Bank Holiday weekend 27 August 2016

Quite a weekend in the UK - pretty much the end of summer (bar a couple of hot days in September), end of the school holidays, long weekend - the roads are insane!  Nevertheless, I hopped in the car and tootled off to West Sussex.  Having to drive on the M25, that's about as much as you can do.

Today was the day, at last, to take a better look at the Ouse Valley Viaduct.  I've driven past numerous times but this time I stopped.

It's impressive!  Built in 1841 of 11 million bricks, making it 29m high with 31 arches. The viaduct is still in use.  This is the main Brighton line and 110 trains a day cross over.  I've been on that train a couple of times and have to say that I've not noticed.  I'll look out for it next time.

Then stopping off in Haywards Heath to collect Dayne and Lara, we headed off toward the coast - the Birling Gap to be exact.  Where? People ask, but if you say "the Seven Sisters", that's more familiar.

That GPS, it really doesn't always take the most direct route.  I'm still entirely capable of getting lost while using the GPS, so this time we ended up driving down some of the narrowest lanes in England and we came across this really strange sign.

Caviar farming? In the middle of East Sussex? Why?  Well, apparently there has been such a dramatic decline in Beluga Sturgeon populations in the Caspian Sea and a resultant ban on wild-harvested eggs, that Caviar farming has become a big thing around the world.  But not in East Sussex if the neighbours have anything to do with it.  Signs on every tree, gate post, lamp post indicate strong support for their cause.

Finally we arrived and first priorities first - lunch.  Birling Gap is owned and managed by the National Trust so there's a good tea room, shop and visitor's centre where they cater for all types of visitors - yes - Doggy ice cream!

Fortified, we headed down the steps to the beach.  The cliffs are the Seven  Sisters - quite spectacular.

Pebbles - just wrong...

Gorgeous girls!

We weren't planning on swimming so we took a couple of pics and were back on the road.  We had passed through Lewes on the way there and decided we would like a closer look so that was our next stop.  What a pretty little town.

With a very large brewery ..

And this awesome bookshop.  Hard to find stuff though.

Tea Time ..

With a strange sign on the wall.  What do you think it means?

So that was our day and it was fun.

Back to Cliveden 21 August 2016

I'm always on the lookout for places where you can safely walk (meaning lack of traffic, which is something else on this little island, along with the narrow roads) and which is close to home. Cliveden fills those requirements - less than 2 miles down the road, the National Trust runs the property and there is the added bonus of a great tea room and a few cliffs for interest sake.

I had arrived fairly early so I took a walk around the established gardens before the crowds arrived. Cliveden is very popular with families and tends to get a bit overrun later in the day.   First the water garden, with some teenage ducks, still being herded around by mum. By the look of things, not too long now before they're out on their own.

Past the Fountain of Love..

Through the formal long garden with begonias en masse and beautiful topiary birds ..

Back through some woodland with statues popping up in unexpected places ..

The Delphic Sibyl

Prince Albert in Highland dress with dog and gun, and Joan of Arc.

And into the most glorious rose garden.  There is nothing like the roses you see (and smell) here, they are just magnificant.

Another statue, just like hanging out amongst the roses .. you know.

Did I mention the smell?

Tea time!

Which I shared with a wasp.  Rather the bit of jam than me.  A week or so later I got stung by a wasp and it was ridiculously painful!

Down round the front of the house which is in a state of restoration.

The sounding chamber is quite beautiful as it is. Wonderful arches and brickwork.

Down to the Thames - it's quite a steep drop

Then along the river for a while.  There are boats you can catch but the walk was the point.  Next time maybe.

The boathouse

Of course, what goes down must eventually go up.  I'm not used to hills any more.  The mountain might be a bit of a challenge in October when I head back to South Africa for a couple of weeks.

The leaves are starting to turn already.  It happens so quickly here.

In this part of the estate are the carved wooden statues you see all over the place. Still don't know who carves them.  They are fun though - there to be climbed on if you are so inclined.

A bit of Africa (or Asia) in England. The Ellie is lovely.

Happy, busy bees. These bumblebees are much less threatening than the other kind.

And then the long walk back to the car park.  Yes, these are sequoias - not as giant as in America, but still pretty big.