Yes, I am back! I apologise for the huge two month gap in posting. I have been busy with college work and just have not been the right mental space to write a post; I have been feeling very overwhelmed. However, I am currently on my two week summer break and thought it would be the perfect time to get back on the horse and talk to you all. Another reason is my sister and I recently got back from a small trip away to the UK and I really wanted to share our time away with you guys!
How are you all? I have missed sharing my life with you! It is such a small thing but something I really enjoy doing so I am glad to be writing this post. I hope you guys enjoy. I will sharing my time there plus some shop/food recommendations as boy did we have a lot of Deliveroos (lol).
The journey & first evening
Firstly, I was pretty nervous to be flying again for the first time in three years and because of the pandemic. However, I was really excited to push myself and actually do something for once that was out of my comfort zone as I have never travelled without my parents (I am 23 I know but that's anxiety/chronic illness for ya). The journey was mostly smooth because the airport in Ireland is so small and easy which I appreciated. One small disaster which I hoped did not set the tone, was when we arrived I purchased a bottle of water, placed it between my legs to get my lunch out of my bag and bam: the lid popped off and half the bottle exploded onto my trousers. I was literally so shocked all I could do was laugh... and so could my sister. Of course this would happen to me...
However, I thought on my feet and waddled to the disabled toilet as there was no chance I was getting on the plane like that. I did kinda panic but I tried to think rationally and I decided to take off my trousers and dry them using the hand dryer thing. Luckily this worked and onwards the journey went. Once we landed, Gatwick was simple enough and we headed to the station, we were slightly annoyed because it said online that all of the trains were cancelled and we would have to wait an hour until the next one. This changed when we saw the train boards and saw one in ten minutes. After a quick sausage roll break we hopped onto the train and soon Brighton would be upon us.
After an exhausting 12 minute walk in the boiling sun lugging my suitcase, we made it to the hotel which was right in the centre of town. I was worried about the noise but fortunately, they not only placed us in the back of the hotel but they also placed us in the quiet zone. A win win for us as we like our sleep!
Now the time for surprising our cousins was approaching and the anxiety was high to ensure the timing was right. Oh, I forgot to mention that was one of the main reasons for our trip. They had no idea we were literally 20 minutes away, secretly communicating with their dad. We had a small rest then proceeded to get showered and ready. I was so desperate to shower after the plane ride. We had planned a meal with our cousins, they just thought they were going with their parents but little did they know we would be there too! My sister was even messaging one of them about what they were doing and my sister said she was just having an eat up day lol, when in reality she was about to nom some lasagne alongside her! I was so looking forward to seeing them after three years plus eating some good food. That is one thing I miss about Brighton, the variety of different foods it has to offer.
The time had come! They were on there way and me and Sam were hiding on the stairs at Premier Inn. That was to a few other people's dismay when they saw us just standing there, we were not in the way at all but we got a few looks. My sister was the one handling the communication so she just spurted out that they were here and started running towards the exit, so I followed, running like an idiot and that is when I saw my older cousin begin to walk away. The plan was that my uncle would pretend to snap a picture but my cousin was confused... that was until they both saw us. Their reactions were so cute and my heart was literally racing from the anticipation of the whole thing.
I just had to include the video! So sweet and wholesome. Now, onto the best part: food! Jokes, obviously seeing them was the best part. It was so good to see our uncle and aunt too and I was so glad the whole surprise worked out. They are known to accidentally spill the beans which they did when my mum came over a few weeks back but the best part about it is my cousins literally do not even pay attention so no surprise was uncovered then or now.
Anyway, Zizzi's was the restaurant of choice which I was excited for as I love going to new places. I knew exactly what I was getting as I am one of those classic people that pick online first to ensure there is no uncertainty when I get to the restaurant. Is anyone else like that? The service and food was so good and quick and I even opted for the Gluten Free version as I just prefer it because it does not affect my stomach. The waiter was like 'Are you a celiac?' and I was like no... I have a sensitivity? I could not help but laugh. We also got ID'd for the wine which is the usual because we both look about 10 years younger then we actually are (thanks cystinosis). The guy was a little confused when he saw 1996 on my sister's but it was all good in the end. Everyone enjoyed their food, especially Sam as she always worries about the Vegan choices in restaurants. Zizzi had a good variety though!
Ma food, it was delicious. The chorizo and pancetta pasta portion size was just right as I did not feel really full or bloated after. The chocolate melt could of been a lil bit bigger but that's me just being fussy hehe. I would rate it a solid 9!
The evening continued, us catching up and having an amazing time. We planned to head out shopping and to the sea front the following day with the girls. The night came to a close with them walking back to the hotel with us and us waving them off. I missed evenings like that and I could not wait for the upcoming days. Me and Sam relaxed before having an early night, travelling is always tiring and I was ready to have some shut eye. I slept reasonably well and we awoke early the next day for our buffet brekkie.
