Rye & Travel to Eastbourne
Almost missed the bus to Rye this morning! I'm not even sure why. I guess my walk to the bus stop took longer than anticipated. It was then about 20 minutes on the bus, through little towns I wouldn't have seen otherwise. This is the nice thing about taking routes off the beaten path.
Rye is known as one of the most picturesque villages in England, so when I found out it was sort of on my way to Eastbourne and not that far from Tenterden, I wanted to make a stop.
This is the famous Mermaid Street. I see this picture all the time on Instagram (because I follow all sorts of UK photo accounts), but I got one for myself this morning!
I stopped randomly at a place called Whitehouse and got a flat white and just toast with peanut butter. Even that simple of a meal comes to my table looking gorgeous.
After breakfast I went to Ypres Tower, or what remains of Rye Castle. It was just a few minutes' walk from where I was. It was built as a castle by Henry III in 1250 and was turned into a house in 1440. It's a museum now and featured medieval armor/weapons and stories about prisoners since it was used as a prison later on in its life.
Next stop: Eastbourne! I got a bit scared when I went to the rail station and the ticket office was closed AND the ticket machine was out of order. I know you have to pay a large fine (£100) if you go on the train without a ticket! I had no other option, so when the train arrived I asked an official looking person and he ended up being the one I could buy a ticket from. Why is everything different everywhere you go? Haha!
The train was small (only two coaches) and it was full, which I wasn't expecting! School started today for the kiddos, so I thought things would be more calm. It took about 50 minutes to get there and part of the way we were cruising by the water which was pleasant!
Arrived at the Eastbourne station and walked about 12 minutes to the AirBnB to drop off my bag. This is by far the nicest and biggest house I've ever stayed at in England. It's sort of a mansion inside. The second floor is where my bedroom is at and I'm pretty sure there are at least three other bedrooms. There is also a third floor with even more bedrooms!
I charged my phone for a bit and then was off to explore the pier.
So far what I've seen of Eastbourne is that it's similar to Southend-on-Sea (which I visited back in 2010). It is clearly a tourist destination and one that is meant for kids. You do not feel fancy being here haha. Which is fine!
Tonight I came to a pub called Crown & Anchor to have sausage and mash for dinner. Everything, even the veg, was very flavorful. I got Pimms to go with it. A very English meal, indeed.
I was done eating at 5:30 so felt like I should do something else. All the stores close early, so I found a pub and had a half pint. I've found what to do is just pick something on tap and say you want that!
Today was mostly a travel day, so not many adventures or pictures to share. Tomorrow I ride and walk along the cliffs at Seven Sisters Park!
Rye is known as one of the most picturesque villages in England, so when I found out it was sort of on my way to Eastbourne and not that far from Tenterden, I wanted to make a stop.
This is the famous Mermaid Street. I see this picture all the time on Instagram (because I follow all sorts of UK photo accounts), but I got one for myself this morning!
I made a little roundabout tour in Rye for about 20 minutes, taking in the quaint streets and cute High Street. Rye has hardly been altered since it was rebuilt in the 14th century after it was set on fire by the French.
Coffee was at the top of my priority list this morning because I didn't have any yesterday and had a massive headache, especially later in the day. I hate that I'm addicted to coffee, but also I just love coffee.
I stopped randomly at a place called Whitehouse and got a flat white and just toast with peanut butter. Even that simple of a meal comes to my table looking gorgeous.
After breakfast I went to Ypres Tower, or what remains of Rye Castle. It was just a few minutes' walk from where I was. It was built as a castle by Henry III in 1250 and was turned into a house in 1440. It's a museum now and featured medieval armor/weapons and stories about prisoners since it was used as a prison later on in its life.
It was a cute little castle and museum!
Next stop: Eastbourne! I got a bit scared when I went to the rail station and the ticket office was closed AND the ticket machine was out of order. I know you have to pay a large fine (£100) if you go on the train without a ticket! I had no other option, so when the train arrived I asked an official looking person and he ended up being the one I could buy a ticket from. Why is everything different everywhere you go? Haha!
The train was small (only two coaches) and it was full, which I wasn't expecting! School started today for the kiddos, so I thought things would be more calm. It took about 50 minutes to get there and part of the way we were cruising by the water which was pleasant!
Arrived at the Eastbourne station and walked about 12 minutes to the AirBnB to drop off my bag. This is by far the nicest and biggest house I've ever stayed at in England. It's sort of a mansion inside. The second floor is where my bedroom is at and I'm pretty sure there are at least three other bedrooms. There is also a third floor with even more bedrooms!
I charged my phone for a bit and then was off to explore the pier.
So far what I've seen of Eastbourne is that it's similar to Southend-on-Sea (which I visited back in 2010). It is clearly a tourist destination and one that is meant for kids. You do not feel fancy being here haha. Which is fine!
Tonight I came to a pub called Crown & Anchor to have sausage and mash for dinner. Everything, even the veg, was very flavorful. I got Pimms to go with it. A very English meal, indeed.
I was done eating at 5:30 so felt like I should do something else. All the stores close early, so I found a pub and had a half pint. I've found what to do is just pick something on tap and say you want that!
