England calling

End of April in 2019 I had to relocate to England. It was a one-month business trip to work on a project for American Express. I was working in their office in Burgess Hill, a small town located in Mid Sussex. However, I was residing in Haywards Heath, another rustic town situated four miles from Burgess Hill. A first good impression upon arrival, the green woodlands and groves on our way from Gatwick airport to our destination. Every day I would commute using different means of transportation to experience their services as well as perceive different routes and areas. Mid Sussex, which is part of West Sussex, consists of small towns and villages separated by vast rural areas.

On any journey, you will see uninhabited and agricultural areas. The office where I was working daily, is situated in the centre of Burgess Hill with a great panoramic view over the town. Being the tallest building in the area, one could see far over the hills. However, as you can imagine, in such isolated areas, there are limited sources of entertainment. Therefore hours after work were difficult to spend. Besides visiting local restaurants and pubs, a nice way to kill some time was to simply stroll through the village, visit nearby parks and forests and discover England’s suburban life.

In my favour, Haywards Heath is located between London and Brighton, two magnificent cities. Each of them special in their way. First, I visited London. It was my first time in the city. On a Friday evening after work, I took the train there. London is seriously immense! Arriving at Victoria central station and simply stepping out on the street already gives you an overwhelming feeling. From Victoria to Buckingham palace it is a 10-minute walk. The city centre was in the opposite direction of my place. However, I wanted to get a glimpse of this amazing city right away. The next morning my sister would join me from Aberdeen. We stayed in a cosy place in Chelsea, right between King’s Road and river Thames.

Chelsea is one of the most desirable areas of London and shone brightly during the 60s Swinging London period. Whenever I visit a new place, I want to spend half of the days as a tourist and half of them as a local. As a tourist, I want to visit all the famous museums and well-known attractions. While, “local” me, wants to enjoy the beauty of it without any rush or concerns. Simply enjoying the small things in a day. As it was a weekend trip though I wanted to see as much as possible in those two days. So on Saturday, we started our exploration towards the centre walking alongside the Thames.

From there we reached the Westminster area where one can see Big Ben, Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey. Unfortunately, Big Ben was under restoration during that period so we couldn’t have a clear view of it.

Another “must” London experience is to ride the famous Tube. It is the first underground railway system in the world. It operates since 1863 and consists of 11 lines, 270 stations and spans 402km. Besides saving a tremendous amount of time on each movement, it is fun figuring out the lines, connections and the direction that you have to take to reach your destination. As you can imagine, our journey continued from the underground. A quick stop at Monmouth for a coffee and off to the British Museum. The exterior and main hall of the museum is astonishing, holding a rich collection from different continents and eras. However, I was a bit disappointed by the display of the artefacts. In my opinion, it looked a bit poor and not well maintained. Something that doesn’t match the greatness and beauty of the artefacts.

Not so far from the British museum begins Oxford Street. It is Europe’s busiest shopping street, as it accommodates many shops from big and luxurious brands. We walked the street from end to end until we reached the Marble Arch.

Of course, we couldn’t leave out Piccadilly Circus. Another busy spot of the city, famous meeting point and attraction. It is known for the digital billboards mounted on the facade of the building opposite to Shaftesbury memorial fountain. It gives the feeling of a smaller Time Square if you like. Our next and last stop for the day was Camden town. Camden is well-known for its open-air markets, both shopping and food, music venues and street art. We grabbed some food in the West Yard and had a few drinks in pubs close to Regent’s canal. It is a much lively area with many pubs and venues where people can have a fun Saturday night. On our way back, we got lost and took a wrong line for a few stops though eventually reached South Kensingot station from where we walked while enjoying the summer breeze night. That concluded our first full day in the city.

Next day, we started our excursion by walking around Chelsea. Not far from there, are situated the Natural History and Victoria & Albert museums. Both of them are huge with numerous exhibitions, shows, workshops etc. that require time. However, our visits were short due to the time limitation on our last day. Our next destination was Hyde Park. It is the largest of the Royal Parks in the centre of London. On fine weather days, it attracts many tourists and locals that want to escape from the city noise. Throughout the year, various events take place and activities that one can do in the park. That evening we had some last strolls around the centre as I had to catch a train from Victoria to get back to Haywards Heath. These 42 hours, in one of Europe’s finest cities, were amazing and I was glad to have spent them with my sister. This trip left me with extraordinary feelings.

Next week passed quickly, like any other working one. The upcoming weekend, as it would be my last before my return, I planned a day trip to Brighton. Brighton is a seaside resort and a popular destination for both tourists and locals. It is a lively city with many artistic and musical events and festivals taking place throughout the whole year. Early Saturday morning, I took the bus to Brighton. It is approximately an hour drive. But time flies when you look outside the window and observe the passing surroundings. The weather was warm and sunny that day, luckily without any rain. I jumped off the bus near the city centre and started my exploration from the Royal Pavilion and its gardens. Royal Pavilion, was built for George IV as his seaside retreat and it was built in the Indo-Saracenic style.

After a walk there and getting familiar with the neighbouring area, I walked towards the seaside. From the beach, one can see the Palace Pier and the remnants of the West Pier. The latter was built in 1866 and was listed as a Grade I pier. Unfortunately, it was burned in 2003 by two consecutive fires.

Walking alongside the sea, I reached the Palace Pier. This one still operates nowadays and accommodates an amusement park, various arcade games and food stands. If you happen to be in Brighton, it is definitely worth paying a visit. Around noon I had a pit-stop in one of the bars situated near the beach, where locals and visitors were enjoying some afternoon sun and live band music with a drink and some food. During that period there was a festival going on in the city. So all the streets in the centre were busy and the stores, restaurants and bars crowded. I moved towards the centre and had a walk around to get a bit of the festive feeling myself.

Before catching the bus back, I had a last drink in The Mash Tun, a very lively and joyful pub with diverse patrons and many individuals hobnobbing with each other. I should have stayed for the night to experience Brighton’s nightlife, but either way, it was a full day. Covered quite a few miles on foot, saw many new interesting places and enjoyed a relaxing Saturday. Next week would be my last. Even though I was yearning for my return home, that’s when it hit me that I would like to stay a bit longer.