Beached as in Brighton.

Brighton, situated on the southern coast of England, is approximately an hour an half out of London. Being a beach town, it's a natural choice when the Sun decides to grace us with its presence. It's easy to moan about the lack of sand, lack of surf and most importantly - lack of buxom bikini-clad women but really, Brighton really does offer more!

My visit to Brighton happened to coincide with tail end of the Brighton Festival which was more fortunate. The city is a buzz with locals and visitors reveling in the warmth of the sun and gentle sea breeze. Street performers line the street demonstrating both feats of strength and artistic entertainment to keep the young kids enthralled.







Being a beach town, what would a trip be without shots of the beach and horizon. The key difference though, is the significant lack of sand. Known as a shingle beach, pebbles and stones cover the vast stretch of the foreshore. Definitely makes for uncomfortable sitting.







The key attraction of Brighton is without a doubt, Brighton Pier. Initially built in 1899, it has undergone numerous reconstructions but it was only since 1986 did it begin to operate as an amusement park. This includes a roller coaster, countless spin-trons, a merry go round and a plethora of skill challenging side-stalls.











So while Brighton lacks the surf, the sand and the hot bodes, there is still a charm about the destination that really oozes positive sentiments and vibe. It's evident that people are enjoying themselves as indicated by the smiles and laughter. For young and old, there definitely is plenty to be engaged with.
Check out more images over at Flickr

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UK: Bath and Stonehenge

So what better to do on a weekend than to escape the buzzing hive of activity of London and to head out to the countryside. You are greeted with lush green rolling hills with the livestock leisurely grazing at the grass. It's far removed to the concrete jungle that London has evolved to be. Our journey, would see us head to both Bath and Stonehenge.

The City of Bath is famed for its Roman remains and Georgian architecture is situated 120 miles west of London. It's a charming and quaint city filled with laneways of history and stories of the past. The Romans conceptualized and built a bathing establishment known throughout Europe, the Saxons and Normans erected monasteries and cathedrals and finally with the pre-modern age, Georgian architecture constructed to complete the ecelectic mix.


Rolling green hills overlooking the city


Pulteney Bridge - Built for William Pulteney by Robert Adams, the bridge was an attempt to connect central Bath to land on the other bank of the River Avon and make Pulteney's fortune.


The Royal Crescent was built between 1767 and 1775 to the design of John Wood the Younger, and forms a semi-ellipse of thirty Grade I listed houses arranged around a great Lawn.


Begun in 1499, Bath Abbey is the last of the great medieval churches of England.
More images can be found here

Stonehenge
For the uninitiated allow me to post an extract from Wikipedia:
"Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) west of Amesbury and 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones and sits at the centre of the densest complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments in England, including several hundred burial mounds.[1] Archaeologists had believed that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC

I present to you in colour - Stonehenge.


And something a little more edgier!


To be honest, it's rather difficult to be overly enthused by what is essentially a set of rocks piled together, but nevertheless the mystery of its function and the reason for the construction is one of interest.
If anything, i guess i can tick it off the "list of things to see that i can say i have seen".

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Architecture in London

So after i was freed from the G20, i took some time out to wander more of the streets of London.
Not really knowing much about the cityscape and landmarks, it was a great opportunity to explore and acquaint myself with the geography of the city.

There is a great contrast in the architecture between that of the modern and that of the historic. Dispersed amongst modern buildings, there are monuments that have withstood the countless generations and societies that have come and gone. St Paul's Cathedral is one example of this. There has been a Cathedral on this site for 1,400 years and the present Cathedral designed by Sir Christopher Wren is now fast approaching the 300th anniversary of its completion.





Tower of London


On the more modern end you have the Swiss Re building - affectionately known as the "erotic gherkin". There are just somethings you don't question.



Definitely looking forward to expanding this portfolio of architecture images.

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Rewind: Hong Kong Time

Prior to my arrival in London, I made a week long sojourn in Hong Kong in order to reacquaint myself with my roots. Hong Kong with a population of 7 million people is a cosmopolitan city that is all hustle and bustle. It's evident when you walk down the streets and walkways are at least 10 abreast. From the troupe of high school girls giggling with bubble tea in hand, the scurrying businessman hailing to catch a cab, or the old lady toiling behind a the monstrous cart filled with a mountain paper/cardboard waste, all these people are the many faces of Hong Kong.

I'm not quite sure what it is that draws me to Hong Kong. Maybe it's the frenetic energy and fast pace the city operates around the clock. Conversely, there are numerous satellite islands that one can visit to kick back and enjoy the slower pace these sleepy towns operate at.
Then there is the smorgasbord of cuisines from all corners of the world to cater for the epicurean. If the fiery Bangladesh / Nepalese curries won't sate the demanding taste buds, there is always fired pig intestines married with a sour and chilli oil or the infamous fried tofu - it reeks of a thousand dirty socks and can be smelt a 100 metres away!

The real attraction about Hong Kong is the diversity in services/entertainment that this tiny city has to offer. There is the corner store(literally hugs a corner) that sits beneath Soho Staircase which operates as a newsagency but also sells the most amazing tofu dessert, the seemingly dodgey diners around every back alley which offer tasty and cheap meals (3 AUD dollars) and finally the plethora of restaurants offering Yum Cha. At the other end of the scale, there is the ultra chic entertainment quarter in Lan Kwai Fong(LKF). This small district have a pumping atmosphere where locals and expats mingle, play dice games and party away to the early hours... and that is on a Monday night!



Some select pics. More can be seen here.

Mong Kok - A shoppers haven for fashion, electronics and the occasional goldfish.


A moment of silence - I find it a amazing when you can find a spot in the metropolis where there is no one.


Old Ladies - From what i understand, these old ladies take a donation from you and proceed to smack out your inner ghosts and transgressions that are recorded on these holy papers.


Tofu Dessert - It's a refreshing snack served hot or cold with a blend of caster sugar and crystalised ginger . One of the silkiest and smoothest tofu you can get in town by my books and all for $2 AUD. I got through half of this and then realised i should have taken a picture.


Poor Ugly Sidekick Dog

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