Arcadia England

It was the penultimate weekend of the summer semester. What better way to spend the day than by the sea in Brighton?

Of course, then we looked at the weather forecast. Rain, thunderstorms, more rain...

Despite the bleak weather prospects, a full house of students turned up outside the London Center ready to board the coach. As predicted, we were caught in a brief shower before our journey began, but then...something miraculous happened...

The sun came out! That's right, once we actually arrived in Brighton we ended up with glorious weather. There was another brief shower in the afternoon, but it did not dampen anybody's enthusiasm.

Upon arrival in Brighton we were met by our two fantastic guides. They escorted the group to the Royal Pavilion, a magnificent pleasure palace built by George IV, in stages between 1787 and 1823. It's opulence and oriental design were very different from what one would normally expect from the time period. The audio guides provided were full of fascinating information including Queen Victoria's impression of the place; she liked it! Our guides then took us on a walking tour of the seaside town, giving us an insight into its medieval history, as well as a more modern look at its status as the heart of LGBT life.

The students were then given the afternoon free to lounge on the beach, or to ride the seaside rides.

It was a really fantastic trip, and a great way to spend the penultimate weekend!