‍A day at leisure today - no excursions, just time to spend on our own.

‍The weather defied the forecast and the sun came out; perfect for a stroll into town along the promenade to see what is to see.

‍Despite a perceived 2nd place to Brighton in the south coast resorts league, Eastbourne is, by far and away, a much nicer place. No signs of rust on railings. Benches are dotted frequently along the prom to rest up - it’s a very long prom, maybe a couple of miles, although our section from hotel to town is about ½ mile, about a 10 minute stroll.

‍The pier (admission free) has an amusement arcade, indoor miniature golf and several food outlets. Everything well maintained, clean and tidy. The pier is lined with benches so you can sit, relax and watch the waves. Many of the picnic benches are multi-colour painted - very attractive.

‍There must be many hungry people visiting as along the prom there are 30+ food stalls with cuisines from around the world. Nearly every one display a grade 5 food-hygiene rating and most foods looked good.

‍The town itself is largely pedestrianised and has a very good range of shops and restaurants. Nothing much spectacular to see (e.g. Brighton Pavilion) but overall a decent place to spend time.

‍After a few hours exploring, we returned to the hotel for around noon, had a drink and snack in the bar, spending the rest of the afternoon watching the world from our room. A few (idiots?) actually went in swimming!

‍We were looking forward to some R&R and today was just perfect.