Mike and
I actually ate at the local pub, The Plough Inn, because they were having a beer festival and BBQ in their garden which just looked like a neighborhood get together. We couldn't resist! Afterward, we went to the castle grounds, took a walk by the lake and had dessert in the rose garden before the play started. It was a farce called Caught in the Net and it was really funny. Getting back to our hotel in the dark was almost as funny. Thank goodness for 'sat nav's' when you are in the middle of nowhere, in the pitch dark, on roads only wide enough for one car and covered with low hanging trees! With our headlights on high beam, it really looked like some kind of magic forest as we drove through. We definitely would never have ventured down these obscure little roads without that trusty navigation system.We stayed at a new Marriott in Lingfield that adjoined a horse racing course. It just so happened that a race was scheduled for that night. We missed it because we were at the castle but did see the horses warming up and all of the pre-race festivities before leaving. I was amazed to see that the women all wore fancy dresses to the horse races. That seemed odd given that you can go to any of the west end shows in London and never see anyone dressed like that. It was quite a social occasion!
The Marriott also had a golf course so Mike woke up early and played for the first time since we have been in England. Meanwhile, I proceeded to sleep for 11 hours - what a bum! We did eventually get out of there by 11am and drove to Brighton to check out the activity on the seashore.
Brighton
was hopping because the schools just let out for their summer recess. It reminded us a bit of Southern California because there is a pier with an arcade and rides, as well as a boardwalk for cyclists, walkers, etc. We had our bikes with us so we rode along the coast to the pier and then on to 'The Lanes" which are a maze of tiny little pedestrian alleys with shops and restaurants. From there we walked by the Royal Palace before heading out of town to work our way back home by way of Arundel Castle.Arundel Castle
was a pleasant surprise. It is exactly what you would expect a castle to look like and it is still in use by the family! This castle has been occupied by a long line of Howard's who served as the Duke of Norfolk. We climbed the turret's, toured the house and walked through the gardens. Because this castle is occupied, there were sections of the house and grounds roped off to the public and, of course, Mike was constantly trying to sneak around and see what he was missing! I must admit, he does tend to want to go where he can't. Who does this remind you of? He is missing his partner in crime, Dean!On our way home we stumbled across an amazing English Pub called The Red House. It really was in the middle of the countryside and was incredibly nice for a pub. The Sunday meal in a pub is typically roast and is served as long as it lasts. We haven't had a chance to have our Sunday roast yet so we thoroughly enjoyed it today. Quiz time! Do you know what squeaks and bubbles are? Hint: They are served with the Sunday dinner. Anyone? Well, we now know that squeaks and bubbles are potatoes and cabbage! Yum. I also discovered that I love Yorkshire Pudding!
All in all, a successful weekend. We have now covered a little more of our UK map. We have our work cut out for us to see it all before the end of October but we will keep at it if we must!
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