Saturday 27 May 2017

Date Night: i360 (and Giggling Squid)

There's something about viewing our world from the sky that has us captivated and I'm as guilty as the next at being utterly hooked on a birds eye view: hot air balloon rides, handgliding, the Sky Garden and, of course, the London Eye to name a few. So, when the hubs booked us a surprise trip on the i360 on, what turned out to be a glorious evening in Brighton a few weeks ago, I was very excited!


Although we only recently started exploring the city together, he grew up just outside Brighton while I spent a lot of time there from my teens through to early twenties, so it's a place we're both incredibly fond of. Plus, both of our bubbas were born there.



I've watched the i360 being built and was intrigued by what you'd be able to see and whether it would be as impressive as its sister venture given that on one side the view was of uninterrupted sea while on the other Brighton's hills may obscure the city's landmarks from view; glorious as both are, I wondered whether that would capture the excitement you get when you take a ride on the London Eye. I needn't have worried.



Despite watching it being built, I wasn't prepared for its 162 metre height and just how effortlessly the pod appears to glide to 138m (20ft more than the London Eye).
The i360 resides where the entrance to the beautiful old West Pier once stood and the one of the kiosks has been rebuilt sympathetically. In fact, I thought it had been restored until we took a look around the museum after our ride.



The weather was so glorious that after a drink in the sun on the sea front, we enjoyed the views from the BA deck chairs at the foot of the i360.




When it was time to board, we were in full tourist mode and were so captivated by the view on all sides that I almost forgot to take any photos! The sea was stunning, the views of both piers (particularly the ghost-like West) beautiful and the City like some 3D map spread before us. You can walk freely around the cable car pod and enjoy a tipple from the bar.







It really did glide so smoothly and gently you barely even noticed it was moving apart from the receding ground below and the return to earth was just as subtle.


We loved our experience and have been recommending it to friends ever since; it would be a great way to finish off bank holiday or a half term treat. The fact that we finished off our date night with some gorgeous Thai tapas in the last of the evening sun at Giggling Squid in the Lanes didn't hurt! Although, I bet the views from the i360 are just as captivating whatever the weather.



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