A Weekend in Brighton

To celebrate our anniversary, myself and my boyfriend decided to take a little stay-cation to Brighton. Whenever I've told people that I have never been before, they always gasp and express their surprise, and they all say it is 100% my type of place. So, with that being said, I thought it was high time I paid the sea-side town a visit, and when better to do so than on a special anniversary?

We pre-booked an air bnb a month in advance, so we wouldn't have to worry too much about accommodation. We were situated more towards Hove than Brighton, but it meant we were really able to see so much of both of the places, which made for a good adventure. The studio we chose couldn't have been any more ideal, with beautifully kitsch interiors and the biggest, most comfortable bed you've ever seen.

We got up at silly o' clock on the Sunday morning so we could head straight to Brighton by car (I think we listened to Stormzy's new tune Vossi Bop at least 10 times, that's what happens when the boyf takes over the role of DJ). We arrived at 10 am and as soon as we got there, I could see what my friend's have been talking about this whole time. As we drove into Hove, I noticed the beautiful architecture straight away, with gorgeous townhouses lining every single road. As we drove in, the sun was beaming and the sky was gloriously blue, which made the driving even more scenic.

We decided to walk straight into Brighton, as we couldn't check into our studio until 3pm. We took a leisurely stroll along the beach all the way, stopping to admire the beach huts, which were an assortment of bold, beautiful colours. The first thing we did in town was grab a delicious Brunch, seeing as were both starving from the long morning drive (although I did actually have sustenance). We decided to eat at a place called Food with Friends as it looked beautifully inviting from the outside and it was the first place we laid our eyes on. The menu was as millennial as it gets, and we chose the shakshuka and avocado on toast for me (classic).

After enjoying our delicious brunch, we moseyed around the town, wandering in and out of all the shops and admiring the laines. It was especially charming to pass the jewellery section, where every single shop window was adorned with gleaming jewellery, which was ridiculously fun to take a look at. We also popped into an old-school sweet shop and got me a lollipop, just to indulge my inner child just a little bit. We stumbled across the Royal Pavillion, and we were both taken aback by its grandeur and the beauty of the ornate architecture, so we walked around the gardens, enjoying our stunning surroundings.. The Palace Pier was next on our bucket list, as we meandered down the long stretch, contemplating whether to waste a ton of money on arcade games or risk out lives on a rickety-looking rollercoaster (the answer was eventually no).

At 2 pm, we had tickets to visit the Sealife. It's the oldest aquarium in the UK, and from the moment you step into the exhibit hallway, you can immediately tell as there are beautiful, old stone carvings on the ceiling and walls. Peering into the exhibits was great fun and we even got to touch starfish and anemone's, even though I was slightly reluctant to. What I liked most is that they had a lot of displays emphasising the harmful effects of plastic and littering on the marine life. Recycling bins dotted the entire room and there was even a plastic bottle bank, where every deposited plastic bottle would then go on to be recycled. Even the tables and chairs were made from recycled plastic bottles. Genius.

The walk back to our studio from the city centre seemed an absolute age, and by the end we were both dragging our feet. Nevertheless, when we reached our air bnb, we were astounded by it's charm and the comfortable bed, that we put the long walk behind us and settled into our new home for the evening. After debating whether we should cook out own dinner in the little kitchen or go out, we settled for going out to eat, as it would be much easier, and we fancied trying out the Mexican restaurant, La Choza, that was recommended to us by our hosts. We were not disappointed... the food was delicious and the restaurant was so authentic we felt as though we were in the middle of Mexico! What's more, as we were waiting for a table to become available, I saw Poppy Deyes (the sister of Alfie, the youtube mogul) walking down the streets so I had a little bit of a starstruck moment.

The rest of the evening consisted of putting on face masks, watching The Devil Wears Prada and drinking endless cups of tea. Rather glorious, if you ask me.

The next day, we headed straight into town again to spend every last minute enjoying it. However, the weather had turned slightly grey and the wind had decided to pick up, so were were feeling chilly most of the time. We found a modern, spacious bakery called Gail's and decided to park up in there, enjoying hot drinks and delectable baked goods to warm ourselves up and prepare ourselves for the walk back to the car.

All in all, we had a delightful mini break away, enjoying the bank holiday and celebrating out 5th anniversary. I would recommend Brighton to anyone who loves a dynamic, edgy  seaside town and I'm sure I'll visit again someday.