Monday 6th June 2016...it wasn't an elephant BUT!!!!!!

The sunshine continues and this morning I packed up the back pack and headed here

Malc had loaned me his bus pass and I used it to get to Brighton it was about 25 minutes on the bus and saves all the trouble with paid parking when I got there....
My first stop was the incredible Taj Mahal type building in the town center

What a great looking building..

I then walked down to the ocean and to the iconic

This is one of the most visited spots on the coast and the pier stretches out in the ocean a long way!!!

This looks like a nice sandy beach beach but it is not it is all small pebbles...

Now you may be at this point wondering what I meant by the opening header..well let me explain....My regular readers will remember my encounter with the elephant in Kruger National Park a few weeks ago and how that was for me well this morning this was an encounter of a different sort.
So I have to set the scenario first......
A gorgeous sunny and warm day and I am enjoying my walk along this grand old piece of English history and then I turn a corner and see this sign

 I like free things..so I did take one

 So here I am quite content and happy and I see this sign

 no worries I won't...

So I proceed to take out the lovely egg salad sandwich on brown bread I had carefully made for myself this morning and in the deck chair with drink in one hand and the above mentioned sandwich in the other I start my lunch looking out on the ocean and thinking this sure beats working.
Another bite of the sandwich and then a drink and it happens!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This monster

I never saw him coming swoops down onto my lap and in one swift and quick motion snatches the sandwich out of my hand and flies up to the lamp post above!!!!
I almost fell out of my deck chair not only did he steal my lunch but he sits there looking at me I have to say it was funny but happened so fast.....one of the pier managers was passing by and the bird was still there and I told him I wanted the bird arrested and he laughed but said they have so much trouble with them they do this regularly but their favorite trick is to take the ice cream from the kids hands it freaks them out he laughingly told me!!!
So now I can add sea gull to the list of Whales, sharks and elephants that I have had close encounters with!!
After I recovered I walked back into town but I do not care really for this place so many street people and pan handlers who were quite aggressive and many tacky tourist shops

but I did like this store front!!

I went back to the sea front and decided to walk part of the way home on the front..

I like this contrasting shot..the huts are basically just for day use to store swimming stuff in..

 I did see one open and managed to sneak a shot, who is that cute guy in there???

 I walked a long way you can just barely see the pier in the back ground.

I then got a bus back home and arrived around 3 pm it was a great little trip!!
Tonight I went to a pub about 15 minutes away where I met Claire for dinner.....I first met Claire in an airbnb stay my first night in New Zealand and her parents live close by to where I am staying and Claire knew I would be around we arranged dinner...it was a lovely evening lots of stories and check out the steak and ale pie we both had!!!

Of course as soon as you put your fork in the flaky crust it collapses....
Nice to see you again Claire and good luck with your future plans.
I move on tomorrow to another airbnb in Portsmouth..so stay tuned!!
Yashi Kochi!!!