With just one morning in our Brighton hotel it was easy to pack up. We put our stuff in the car and walked to breakfast. After polishing off our plates we crossed over to visit a nearby playground. I’m starting to realize that this trip is going to be a tour of the world’s playgrounds.

On our way there Millie said “if there are no kids, I’m not going to play.” I have felt guilty about pulling her away from her friends but am trying to make myself feel better about this being an exercise in making friends with strangers. Luckily there were plenty of kids and she made friends with another little girl.

As we were leaving she was clearly thinking about it and said “I know a good question to ask a new friend next time… How old are you?” As my dad says, a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet.

After leaving the beach yesterday we promised more beach time for today. So we made good on it and walked over to look for cool rocks.

The weather has been incredibly warm, and so before we knew it Millie was in her underwear and splashing in the freezing (to us) sea.

Around lunchtime we headed off to near Salisbury to stay with more lifelong family friends. Nick whiteknuckled the one-lane country roads that somehow have cars going in both directions. It seemed like every town we passed through had a castle. But not a Buc-ee’s in sight so I’d say our great nations are equal in terms of history and culture.

After two hours we arrived at their beautiful home. Millie fed horses, jumped on a trampoline, explored a river, and swam in their pool. With the beautiful weather and fragrant things flowering all around us, I’m not sure how anything could be better.