Brighton is a charming city on the south coast of England that I instantly fell in love with. I wanted to visit it for quite a while and was really looking forward to that trip, but honestly didn't know that much what to expect. I reached my destination after merely half an hour by train taking off from Clapham Junction (south-west London).





I did a fair bit of research just before going there about all the major sights that are worth visiting. After briefly studying the map I have remembered how to move around the city centre and didn't need to open it even once when I got there. It was very easy to navigate, also when I wandered off a little bit further at times. It lies on a few hills thanks to what its narrow streets and alleys are running up and down giving them a nice overlook.


 





Brighton has two natures, it's either elegant in plain whites or a vibrant splash of colours. It strived as a fashionable royal resort in Georgian times (Royal Pavilion in the city centre) and later in Victorian era (Brighton Palace Pier, West Pier, Grand Hotel). Brighton's typical historic architecture is utterly different than anywhere I have been so far, everything that is old starting from the pier to tarraced houses a few alleys away from the centre were painted in white making it insanely consistent and aesthetic.

On the contrary, because it is an academic cities (3 universities) and an unofficial LGBQ capital of United Kingdom it is full of quirky shops, colourful street art and art installation. It is also called the hippiest city of the UK. It appeared to have a lively cultural scene, with a number of theatres and cinemas. It was not expensive though, I managed to get myself a nice portion of Fish and Chips right by the beach for just £4,5.





And oh, the sea... Okay, some people only fancy the sea when it's hot weather and lazure-blue crystal-clear water. Brighton, obviously, does not provide that.

However, there was something remarkable on this cold and windy beach. I walked at least three times by the sea during this day, sat down on the round browhish pebbles on the beach and listened to the sound of big waves breaking down and enjoying the peaceful moment. The colours of the beach were peculiar, even with the grey gloomy sky the water remained bright greyish-green that stood out from the brownish pebbles. And the white Palace pier brighter than anything else. It seemed to be a gloomy picture... but it wasnt.


















Everything looked so aesthetic, even the commercial touristy stalls were mostly stylised to look older than they actually are and you didn't get this kitch-tourist-attraction feel about it. Actually, Brighton reminded me a bit of polish Sopot, but more fancy and consistent

The entry on the pier was free, to my giant surprise. You could also get a free deckchair to sit on the pier.