Eastbourne & Beachy Head Hiking

Hello you gorgeous people! I've been away for a while but I have returned with a vengeance. A few months ago my friend and I decided we had thoroughly deserved a break from London city life and escaped to the sea! Click through for gorgeous panoramas and tons of backlighting.

We began our adventure by hopping on a train to Eastbourne and I must say, I don't think I will ever get over the wonder that is the National Rail. Trains are my favorite thing because you don't have to stop to get gas or worry about careening into oncoming traffic and dying in a spectacular explosion.

Anyway, Eastbourne is the town which is near-ish to Beachy Head, an important military position in the world wars for signalling/patrolling the coastline. There were lots of memorials for the Royal Air Force and Navy, and you could see why it was such a good place to look out for ships and aircraft; you could see EVERYTHING for miles. It's actually kind of scary because you realise how tiny you are and how huge the world is, even the Channel seemed like an ocean from up there. And to get there you have to climb a terrifyingly steep mountain of death. But first, a nice seaside walk complete with leafy paths and benches!

When we got to Eastbourne we meandered toward the beach, which was gorgeous and very splashy but it was April and thus still windy and kind of cold. We ended up walking along the beach for a long time, finding lots of cute beach cabins and nice beach views along the way. After we were basically out of the town, we noticed everything was getting hilly, and we started our trek up to the cliff part. But first we had to go up this very Mordor staircase.

 

There were lots of trails leading up to the cliffs (similar to the white cliffs of Dover but we were further south) and we took a nice break on the side of the hills when the sun came out. Sadly there was no food but I had a picnic blankie and lots of time to kill.

Then we came to some seriously slope-y cliff sides and thought, well, we might as well hike up these bad boys along the steepest side possible. SO WE DID. There was a lot of yelling and partial dying as we walked up what was essentially a 45 degree angle of grassy cliff, but then when we got to the top a bunch of totally not-out-of-breath tourists were looking at us funny because they took the bus up the cliff like normal humans. But not hardcore ones who will soon have muscular structures to be reckoned with.

 

Once we got up to the top it was windy. Thankfully the wind was blowing us toward land and not over the edge to a watery death, so I got some good shots of the water below by leaning over the edge in a very secure lunge stance. It was GORGEOUS up there. Being in London all the time made me forget that I am on a different side of the Atlantic than I usually am! And on an island?? Still getting used to these things. But it was wonderful to get out the city and see some of the world, you know? Some geography and water, which I was sorely missing.

And finally, after all that adventuring you need to take an explorer pose shot on top of the cliff! HUZZAH !