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Simple SurvivalMar 23 '01 (Updated Mar 27 '01) Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line Dress in layers, carry your own decaf if you need it, and beware the breakfast fry up. When my husband and I made that one epic trip to the UK I keep talking about (and will continue to talk about no doubt) we learned a few things the hard way. I am about to divulge what we learned so you can learn the easy way. If you don't, it's not my fault, I tried. Eating Finding fruit in the UK is somewhat like looking for rainbows, the conditions are right, but you may never see any. We managed a banana and an apple each about a week and a half into the trip and were overjoyed. If you like to eat fruit take your own or quiz the locals about getting some. Good luck, a friend of mine from Ireland is quoted as saying "If you want some fresh fruit your best bet is to go to the gas station and buy a can." Finding cheap, good food is also a feat. I'm pretty sure that everything in the UK is fried in bacon fat (sorry, Fr Kurt.) My husband ordered a tropical chicken dish with a slice of pineapple and a half a banana on it. It arrived at our table and the entire thing had been deep fried. Be prepared to pay a little extra for a meal once in a while and ask lots of questions. We stayed in B&Bs because they're everywhere and they give you breakfast. Unfortunately, staying at a B&B can be like staying at a friend's house only, you have the option of volunteering to cook if you know your friend is a lousy cook (see my review of Llundudno @ http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-2F1-18CE377A-396A7142-prod5). For the first week and a half we ate bacon or sausage, eggs fried in the fat, bread fried in the fat, and sometimes tomatoes (also, fried in the fat.) Then one day we asked if there was anything else we could have. Cold cereal never tasted so good and our host didn't have to work at it. Go ahead ask, they won't be insulted if you don't want the cholesterol-fest for breakfast. Now, we're not really picky eaters, but one thing we don't do is caffeine. Asking for decaffeinated tea in England was an experience, and it was repeated every time we tried. I'm not sure the English understand that tea can be decaffeinated. We're packing our own tea bags next time. Getting water was fun too. We tried ordering water and they would ask "fizzy or flat?" However we have managed to create fizzy lemon by combining 7Up and lemonaide. That's a pretty good bet for the decaf drinker. Clothing Wear layers. You really can't tell what the weather will be like. When we were there is was unseasonably warm and clear for March (60s believe it or not,) but according to the papers last summer the temperatures were in the 40s (in July!) Besides, if you have layers you won't have to lug your bulky coat around (like I did.) Indoors, the English folks I spoke to had a funny idea about when the house was warm. We stayed with a friend in London and I kept thinking his house was just warming up. About the time the blood started venturing as far as my fingers he said, "humm, it's getting a bit too warm in here." Layers, the key is layers. Waterproof layers. Car Rental Rent the smallest car you can get away with for your party. British roads are about one narrow lane wide. Fortunately, the side mirrors snap on and off. We discovered this as we were confessing to an Irish Garda (policeman) that we just hit another car and our mirror ripped off and we don't know what we did to the other car, but we're very sorry, etc, etc. The Garda leaned over the car, popped the mirror back on, looked at the other car, said it was fine, and doubtless went back to the station and had a good laugh about the hysterical Americans. Don't get me wrong, I had the time of my life in England, but there were times when I was cold and really wanted a hot cup of tea and our waitress was looking at me like I was out of my mind asking for decaffeinated tea. I'll do it again in a heartbeat, but I'll take my own tea bags, and I won't take my winter coat, and I won't freak out with the mirror pops off the car. Oh yea, and I'll ask about alternative breakfasts. For more on this subject see Simple Survival 2: Rocks @ http://www.epinions.com/trvl-review-3A72-1F6B5E06-397B5FA3-prod5 where I talk about our search for megalithic sites. How cool is that?  |
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