ARUNDEL SURROUNDINGS

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During my stay in Eastbourne we also went one day to Arundel

Before we arrived there we had a pic nic on the beach, where I found this interesting fishernet. Despite the wonderful weather there was not a soul at the beach and we had it all for us. I found shells and strange pebbles I had never seen in my life.

After our pic nic we arrived in Arundel which is a major bridging point over the River Arun, the lowest road bridge until the opening of the Littlehampton swing bridge in 1908.

We went to the Arundel Castle which was built by the Normans to protect that vulnerable point to the north of the valley through the South Downs. Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit it, it's just enormous ! You can better see it here. It only is 79 km (49 miles) from London.

It sits high on a hill and overlooks a beautiful green landscape

After a walk we arrived at

Swanbourne Lake was originally a millpond and situated in the grounds of Arundel Park which was painted by both Turner and Constable.

It is in a stunning location beneath Arundel Castle and the adjoining Castle Park, with wonderful walks and scenery across the South Downs.

Feeding swans and geese was especially fun for parents with little children

They were beautiful and there was a lot of them

But then we were hungry and thirsty and it was Tea time anyway. So when we saw the Swanbourne Lodge Tearoom, we didn't hesitate a second and went in.

Motor bikers enjoying an ice cream

The Swanbourne Tea Room inside, very cosy

but we sat outside and were waiting for our

Cream Tea, a speciality in this part of England. It was very long ago that I had eaten clotted cream, I think it had been in Germany when I was a child and lived with my Grandparents. After that, I had never seen it again. As you can see the portion was more then enough !

Then it was time to go back to Eastbourne

driving along this beautiful coast line

SISTINE CHAPEL - GORING-by-Sea, UK

I learned something new ! I knew that one Sistine Chapel Ceiling exists in the Vatican City in Rome, which was painted in 1508 by Michelangelo. But during my stay with my friends in England, I learned that there was a second one, which was painted in 1988 by Gary Bevans who, after a visit to Rome had the idea to paint the ceiling of Sistine Chapel Reproduction in the catholic church of the English Martyrs, Goring-by-Sea.

When we went there and I entered the church I still didn't believe that it was possible to paint in the same way, until I saw it with my own eyes ! Unbelievable, what an artwork ! If you want to read the whole story about the Sistine Chapel in Goring just look here.

The church looks so simple from outside that I first thought it was a private house

but then inside I discovered a treasure ! Parts of the church of course looked completely normal until you looked up !

The inside of the church

and the unbelievable ceiling painting. Of course different in the themes but the same style of painting. The paintings all concern the Old Testament part of the Bible.

The little town of Goring-by-Sea was also nice to see and we had a nice lunch there in a local Pub.