Seaford to Eastbourne

It was such a glorious day today and the coast beckoned. Fred and I took the train to Seaford and walked across the clifftops to Eastbourne. The walk took about six hours (including a tea stop at Birling Gap). The beaches were peppered with people at the spots where they could get down onto them. I wouldn't have liked to have been in Brighton - I don't think I've ever seen that seaside train and platform as crowded as I spied today!

Luckily, there was a breeze on the cliff-tops, which made the heat bearable. Butterflies and grasshoppers flitted between the blooming chalk-cliff flowers, which bloomed blue and yellow and pink. It was beautiful.

Near Beachy Head, we raced the chaplain on duty up to the cliff-top. The chaplain must be fit, walking up that several times a day. We watched him pick certain people to speak to - mainly those on their own, lingering too near the edge. Beachy Head is the highest chalk cliff in the UK and is thus a popular suicide spot. A chilling fact on Wikipedia says: "Worldwide, the landmark?s suicide rate is surpassed only by the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Aokigahara Woods in Japan."

Once at Eastbourne, we took a path that weaved through old, twisted trees down tot he promenade. Of course, we found a fish and chip shop and added some mushy peas to the mix before catching the train home. A great day!