This was a very busy/amazing weekend to say the least. One of our sorority sisters who is studying abroad in Dublin this summer came to visit for the weekend, and we took her around London and showed her a good time here in the city. Saturday morning we woke up early to travel to Brighton, a seaside town about 2 hours outside of London. But the early rise was well worth it -it was so nice to get out of the city for a bit and explore the English countryside!
But before we arrived in Brighton, we visited the Charleston House, a meeting place and home for members of the Bloomsbury group. Now, I had no idea who the Bloomsbury group was before I went there, but I’ve now learned that they were a group of friends who were innovative thinkers and artists in a post-Victorian Britain.
The house we went to was the home of Vanessa Bell (sister of Virginia Woolf) and Duncan Grant. Their original paintings were still hanging on the walls, and we saw just how ahead of their time they really were. They believed in the idea of not caring where love came from, as long as it existed. The same goes for their art.
Our tour guide was the most precious woman in the world. And she had even been to Penn State before! She asked if any of us have ever heard of State College, PA, as her son lives there. The world is such a small place.
(Charleston House)
After our visit at the Charleston House, we made our way to Brighton. Brighton is home to beautiful pebble beaches and the best fish & chips I’ve ever had. The beach is absolutely beautiful, and there are many local artisan stores along the shore.
The Royal Pavilion in Brighton – a must see!
We then went to check out the Brighton Pier, and we immediately all turned into kids. We ran straight to the arcade, played DDR and almost cried when we realized we couldn’t go on the giant bouncy slide because we didn’t have any tokens. A lot of the pier reminded me of the Ocean City, NJ boardwalk, and that felt like home.
It was such a great weekend, but it’s time to get back to the work and school week. Have a great week everyone!
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