Mushy food

The English are known for their fish and chips but it would seem that we Australians have really improved on this British creation. The chips they serve here are soggy! And having checked with locals, this is how they're meant to be. Whereas in Australia, when they're done right, chips are crisp and golden on the outside but soft and tender within. I much prefer the Australian way.

I will admit that fish and chip shops here do sell a rather wonderful taste sensation that you will be hard pressed to find in Australia ... mushy peas. It doesn't sound all that appealing, but they're gooey and delicious and make the perfect bed for a fillet of grilled salmon or trout.  You can buy them canned at the supermarket to make just such a meal (one of my new favourites) and the good news is they even count as a serve of vegetables!

Australia Day

What better way to win people over than through their stomachs? So it was that I introduced my English work colleagues to great Aussie snacks for Australia Day. Barbecue Shapes, Twisties, Tim Tams and Vegemite coated Saos were the order of the day. However, the clear standout was the homemade Anzac biscuits I whipped up in the kitchen yesterday. Somehow I managed to use just the right amount of Golden Syrup needed to achieve the perfect consistency ... a little crunchiness on the outside but soft and slightly gooey inside. So moreish. A hit! 

Mr Bean

I saw a peculiar sign today in Knightsbridge. It stated: No vehicles permitted except invalid carriages. At first I thought this was a politically incorrect euphemism for wheelchairs, but then I discovered it referred to Mr Bean's car! Well, not his car per se, but a three-wheel low-cost vehicle provided in the 1960s and 1970s for people with disabilities. Maybe useful to know for a trivia night!

City of contrasts

One of my favourite things about London is how extraordinarily different each of its boroughs (council districts) are. I love taking the Tube somewhere random and popping up at ground level to explore unfamiliar surroundings. Today I headed to Belsize Park, a semi-posh suburb in north-west London. I found a cafe in the high street and plonked myself down to watch passers-by and read The Times (sounds like such an English pastime!). 

Over the past two months I have tried to get around, visiting places including Borough (near London Bridge), Hampstead (more upmarket than Belsize Park), Notting Hill (no, I did not see Hugh Grant), Waterloo (yes, like the Abba song), South Kensington (really posh), Bromley-by-Bow (further east than Mile End and more suburban), Angel (trendy/cool), Regent's Park (so big!), Marylebone (lovely but expensive) and Battersea (south of the Thames and growing in popularity). I am always surprised when I surface from the Tube by the contrasting character of each suburb. Many boroughs look and feel remarkably different, in terms of building styles, people (some are overwhelmingly white, black or Asian) and vibe - it's as if you could be in another city or country when in fact you are within 10km of the centre of London. 

Today I strolled south from Belsize Park through Camden with its wonderful antique and clothing markets. Even these two miles illustrated the contrasting nature of this remarkable city.

Proper English grammar

The English like to consider themselves protectors of the English language and custodians of good grammar. Hence one encounters many archaic expressions like "This train is for Brighton" instead of something more accessible like "This train goes to Brighton". They also use traditionally English words like bespoke (custom-made) that you would never hear in Australia.

For this reason it annoys me when one of the nation's biggest supermarket chains uses a grammatically incorrect slogan. Tesco uses the following tagline in all its advertising: "Every little helps". Now I am sorry, but that is NOT a sentence! It has a verb (helps) but no clear subject or object! Every little what helps??? I know I am being anal, and the implication is that every little "bit" helps, but without stating this the sentence is nonsense. The English of all people should uphold the rules of their language! That's my little gripe for the day. Now someone is sure to pick up on something I've got wrong in this post. : )

The end of the Big Freeze

Today it should reach a cracking 8C in London! The ice in Regent's Canal in beginning to defrost and break up ...

From Mile End

It's been an interesting week for local wildlife which has had to learned to ice skate ...

From Mile End

Frozen fountains

One doesn't like to harp on about the weather, but the past week deserves mention. It has been the coldest week I have ever experienced! This was driven home to me when I discovered the canal outside my house had completely frozen over (in the daytime) as had the fountains in Trafalgar Square! Temperatures have sunk as a low as -6C overnight with daily maximums struggling to reach 3C. I don't think I shall ever again have reason to complain about winter in Adelaide, where the average temperature in July reaches a comparatively balmy 15C!

Austen, Woolf and a country stroll

I have started falling into the trap of letting the cold keep me indoors, where I invariably overeat and watch trashy television! That said, it does take a determined effort to get out and about in the weather ... today it was 2C and Regent's Canal was completely frozen over!

I am trying to make the most of the thermals I bought for Norway so that I can get out and see the countryside. Last week I went for a stroll at Box Hill and Westhumble in Surrey. A pretty if foggy destination that feels far removed from London yet is less than an hour away by train.

From Surrey, UK

Box Hill features in Jane Austen's novels, as I pleasantly discovered while watching a remake of Emma in which a party of characters enjoyed a picnic atop the hill.

Keeping with my literary theme (albeit unintentionally) I ventured to Lewes in East Sussex at the weekend for an ambitious 15km hike! The walk (from the book Time Out Country Walks near London, Vol 2) took me through green pastures, past horses and cows, up a large hill with views across the South Downs and eventually to the village of Rodmell where I was keenly anticipating a hearty pub meal. 

From The South Downs

With a sinking stomach I discovered a note on the door declaring the Abergavenny Arms had closed down two days earlier "due to circumstances beyond" the owners' control! I was much disheartened, particularly as this was the only place in Rodmell to purchase food or drink! Determined and desperate, I set out on the 5km "post lunch" walk to Lewes. The route took me past Monk's House, the modest country retreat where Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard spent much of their time and entertained T.S. Elliot and other members of the Bloomsbury Group. Most of my journey was along the banks of the River Ouse, into which Woolf waded with her pockets full of stones. Although my spirits were somewhat downtrodden I had no intentions of going near the freezing water!

From The South Downs

By the time I reached Lewes I was starving and incredibly thirsty (having taken just a small bottle of water and muesli bar). Next time I shall take decent provisions! Nonetheless it was a pleasant outing and a great way to discover life beyond London.