UK, Day 3: April Showers

After a day of nice weather on Thursday, Good Friday turned into a wet, chilly day.  Nothing terrible but more or less of an annoying, constant drizzle and mist.  This turned out to be a problem for Chris who meant to bring his contacts with him, but left them back at the flat.  Ava, however, was well bundled up - albeit a bit grumpy after waking up in the middle of the night unable to go back to sleep, and then being woken up for an early bus and train ride.

We arrived at the Royal Pavilion - the sumptuous, faux-Indian/Chinese palace for George, the Prince Regent (later George IV) - just after opening time, and before the hordes of French teenagers.  While we couldn't take photos inside, the kids' audio guide was right up Ava's alley.

Walking through the drizzle, we made our way down to the seaside to the Brighton Pier where we played a few games, spotted the Brighton Wheel (a bit to dull and gray to be worth going up), and had freshly fried donuts. 

We spent a lot of time wandering through The Lanes, and window shopping. 

After a short train ride to Falmer, we visited Abby's old stomping grounds at the University of Sussex, including her old dorm building, which overlooks some of the natural beauty of Sussex.  Alas, there were no cows hanging about today. 

There wasn't much on the other side of the Falmer train station when Abby was at Sussex, but the American Express Community Stadium (aka The Amex), home to Brighton and Hove Albion, now towers above the South Downs. 

Thanks to the fine folks at Brighton, Ava had a free Brighton jersey waiting for her at the reception desk, while Chris purchased a hat to keep the rain out of his glasses. 

Despite the cheering and songs from the home fans, the Albion struggled mightily against promotion chasing Norwich City for the first 30 minutes of the match.  Ava took this as the perfect opportunity for a much needed nap.  

She woke up in time for a half-time chicken and ham pie, and to see Brighton's attempts to score in the second half, but Brighton just couldn't find the back of the net, losing 1-0. 

To finish off our day, we took the bus to Covent Garden where we found another Shaun the Sheep. 

We had a late dinner at Belgo Centraal, where Abby and Chris enjoyed moules frites while Ava had roast chicken, chips, and actual fresh green veggies! 

Saturday will bring with it some adventures in London including a return to Stamford Bridge to see Chelsea take on Stoke City.  Hopefully the Blues play better than the Albion did today.