Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

First stop on our anniversary tour was Brighton! We stayed two nights here - just long enough to stretch our legs and visit a couple of iconic sites.

On the walk to Brighton Pier we discovered the West Pier.  It wasn't quite as touristy as the Brighton Pier but it was a bit more photogenic.

Unfortunately the West Pier has suffered at the hands of nature and arsonists. There were plans to restore it but those plans have gone by the wayside. You can see why.

I think it's mandatory to take a ride on the Brighton Wheel when you're there!

And you can see why the English hire deck chairs when they go to the beach! No sand to be found here.

Another iconic image of Brighton.

Perhaps one of the most dramatic places we visited while in Brighton was the Royal Pavilion. As you can see, the building from the outside looks like it ought to be in India.  Photography is not permitted inside the building and even if it was it would be impossible to capture the decadence of some of the rooms.  Queen Victoria inherited the Royal Pavilion when she came to the throne.  She didn't like staying here because she felt like she was holidaying in a fish bowl.  Not surprising really - the Pavilion is right in the middle of the Brighton.