By the sea...

For the past week, we have been by the sea...the North Sea specifically.  This is not your "lay on the beach and get a tan" kinda of sea.  It is sometimes rough and always cold!  When dressed appropriately in long pants and a coat, it is quite a lovely place!  I have never really been a beach person, but over the past week, I have become quite fond of this place!

AJ and I had never been here before.  That is not saying much for me...since I have only really been to one place in the UK!  When we moved, we were not able to move right into our house (which is a story for another day!), thus we moved into a hotel.  This specific week at the hotel that AJ usually stays at has been booked for a year due to a university graduation.  We took advantage of this and decided to stay by the sea in Sunderland.  To locals, our hotel is actually in Seaburn. 

We have woken up to views of the sea each morning!  Surprisingly, each morning the sun has been shining.  The restaurant that we eat breakfast in overlooks this beautiful sight.  We learned early in the week not to sit too close to the windows, otherwise the sun will blind you! 

Our daily view!

There are a vast array of restaurants within walking distance.  I had my first official experience with fish and chips here at a restaurant just around the corner from the hotel.  They were quite delicious, but definitely not something I can eat often!!  While Brits prefer to eat their chips (steak fries) with salt and vinegar, I decided to stick with ketchup!  On our first visit, AJ and I each had an order of fish and chips.  One order could have easily fed three people!  When I went back one day this week for lunch, I had no one to share my fish and chips with, so I just ordered the kid's meal!  It was just the right amount of fish and chips for me! 

My kid's meal portion!

One of the aspects of British life that I have quickly grown to love is the walking atmosphere.  I love taking walks.  There are always walking paths or sidewalks available, which makes it so easy to walk.  AJ is now officially working, which leaves me by myself during the day.  One of the things that I have done each afternoon is walk along the sea and sit on a bench to read my book.  Each night, AJ and I have walked to dinner.  It has been so relaxing and refreshing to be outside for the evening.  Since the sun does not set until after 10:00pm, AJ and I usually walk along the sea after we eat. 

Our nightly walking route!

Tomorrow, we move out of this hotel and into another one for the weekend.  We do not have a definite move-in date, but once we do, remember the lights will be on!

~W