Today is my last day in Brighton. Tomorrow it's back to Bristol for two weeks, before I head off to home for a couple of months. My days in Brighton quickly settled into an easy routine on this visit. I would wake up early, do some reading, exercise, work on my essay, and then go for a walk to the seafront to catch the sunset. I saw some truly spectacular sunsets, althought towards the end of my trip it was mostly cloudy days. It seemed a waste not to go to the seafront everyday since it is so close.
The seafront also reminds me of my time in Holland, where I lived just minutes away from the beach. I discovered the peace of late-night walks along the beach too close to winter and too close to the end of my time in Holland. But, thank God for small mercies, it was a mild winter and I had some really nice walks. At a time when the demons in my head had started to stir, those walks by the sea were like a balm.
I have discovered that if one desires solitude, one has to go to places that are too far or too cold or too ugly (although no solitary place is ugly in my eyes). The other option is to go when it is dark. I seldom met anyone during my night walks in Holland, although I did inadvertently give some people the fright of their lives when they chanced upon me. It is funny how a solitary figure in the dark is more unnerving than a group of people. I realize I was able to do this because I am a man. My sympathies and solidarity to all the women inclined to solitude who cannot avail of such opportunities because of safety concerns.
I didn't go for night walks in Brighton. The beach is a pebbly beach and is not conducive to walking. And sitting in one spot on a winter night is not a very pleasant experience. Plus, I usually end my days writing a blog post now. :-)
The seafront also reminds me of my time in Holland, where I lived just minutes away from the beach. I discovered the peace of late-night walks along the beach too close to winter and too close to the end of my time in Holland. But, thank God for small mercies, it was a mild winter and I had some really nice walks. At a time when the demons in my head had started to stir, those walks by the sea were like a balm.
I have discovered that if one desires solitude, one has to go to places that are too far or too cold or too ugly (although no solitary place is ugly in my eyes). The other option is to go when it is dark. I seldom met anyone during my night walks in Holland, although I did inadvertently give some people the fright of their lives when they chanced upon me. It is funny how a solitary figure in the dark is more unnerving than a group of people. I realize I was able to do this because I am a man. My sympathies and solidarity to all the women inclined to solitude who cannot avail of such opportunities because of safety concerns.
I didn't go for night walks in Brighton. The beach is a pebbly beach and is not conducive to walking. And sitting in one spot on a winter night is not a very pleasant experience. Plus, I usually end my days writing a blog post now. :-)
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