Impressions of Eastbourne

It's been a couple of weeks now since we stepped off the plane and onto the green hills of England and, while not yet properly settled into our own place, we are beginning to find our feet I think? Eastbourne is a lovely little (by English standards at least!) town. Even with the mostly gray skies and windy weather! Actually we have been very fortunate to have a few sunny days and I have to admit that it isn't anywhere near as cold as I expected - quite invigorating in fact, so long as you don't stay outside for too long and wear a woolly hat and furry coat. :)

Our first and most pressing task is to find a more permanent home than the out of season holiday let we took on over the internet before we left Zambia. It's a pleasant, if rather small, apartment right on the beach in the prestigious area of Sovereign Harbour. I like this modern new development but find it very lacking in the privacy that I am used to. I have been looking at other rentals in this area - they seem very expensive for the space on offer and I am intrigued by this idea of a 'Juliette balcony' that isn't actually a balcony but rather iron railings in front of a french door, three floors up? Maybe I need to practise my Shakespeare? Personally I can't help feeling that someone, somewhere is conning somebody?

My other personal favourite is the advertising blurb on lettings - 'parking on first served basis'!! What happens if you are NEVER the first one there? Driving up and down narrow little roads between rows of parked cars is very daunting! It is a unique experience for us third world bumpkins and I am seriously thinking of getting a bicycle! My other puzzlement is why anyone would build a four or five bedroomed house and only install ONE bathroom?? So, as you can imagine, finding a house is going to be difficult - it has to have off road parking, I absolutely refuse to fight for a place to park every day when I come home, and it has to have two bathrooms - or at least a separate loo. It also seems that there is a serious shortage of rentable property in and around Eastbourne at the moment - do you think they heard we were coming?

No smoking! Yes, this is indeed a pain in the butt for me! I really don't mind the not smoking inside public places but I must admit I do like to be able to sit in a comfy chair at home and have a puff with my coffee after dinner. At the moment I am reduced to standing on the balcony (not a Juliette one thank goodness) in the gale force winds blowing straight off the sea, dressed like an Eskimo, just to have a ciggie! In the mornings I get to watch these mad English people fighting against the wind and rain, walking their dogs and at night I can watch the flashlights of some crazy fishing people who seem to be out in all weather! It has reduced my consumption which is a good thing I suppose but I hate this being told what to do and where to do it - just the rebel in me I suppose!

So......it is onward and upward from here I hope. Once we find a house I will feel much more settled - at the moment it still feels like we are only here on holiday!