Brighton...England's scenic and historic "dirty weekend" resort town. I spent a weekend there at Suzy's house, a very un-Brighton weekend. We went out plenty, don't get me wrong, but the town is most famous as an historic destination for aristocrats to take their mistresses and behave atrociously. The city has really embraced its questionable claim to fame, and is also now England's gay capital - that combination leads to very good nightlife. But the city still looks like a cute English seaside town during the day. The palace below was a royal palace built by a playboy prince. The outside is inspired by the Taj Mahal, the inside is Chinese-themed, and quite spectacular. The whole thing is very sumptuous. Queen Victoria sold it because it wasn't built for a family so it had too few bedrooms, and because she didn't think it was private enough, which is probably true.
This sculpture which is on the boardwalk is made by different sized holes in the metal letting the light through to create the images of people kissing - including gay couples. Click on the image for a better view.
But the town wasn't all immorality. I saw a cart that was employed when people started bathing in the sea for its supposed health benefits. Bathing carts - little dressing rooms on wheels like a wheelbarrow were employed so that ladies could remain modest. A lady would enter the cart and change into her bathing costume, then she would be wheeled inside the cart to the water, exiting directly into the sea for a minimum of exposure. I think we've all had bloaty days where this sounds like a very good idea.
