Eastbourne Riviera

Friday I get a train for a fiver to Eastbourne for an Autumn hiking weekend with Duncan. Nice apartment overlooking a bowling green (complete with ad for funeral director) then a vista of Mediterranean like trees to the pebble beach and a sea glittering. Duncan arrives and we're off for big shop by which time it's getting dark. Lovely curry and beers and then bed where I fall asleep watching le Tour highlights.

View from the flat

Fitful night so a little tired Saturday morning but after a cooked breakfast we're raring to go. We walk into the town centre to get the train to Glynde (10 minutes but more expensive than my ticket from London) and we walk up a steep hill to join the South Downs Way which we are following into Eastbourne. The Way is very popular with walkers, cyclists and the odd horse rider. It's mainly in open ex;posed to sun and wind but with enough wooded parts to keep in interesting along with the nice villages with expensive cars. We get great views over the downs and then over Bournemouth and across to Hastings as we descend to the sea. After a couple of beers in the pub I cook pasta with tomato sauce for tea before watching our teams win their first games of the season on MOTD before my le Tour fix.

The Long Man of Wilmington

Duncan climbing up past the Long Man - it was steep!

Lunch above the Long Man of Wilmington

At last beneath the trees

Following the South Downs Way

Sunday morning we're not in a rush as after a leisurely cuppa we have a quick dip in the sea before breakfast. Water is pleasant and the sun is out and a cormorant is drying it's wings on a pole in the water. Will be hot today and I already have a red neck from yesterday.  We hike to Pevensey seeing a couple of seals basking on the way and yes it is very hot. After breaking out of the castle grounds we loop round coming into Eastbourne along the main roads which can't be helped. Back home we collapse with beers and gaze at the view of azure seas and a cloudless sky before an evening swim and tea.

Our flat behind the bowling green

One of the many Martello towers

Pevensey Castle

Pevensey Bay loop (Strava got a bit mixed up in Morrisons)

Very leisurely breakfast then bus to Seaford for a hike back along the cliffs in very hot weather with a light breeze but no shade. After a dip at the Birling Gap it's up and down over the Seven Sisters to Beachy Head before descending into Eastbourne and a trek along the seafront passing all the oldies. After recovering from heat exhaustion we go for a couple of beers at our local then get chips to eat on the beach. A lovely end to the day.

Sunrise

A chalky cliff

Duncan striding away from Seaford

The Seven Sisters

Shimmering Sea

Beachy Head Lighthouse

A shimmering backdrop

Seven Sisters & Beachy Head

Tuesday we breakfast and pack and after a little bike gears fiddling Duncan drops me off at the station and we say our goodbyes. Some great walking although a little hot for my liking. There again I can't complain that it didn't rain on us which is a first for our hiking weekends.