I’m running training on blogging to a load of PhD students on Friday and realise I’m no longer a model blogger! I just remembered I didn’t finish writing about our Sussex holiday, so here is another photo laden post to remind me of sunnier times when Covid-19 felt a little bit more distant than it does today.

In my last post, I wrote about some of the amazing historical sites we visited. We also spent as much time on the coast as possible, seeking out quiet beaches where the kids could splash in the heatwave and we could still social distance.

Early in our week we enjoyed a long hike along the cliffs of the Hastings Country Park. The weather was stunning and the sea looked positively Caribbean! 

It was so hot that it was quite a relief to find some shady, woodland paths along the route.

And the beautiful woodland meant plenty of opportunities for tree climbing!

After our 8km cliff top hike, we enjoyed a wander around Hastings and a delicious ice cream stop. The old fishing cottages were beautiful.

And thanks to Katharine, we got an unusual photo of all four of us.

Despite the clouds starting in, the kids couldn’t resist their first dip of the trip and so they headed straight into the sea!

Later in the week, we attempted a longer hike – a round trip to Rye from Winchelsea. It was perhaps not sensible to do a 12km walk with no shelter on the hottest day of the year with three small people! But with an incentive of fish & chips and milkshakes in Rye, we got them there!

I’ve always wanted to visit Rye, and it was as beautiful as I imagined. So quintessentially English! We’d heard exceptional reviews of Knoops chocolate shop from friends so we paid them a visit for chilled chocolate shakes.

After the long walk back to Winchelsea, we paid a visit to Winchelsea Beach to cool off. It was so calm and quiet it was idyllic. The children played in the sea for ages, loving the rock pools that emerged as the tide went out.

One final, physical adventure was a brilliant trip to Bedgebury Pinetum – a stunning forest of conifers in the Sussex countryside. The kids had a brilliant hour enjoying Go Ape up in the canopy, loving the zip wires and challenging routes.

Once everyone was back on solid ground, we headed deeper into the forest for a walk along one of their many trails. It was so beautiful that Matt and Alex stayed for the afternoon to see more of the forest on mountain bikes!

We had such a nice week escaping the city and coronavirus for just a little bit of time.

These two ladies had such a blast getting to spend a whole week together.

Look at these faces! My favourite photo of the week!