Brighton in its Glory

Brighton has a number of claims to fame beyond its beautiful coastline.  It was the favorite place for the Prince Regent, later George IV, to indulge his love of wine, women and extravagance.  And the town figured prominently in Jane Austin's novel Pride and Prejudice.  It's where Elizabeth Bennett's youngest sister Lydia went for vacation and ran away with the nefarious Mr. Wickham.

Now Brighton is a place for people from London and points nearby to come for the day or a week and take in the sea, the shopping and the entertainment.

Yesterday I took the day to just walk around downtown Brighton, and there is plenty to see.  Walking south toward the coast, I went into the Open Market, which apparently at one time was very large with many stalls.  Now there are just a few places waiting for a renovation that is supposed to be completed this year.

I lost a button on my favorite sweater and was looking in a shop with many tupperware containers of them when I heard the owner say that he thought the rent at the renovated market would be "colossal" and he would probably have to move.

A little father down I saw this inn and pub.  It looks very old, but looks can be deceiving in a tourist town.

It's called the King and Queen and those figures above the door represent the royals.

The main attraction in Brighton is the Recency Pavilion, built in the late 18th and early 19th century for the Prince Regent.  It is incredibly over-the-top.  This is the portion that was built for the prince's horses.

It now houses the Brighton Museum. And there is a theater venue and cafe inside as well.  Here's a little idea of how ornate it is.

The Pavilion itself was the home of the Prince Regent and no expense was spared, nor taste employed.  It is just garish.

There are no photos allowed of the inside, but this picture will give you an idea.

I was in the pavilion a couple of years ago so I did not go back in, but I did enjoy it from my favorite position, sitting with a cup of tea and a scone.

The building looks like a mishmash of oriental and Indian styles--with a bit of Disney.  (You can click on any of these pictures to see a larger version and then just click outside of the picture for it to go back to its former size.)

From here I headed down to the Brighton Pier, this time with my camera.  First I went on the beach, thinking I might put my toe into the English Channel, but there is a ridge of stones just before the water that you have to navigate--and I mean stones.  Here is a picture of what the beach looks like.

I decided just to look at the water instead. There were plenty of people in the water and on the beach, despite the stones.

The pier itself is pretty impressive.

There are gambling halls, doughnut shops, ice cream parlors, bars and a very large amusement park at the end of the pier.

It's also quite noisy.

The views of the beach and coast from the pier are great.

I went from the pier to the area called the lanes--narrow streets that apparently followed the plan of medieval Brighton.  To get there I passed through the very posh lobby of the Thistle Hotel, right on the beach.

 The lanes have some very interesting buildings, bars, restaurants and shops

I stopped at the Bella Italia for a wine.

There was even a wedding being held at the town hall, just across the street.

The lanes get very narrow in spots.

Mostly these are jewelry shops but this one caught my eye.

Not a gun shop per se but a place that sells antique armaments.

At this point I decided to go to the supermarket, and then home to rest my weary feet.