Monday, May 21, 2012

The Two Thirds Mark


With 31 days to spend in the UK we've just passed day 21; 10 days to go.

So what are our discoveries at this point? There are several surprises!

First- the food we've encountered here is absolutely SPECTACULAR! This is BY FAR the biggest shock. We expected to find it all grey, unpalatable and bland. Nothing could be further from the truth. Now granted- we've eaten in some nice places instead of dives, though by no means 5-star gastronomic icons. But the food here has been, on average, FAR better than what we typically eat in America. The produce is stunningly fresh, nearly everything is organic and locally grown, the breads and baked goods are amazing and the breadth of cuisine is breath taking with emphasis on seafood, lamb, vegetables and fruit. We both agreed that PERHAPS the thing we'll miss most when we leave is the remarkable food we've enjoyed here. I would NOT have predicted that in my wildest dreams.

Second- while we arrived here terrified of the dreaded traffic 'round-abouts' we've actually come to love them! They're VASTLY superior to traffic lights and stop signs in MOST applications. (Crowded London streets would be an exception for sure!) Everyone has to go through the intersection the same way (clockwise) instead of pouring into a common point from four different directions. Second, UNLESS there is someone else immediately using the round-a-bout, you NEVER HAVE TO STOP! You just glance to your right and go if you're clear! And once you're in the round-about and traveling clockwise then YOU have the right of way until you get off. No waiting for a stop light when there's no one else anywhere in sight. No having to come to a full stop at a stop sign. It's genuinely a BRILLIANT design and just as the food- I would NEVER have predicted that I would learn to love British round-abouts.

Third- The induction hob is a genius idea that we would love to have in America. It's SHOCKINGLY fast and effective, turning a cold skillet or pot to blazing hot in a matter of seconds- not minutes!

Fourth- Filling your vehicle's fuel tank is OBSCENELY expensive here. We're driving a 44-mpg diesel mid-size Ford, but even so, fuel costs are mind-bending. We needed only 44 liters (about 11.5 gallons) to fill-up the other day, yet it cost $117US. That's more than $10 per gallon for those of you who are math challenged. Imagine a big US-style 4WD SUV that gets 12 miles per gallon and has a 25 gallon fuel tank. That's $275 for a fill up and very nearly $1 per mile in fuel costs!!! YIKES!!! I PROMISE I'll never complain about $3.75 petrol at home again.

Fifth- The UK system of Postal Codes is INFINITELY superior to the US system. Every home or business has a unique postal code consisting of letters and numbers. (This allows a nearly infinite number of locations without running out of new combinations.) The result is that you only need to enter 7 letters/digits into your sat/nav and you will be whisked DIRECTLY TO ANY FRONT DOOR! Absolutely BRILLIANT! In the US you must enter the state, city, street number and finally the street name to find your destination.

So there's a few surprising and not-so-surprising discoveries at the two thirds mark of our journey.

Now off to the Lakes District, the Yorkshire Dales and Paris!

2 comments:

Charity White said...

Fascinating! And Bon Voyage!!!

Amanda B. said...

Sounds like a GREAT place to travel with car, GPS, good food, but not so much the cost of petrol. And now, of course, I'm off to read about an induction hob - just think, a FASTER way to burn things! :)