell in love. I could really see myself living in a place like this. Which is scary, since if you asked me in high school where I would want to live, it would not be somewhere that reminded me of Old Lyme or Narragansett. I mean, look at these houses!!! I WANT ONE! They had the most amazing views of the Channel, and were so quaint. If I ever have enough money for a second home, I know where I want it...
By the time I had walked through The Lanes and explored some of the shops, I still had about an hour and a half to explore. So I headed towards St. Nicholas' Church, which has been around since the 11th century. I snapped some pictures, but the church wasn't open, so I couldn't go inside.
This is where things go dangerous. I had an hour. And residential Brighton was right there. I went exploring. And fell in love. I could really see myself living in a place like this. Which is scary, since if you asked me in high school where I would want to live, it would not be somewhere that reminded me of Old Lyme or Narragansett. I mean, look at these houses!!! I WANT ONE! They had the most amazing views of the Channel, and were so quaint. If I ever have enough money for a second home, I know where I want it...
Yeah, I could live here...I continued to walk around, looking into people's windows, imagining what their British lives were like. It was so peaceful. Eventually though, I had to head back to the train station.
On the way though, I came upon Jamie Oliver's (Britain's 30 Minute Meals guy) store Recipease. Clever, right?! In it, he had a small restaurant, (No, he wasn't there) a bakery, deli, kitchen supply center, and cafe. I decided to stop in and purchase a coffee and savory muffin for the train ride home. The panchetta, mozzarella, and green pepper muffin was calling my name. Needless to say, I indulged. You only live once, right? And yet again, it was worth it.
I jumped on the train just in time, grabbed a seat, and happily munched on my snack as the train made its way back to London. What a lovely day trip. I could not have enjoyed it more. It was nice being able to see a beach again, something I have seen almost every day of my life until I came to London. (No, the bank of the Thames does not count!) I really enjoyed my time in Brighton, and because of this, I am determined to go back again before June rolls around.
On the way though, I came upon Jamie Oliver's (Britain's 30 Minute Meals guy) store Recipease. Clever, right?! In it, he had a small restaurant, (No, he wasn't there) a bakery, deli, kitchen supply center, and cafe. I decided to stop in and purchase a coffee and savory muffin for the train ride home. The panchetta, mozzarella, and green pepper muffin was calling my name. Needless to say, I indulged. You only live once, right? And yet again, it was worth it.
I jumped on the train just in time, grabbed a seat, and happily munched on my snack as the train made its way back to London. What a lovely day trip. I could not have enjoyed it more. It was nice being able to see a beach again, something I have seen almost every day of my life until I came to London. (No, the bank of the Thames does not count!) I really enjoyed my time in Brighton, and because of this, I am determined to go back again before June rolls around.
I love the way you write... and thanks to you, we manage to trace this amazing teashop where we had been now eight(!) years ago, and which we still hadn't forgotten. Thank you for that!
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