Salt Life: Lepe Beach

July 7, 2013

Lepe Beach

We have spent the last three days relaxing on Lepe Beach, a luxury to us because we have no where we have to be! England is experiencing record breaking temperatures with the highs ranging from 80- 90 degrees Fahrenheit. "Its boiling!" we were told by a elderly British woman.  Since our arrival we have only  felt sprinkles of rain once; which is funny to us because we hear Charlotte NC, our home, is experiencing constant rain and flooding.

Joey & Zoe Sunbathing on Lepe

                                         

Ross chilling down in the English Channel

We are not the only ones sun bathing at the beach, hundreds of people have dashed to the beaches of Southern England over the last few days and the heat wave is here to stay for at least two more weeks.  We enjoy the hot dry weather but England is not equip with AC everywhere and people do not use ice cubes; needless to say cold beverages and a walk down the freezer isle of the grocery store are real treats to us. It is funny how the little things make all the difference when on the road like we are with limited amenities.

Low Tide on Lepe was reat for hunting the perfect sea shell.
Ross almost walked all the way to the Isle Wight

                               

Our living space in the Kangoo 

 ASDA is a super store chain found throughout Europe, it is owned by Wal*Mart, therefore it is very similar. Each store has grocery and general merchandise, and most of them have a cafe where you can sit and use the free wifi.  We are big fans of the store cafe because the food is tasty, reasonably priced, and refills on coffee and soda's are free, although there is no ice. It is also where we have been purchasing our in car meals every other day.  We usually get lunch meat, bread, and some sort of fruit or veggie, but only enough for two days or so because we have no way of keeping things cold or prevent them from spoiling.  The ready made meals are not bad either and we have no way of heating them up so we eat cold chicken and chilled pasta's for at least one meal a day....huge money saving technique.....because eating fast food is not nearly as cheap as you would think and is not healthy either.

Our custom window tinting 

Our most recent DIY project was to cool down the inside of our Kangoo  from the brutal sun.  We tinted our windows with makeshift window tint out of black poster board taped together and tucked into the crevices of each window.This has really helped maintain some shade in the Kangoo as well as blocking out unwanted light at night, and giving us much needed privacy that we did not have before.  Total cost of our project 4 pounds and 1 hour of time.  Thanks again ASDA!


                                         


                                        

Colorful Beach Cottages

While at Lepe Beach we were able to park for free on the side of the road right off the beach with no problems.  Right down the road was a public restroom, useful after a long day sweating in the sun.  Near where we parked was a long row of tiny beach cottages that faced the ocean. There were no TV, no kitchen, and a few of the relied on candles and the moon for light.  There were people with bonfires, barbecues, and tiki torches. This style of vacationing is just up are ally, simplistic, remote, allowing an intimate experience with nature.

Dusk at Lepe Beach