From Vancouver to Brighton
10 juli, England ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
Every great adventure starts with the journey—and this one couldn’t have gone much smoother.
Before I even left Vancouver, Sanjay surprised me by transferring one of his Air Canada 50K StatusLäs mer
Home for the Next Few Nights
10–12 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
For my Brighton stay, I’ve checked into The Twenty One, a lovely little B&B tucked inside one of Brighton’s classic townhouses.
The place has so much character. The dining room sits right besideLäs mer
First Steps in Brighton
10 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
My first impression of Brighton?
Holy shit, it’s hot!
Blue skies, brilliant sunshine and around 29°C. Beautiful… but I was sweating almost instantly. The forecast says it’ll get even hotterLäs mer
A Perfect Evening at The Lazy Fin
10 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Sometimes you stumble upon exactly the place you didn’t know you were looking for.
My original plan was simple: stop for one drink before heading back.
Instead, one drink became three… andLäs mer
Queens Park
11 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
After breakfast, I spent a little time getting some work done for XDS Ignite before finally heading out to explore Brighton.
My first destination was Queens Park. The walk there already felt veryLäs mer
Starfish & Coffee
11 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
My first coffee stop of the day was Starfish & Coffee, a modern and bustling café that was clearly popular with the locals.
I ordered a cappuccino to go and, of course, picked up a bag of beans asLäs mer
Wolfox Coffee
11 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
From Starfish & Coffee, I continued downhill through the neighbourhood towards Richmond Square and St. Peter’s Church.
The walk itself was part of the experience. Brighton seems to have muralsLäs mer
Blend & Brew
11 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
I have to admit, Blend & Brew was not part of my original plan.
Nature was calling, and I needed to make an unplanned stop. Since I never like to just walk into a café without ordering something, ILäs mer
Pelicano Coffee Pioneers
11 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
From Blend & Brew, I made my way through the charming maze of streets known as The Lanes. Independent boutiques, quirky little shops and hidden alleyways make this one of those neighbourhoods whereLäs mer
Royal Pavilion Garden
11 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
After leaving Pelicano, I continued wandering through The Lanes, browsing the many independent shops and, naturally, doing a little shopping myself along the way.
Eventually I reached one ofLäs mer
Redroaster
11 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
My next stop was Redroaster.
I’d actually tried to visit yesterday, but by the time I arrived, they had already closed. Today I finally got my chance.
The café is much larger and more modern thanLäs mer
Rybka
11 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
After spending some time at Redroaster, I headed back to the B&B to cool down, freshen up and get ready for dinner.
My original plan was to eat at The Reading Room, a restaurant a little outside theLäs mer
Brighton Palace Pier
11 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
After dinner, I took the scenic route back to the B&B, which naturally led me past Brighton Palace Pier.
The sun was beginning to set, and there was no way I could simply walk past without steppingLäs mer
Temple
12 juli, England ⋅ 🌬 23 °C
My final morning before XDS Ignite began with one more leisurely breakfast at The Twenty One before setting off towards Brighton Marina.
Hidden beneath the seawall is Temple, one of Brighton’s mostLäs mer
Trading Post Coffee
12 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
After returning from Temple, it was time to say goodbye to my lovely little B&B and move into the DoubleTree by Hilton, which would become home for the XDS Ignite part of the trip.
My room wasn’tLäs mer
The Lanes
12 juli, England ⋅ 🌬 29 °C
With coffee in hand, I wandered back into The Lanes.
I had already explored parts of this famous neighbourhood yesterday, but today I decided to do exactly what you’re supposed to do here:
GetLäs mer
17 Grams
12 juli, England ⋅ 🌬 29 °C
While happily getting lost in The Lanes, I stumbled across another specialty coffee shop that hadn’t originally been on my itinerary: 17 Grams.
Curiosity got the better of me.
I stepped inside,Läs mer
Komodo Coffee
12 juli, England ⋅ 🌬 29 °C
Komodo Coffee was another happy surprise.
I had heard good things about it while researching Brighton, but because they don’t roast their own coffee, I hadn’t planned on visiting.
Then ILäs mer
Bond Street Coffee
12 juli, England ⋅ 🌬 29 °C
One more coffee.
At least that’s what I told myself.
Bond Street Coffee became the final stop of today’s coffee crawl. Given the relentless heat, I opted for a refreshing cold brew and claimed aLäs mer
Casa Don Carlos
12 juli, England ⋅ 🌬 25 °C
Eventually it was time to switch gears.
I returned to the hotel, finally checked into my room and spent some time getting work done before XDS Ignite officially kicks off tomorrow.
A little later,Läs mer
The Milk Shed
13 juli, England ⋅ 🌬 24 °C
After breakfast at the hotel, it was time to switch into event mode.
My first stop was the local printer to collect the last remaining pieces of signage for XDS Ignite. From there, I headed over toLäs mer
XDS Ignite Social Mixer
13 juli, England ⋅ 🌬 25 °C
The rest of the day was all about preparing for XDS Ignite.
I spent the afternoon zigzagging across Brighton, picking up various DIY materials and last-minute supplies before squeezing in a littleLäs mer
Mowgli Street Food
13 juli, England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Once the mixer wrapped up, there was still a little work to do.
I packed away a few things, prepared everything for tomorrow morning’s workshops and then headed back to the hotel for a quickLäs mer
XDS Ignite - Morning Sessions
14 juli, England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
After breakfast at the hotel, it was time to head back to Electric Square for the workshop portion of XDS Ignite.
But first…
One final stop at The Milk Shed for a takeaway coffee. By now it hadLäs mer
XDS Ignite - Afternoon Sessions
14 juli, England ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
The afternoon sessions moved across town to the Develop:Brighton conference.
I deliberately arrived early to make sure everything was ready—especially the audiovisual setup. After all, eventsLäs mer



























































































































































































































































