Day 2
Up and ready we were at half 8, eurgh so early. However, we wanted to make the most of our days which is why my sister booked the breakfast early. Down we went, I had a mixture of things from toast, cereal and pastries. I was sad when I saw the trays of cooked breakfast empty but I soon lit up again when I asked and the lady said more was coming, hehe. I was a little disappointed with the hash browns as I love a crispy one but these were not that. That aside, it was a decent meal to keep me going. They also cooked Sam fresh Vegan Sausage and Bacon which she really enjoyed.
Pearl was scheduled to meet us at 12, we were not sure if Lois would be around in time to come. We nipped out to do a small bit of shopping for necessities and we also checked out Sam's Uni building that she will be going to in September. It feels so surreal she will soon be there and I will be in Ireland:0 The building was a little underwhelming compared to some others around it, but it was cool to know the location and for her, how close she is to everything; very helpful when needing to do stuff. After that little jaunt, we headed back and luckily we found out Lois was around to meet and that was nice because it would not be the same without her :) They then arrived and our next destination was a Vegan place Sam had been raving about. It was called Vurger and they did a variety of meat free burgers and shakes.
It was so close to our hotel and the outside was so cute and pretty; I just had to snap a pic. I went with the honey 'chicken' burger with slaw and I have to be honest, I was a little apprehensive. I have only just got into coleslaw so I was not 100% sure I would be a fan but I reserved judgement until I tried it. There were sadly no seats so we decided to wait outside with our order buzzers and we would then head down to the seafront to devour them.
On the way, little old Lois said 'Look at us the youngers ones, left to carry the bags' which made me chuckle, it was true though, they were ahead and us youngsters in the fam were behind lugging the bags hehe. After a trek to the seafront, and a rather unflattering jump or, in mine and Sam's case, fall over a wall to get where we wanted, we sat down to enjoy our food. We are not as nimble as our cousins it would seem, we are getting old... My burger looked good, I again asked for GF to be on the safe side. One bite in and it was very tasty. 'The 'chicken' was so crispy and the flavours combined went well together. The only thing we all noticed was how messy they were. Sam got ours cut in half due to experience before but the girls did not and they struggled!
Some laughs later, we finished and it was time to shop! I opted out of getting a milkshake because they are too filling and I did nick a few potato cubes from my sister but they were not too crispy so I just stuck with my burger. Overall, I would give Vurger an 8.
On our way back from the gorgeous sea, we saw this cute little shop called Sarah and Topsy. We all went inside and they had some amazing and cool finds! It all was right up our street and we spent a good half an hour in there. Sam got a few Hello Kitty bits, Pearl got some teddy things, Lois got a cute hat (that I spotted and it suits her so well) and I got some little rings to add to my collection. They were only a pound each :0
Then off we toddled to go proper shopping, they had a few places to go to hunt for squishmellows and I had a few bits I needed to get for Mother! It really was not very interesting, we stopped a few times along the way and then proceeded to head to the mall for a little browse. Fast forward an hour and we were so knackered from the flight the day before and the heat, we decided to take the girls back to our hotel for a mid afternoon break. Me and my sister are not a huge fan of the heat and because of our condition we have to be really careful too.
I nommed the rest of ma burger and I really was not up for going out again but we were invited to the girls house for dinner. We then made the decision to skip vintage shopping and leave it for the next day and we jumped on the bus to their house. I was glad we made that choice as my energy levels were dropping!
We had a refreshing salad with some quiche and chicken kievs and more lovely chats with them all. Sam and Lois sung together and me and Pearl played some games. We also played hide and seek with the end of an umbrella head which was an actual head (it was from a fancy umbrella I got from my Nan years ago). Sounds strange but I joked with Lois on a call a while ago I would bring it when we next saw them and of course I followed through and surprised her with it that day which was quite hilarious! It is rather odd but I said I would play hide and seek with them so that is what we did lol.
A pic of the head just for reference lol
We said goodbye to my Uncle as he was off to a concert of some sort for the next few days and then said see ya later to the others as we would see them bright and early the next morning. We had planned to stay over their house for the last two nights so we would check out of the hotel and head there in the morning. A day of vintage shopping it would be!:)
One small note was that Pearl was not feeling well that evening but we just assumed it was merely from the heat and all of the walking; we did 12,000 steps which is far more than I am used to lol. I ended the day with a Millie's Cookie which was stale and soft so that was great... I made up for that with the next two days pudding hehe. Check out the next post to see what happens next; such a fun two days were had and another two to come.
There we have it! The first two days of our trip and the next two days bring some ups and downs so make sure you stick around. I hope you guys are all well and coped with the heatwave (if your in the UK) I would literally have died. It felt so strange but almost right to be back, a mixture of emotions for sure. The first day I felt a little wobbly because it was so busy and so different but I felt more settled as the days went on.
See ya next time and I mean that, I am not disappearing again. Stay safe and well, Lucy xoxoxoxo
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