Coffee and cake, please!

As of lacking energy today, my first thought was not to write the blog, but somehow it neither made me feel relieved, nor more energetic. My mind started wondering off: chocolate, coffee, more chocolate, holidays, chocolate cake and coffee on holiday… So here I am, drinking coffee and eating chocolate chip muffins (which I managed to make with the help of the children for that fun, fit and fruity week competition I mentioned last time). Matt has said that I’m the first person he’s met who can eat chocolate for breakfast, although in my view it’s very logical to have it as a first thing in the morning when you’re hungry and tired, rather than having a full English that makes you feel that you’ve eaten too much and could do nothing but just lie down again.

Anyway I wasn’t going to chat about breakfast (think: chocolate), but of holidays instead.

When my friend and I came here ten years ago, we actually came for a holiday without any plan of moving to the UK. Weather-wise it was a perfect summer: sunny and hot, barely any rain – what a wrong impression it left with us! We went to Brighton and I had my first encounter with a proper pebble beach in England, and also acknowledged a merry-go-round on the beach (I was yet to learn a lot more about all the ‘fun attractions’ that traditionally belong to the seaside towns). I had my first ride at the front of a double-decker bus on the top floor and we rode up and down these narrow and winding roads, tree branches hitting the windows, girls (us) screaming and feeling excited at the same time. No need for a roller-coaster!

Our friend took us to see the white chalk cliffs and the Beachy Head, the famous suicide spot, because that’s where you would take the Estonians who’ve come to visit (Estonians were at that time quite at the top in statistics regarding suicide rates... Sorry, I know it’s not really a laughing matter). It was beautiful there though and we got carried away (no, not by the waves of sea) and we missed our last bus, but not the very last bus on these roads. That very last one took us for a little detour to another seaside town before heading our way.

The host and I at the bottom of Beachy Head

A detour wasn’t an option when I was on my first holiday with Matt in Norfolk and enjoying its coastline. We were having a lovely picnic while the tide was coming in. Matt wasn’t worried, so I tried not to be either, but when we realized that water had been gathering behind us creating a river and we were basically left like on an island, we had to hurry. We removed our trousers (there wasn’t anyone around to admire our underwear) and walked straight through that river carrying our stuff above our heads. As soon as we left, the seals came for a swim (it took me six years to go for a swim in the sea in England, no wonder wet suits are ever so popular here), and despite of our foolishness, it was a memorable day, but I have also learnt my lesson – not to trust Matthew, I mean the hurricane Matthew (that I learnt in a later day though), and definitely to be aware of the high tide.

Enough about these sunny holidays and swimming in cold water - it’s time for another cup of coffee. And cake.

Sorry, I also feel no need for my usual additional notes today and just saying – Aloha!