Tour of England Continued…
My trip to England in April was only about two weeks and most of that time was spent in London, but I did have time for a few side trips though. We (my sister and I) spent a day in Brighton, which was pretty interesting. Who’d have thought that a place where you can experience all four seasons in the one day (as we did), lying on a stony beach under a drab grey sky would have become famous as a beach resort? I guess you have to admire the Poms for their ability to make the best of a bad situation. Why knows why they chose to send a bunch of criminals to a large, warm, fair-weathered island continent 200 years ago, while they stayed at home eating mushy peas washed down with warm ale?
Despite the weird weather and paying excessive prices (even by English standards) for some ordinary fish and chips, it was a fun day out.

England – the Tour Continues…
Next stop: Rye.
According to my information, this was a definite “must see” in Southern England. How could you get it so wrong Lonely Planet??? I think I spent about 90 mins each way getting to and from the place, and then a grand total of 2 hours there. It was kind of pretty, but it was also full of day tripping senior citizens and bad English Weather. Take my advice: if you’re a bit sick of London, then spend the 20 quid (or whatever outrageous price they charge) and go to the movies. Do not waste 70 quid on the trip to Rye.

Last stop in England: Manchester
I have to say that I really don’t remember that much of Manchester itself. I know that we arrived by train, and I saw a bunch of rowdy soccer hooligans in the street throwing bottles. Apparently their team had just won, and they were celebrating by smashing beer bottles. I’m sure that a loss would be commiserated in a similarly tame fashion.
The gaps in my memory tell me that I had FUN there though. And I do remember going to a club place called Poptastic. Sydneysiders think Retro, or probably Palms. Cheezy 90s pop music, and a floor that you would stick to if you fell over. For all I know the place could’ve been a shed with a bar in the middle of it, but it was definitely a great night out. Thanks Joelene and friends!