Hastings

Hastings is renowned for the renowned Battle of 1066 when William of Normandy invaded, conquering King Harold II of England (who, according to the Bayeux Tapestry, was shot in the eye and died). Our experience of Hastings was something much less dramatic, although we did manage to keep busy for an entire day... Our first stop was the Smugglers Adventure attraction. We found it to be of the same genre as many of the Wisconsin Dells "museums" we've visited in the past (anyone else ever suffered through "Robot World"?) In other words, not something we recommend spending money on. Nevertheless, the children did enjoy putting their parents in the stocks and us parents got a chuckle over the history behind the Little Bo-Peep nursery rhyme (see above). I suppose we also learned that Hastings has a second, more infamous, claim to fame than the 1066 Battle: it was a smuggling harbour for all kinds of 17th century illicit contraband. It makes one wonder... will southern California someday have a museum about illegal drugs?

We spent our afternoon at the Hastings Castle ruins and

attended "The 1066 Experience" which really wasn't as much an "experience" as it was a film... with mechanical characters similar to Disney's Pirates ride. Again, something the children were fine with, but not nearly validating enough to warrant paying the 15 quid admission.

Family Favourites:

Matt & Lana - eating at the seaside cafe (great food, affordable price)

Amy & Emily - picking daisies and playing "tig" at the castle grounds