We spent the night in Catford and went to bed far too late for my confused body clock, but it was a good catch up session with Elahe & Ladan. In the morning the next day, Elahe and I packed and loaded up into the car. Road trip time!
The weather was sunny and bright, a good day to take to the roads. Traffic was minimal, so we enjoyed cruising along, chatting and listening to some music. We arrived in great time, making it there in an hour and a half.
To the shops! We browsed some stores in the local shopping area and made some good purchases. Elahe even found a dress for a wedding she’s going to later this year. Yays. After that, my longstanding desire to couple fish and chips with any seaside visit had to be fulfilled. At this stage the weather was simply awful. Driving along the beachfront was just short of terrifying. The waves were menacing and they looked like they would leap up and swallow us at any moment. The wind was a force to be reckoned with, which we eventually had to face without the security of the car.
We went to Buddies, which was a delightful fish and chips restaurant and takeaway, that was across the road from the beachfront. We both had cod and chips, which they fried upon request. The mountain of chips that arrived was beyond my appetite, but extremely enjoyable, as was the fish. Crispy and crunchy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. Perfect. To get back the car the wind assisted us by blowing us down the street. Literally.
Finally at the house, I got to meet Elahe’s parents. They were so warm and inviting, I felt right at home! After we rested, talked and went through our new purchases, Elahe’s mum said she’d make a start at dinner. What an understatement. The woman produced a feast! It was my first time having Iranian food and it was soooooooo good! I don’t even know what my favourite thing was, I just know I can’t wait to have it all again.
Well, prior to the meal my new bff Jet Lag was hovering over my shoulder. After the meal I was carrying a food baby in the front and Jet Lag in the back, piggyback stylie. I knew I wasn’t going to make it out. That, I was disappointed about. I was in the mood to have a night out on the town and Elahe had already made some arrangements for us, but my body just wasn’t having it.
The next morning, I reluctantly peeled myself out of bed. I had woken up around 1am for a couple hours and then again at 5am. Grrr! I had an 11am train back to London to catch. After getting ready, I followed the aroma of freshly made waffles down the stairs (from scratch!). We ate breakfast hurriedly (mmmm Nutella) and headed for Hove train station. Elahe and I said our farewells. It will be months before we see each other again. I had a great time in Brighton with her and her family and I can’t wait to hopefully do it again in the summer. Minus the terrible jet lag. 
The Wandering Pier 