03/12/14: Three days in Brighton & three years together!

Phew. 03/12/14. Almost struggling to believe what I've typed up there ^ is accurate & I hope that I'm not the only one on whom that has snuck up. As much as I love Christmas (a lot,by the way!) I feel that I am chasing my tail at the, err, tail end of the year trying to fit a lot into the festive season that won't wait until new year i.e present buying, meeting up with friends as well as essay planning & helping my Mum prepare to move house, at long last. Before the c-word, however, Andrew & I here at 'The Beet Generation' always have another celebration to look forward to during this season which is our anniversary. This time around it has been three whole years(!) & having not had the chance for a holiday together in a long while, we promised that we would endeavour to make the most of the occasion this year & get away for a few days. Just shy of the county of my birth, less than two hours from London & with the faded romance of a seaside town, we soon settled on Brighton & booked a couple of nights at Snooze in Kemptown. This darling little B&B was recommended to me by a friend & it couldn't have been a better hideaway with the most beautiful bedroom, friendly staff, big veggie breakfasts & just ten minutes from the bustle of the lanes nearby. 

Trudging through the rain from the train station on the Sunday afternoon, the two of us were all too happy to hole ourselves up in our mustard yellow room for most of the afternoon, jumping on the bed & picnicking on the carpet before resolving to walk along the seafront before dinner. Despite the persistent rain, we were both still enchanted by the sight of the string lights of the pier leading out to sea & walked the length of the parade until our ears were numb & we resolved to head to one of the pubs that I'd scouted out in advance - The Constant Service up in Hanover. It was a small establishment strung with fairy lights, playing motown on vinyl & with plenty on draught to keep us entertained so we bundled up on a sofa for a very contented couple of hours. Grumbling stomachs reminded us of the need for dinner & we ambled back to Kemptown at about eight o'clock for a couple of bean burgers at The Thomas Kemp before half-drunkenly falling into our (very comfortable) bed come midnight.  

The two of us were doubtless relieved to wake up to bright, sunny skies on Monday morning as it was our only full day in Brighton & we were up at half past eight to make the most of the day (& the inclusive, delicious breakfast) The seafront was significantly more serene at eleven o'clock & we strolled the length of the beach skimming stones & snapping photographs of the big wheel & even bigger seagulls of which I am deathly afraid. Neither of us could resist the pull of the pier so as soon as we judged our breakfasts to be sufficiently digested, it was onto the dance mats & grabber machines (so many ten pences lost that day) to try & fail to win me a teddy bear. Luckily I'm just fine with the one I've got (hi Ted!) Stocking up on postcards & the mandatory sticks of rock, we ambled up to the West Pier & in search of Small Batch Coffee, instead we stumbled upon Idyea where we stopped for a lunch of candied beetroot & sweetcorn fritters (no mention of the moment when I dropped my iPhone straight into my root mash while trying to Instagram it, please Andrew) Luckily we knew that nothing could curb our appetite for the highlight of the day which was our dinner reservation at The Chilli Pickle - a couple of swift mulled ciders between the hotel & the restaurant later, we tucked into deep-fried cauliflower florets, garlic naan, masala dosa, pureed spinach & peas, mushroom rice & more chutneys than I can name. All full of flavour, texture & evidently love, we ate with relish & came away full of awe &, err, curry.

Alas the rain returned on our last day in the seaside town but that did give us an excuse to hop between various shops, from To Be Worn Again where I bought Andrew a psychedelic patterned vintage shirt by way of anniversary present, Immediate where Andrew bought a suede, zipped up cardigan, The Flour Pot Bakery where I bought a small, seeded loaf of sourdough by way of souvenir (my only purchase, how telling!), Resident where Andrew finally tracked down Nirvana's 'In Utero' remastered & the legendary Snoopers' Paradise where we spent hours rummaging & deciding on our poses for the inevitable photobooth photos that were to follow. It was with heavy hearts that we made our wound our way back to the station at seven o'clock that evening & clambered onto an exceedingly slow train to London but we were both grateful for the opportunity to take a couple of days outside of the everyday when being together & appreciative of one another can get a little lost under other things. I hope that the both of keep a tight hold of that sense of serenity on the seafront as we go into a new year. 
So happy anniversary, lover & here's to the rest of 'em.

How do you like Brighton?

I'll be back soon with an update as to what I've been dishing up lately (other than mince pies!)

Speak soon - O.