London: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

So, I must admit that I’ve been a pretty lazy travel blogger for the past year. After the excitement of my initial backpacking adventures fizzled out, so did my motivation to blog. I became distracted by my upcoming academic endeavors and was seduced by the ease of micro-blogging. Yep, I’m an Insta-addict.

However, I’m pleased to say that, since my last post, I’ve been to Austria, Belgium, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam and I’ve lived in London since last September!

Of course, most of my photos have been rotting away in my untouched camera card whilst I vigorously work to finish my Creative Writing & Publishing MA…tsk tsk…

However, I feel the time is ripe to share a bit of London life.

THE GOOD

No one can deny that London is an amazing city. There are literally endless things to see, do, and eat here, especially in central London. As a resident of Shoreditch, I can easily hop on the tube and arrive at all sorts of amazing historical and cultural sites in no time.

In addition, I’m mere hours from all sorts of aw-inspiring sites in the UK and Ireland.

Furthermore, living in the UK means that I have the rest of Europe at my doorstep, so I can get affordable flights and trains to all sorts of incredible places. Weekend in Italy? Yes, please!

In addition to all the great photo-ops currently at my finger tips, England boasts a variety of culinary cultural norms of which I greatly approve.

First off…

Crumpets are real! And they’re delicious–like an English muffin, but thicker, squishier, and simply better.

Seriously, I could eat buttered crumpets everyday.

Next…

3 words: Sticky. Toffee. Pudding.

Moist, delicious date cake, smothered in toffee sauce…there are no words.

Btw, “pudding” usually just means “dessert” in England.

Another thing the Brits do well is Afternoon Tea.

After all, who doesn’t appreciate an excuse to sip tea and scarf down a mountain of caloric treats?

Not me!

I also don’t mind a buffet-style Thanksgiving-ish dinner…

…at the carvery!

Basically, Brits flood these pub/restaurant joints every Sunday to load a giant plate full of roasted meat, potatoes, & yorkshire pudding (which btw, is NOT a dessert…it’s the weird bread thing on the plate).

Anyways, you then smother the entire plate in gravy. Yum.

And of course, we can’t forget the English Breakfast.

Cumberland sausages, bacon, baked beans, black pudding (also NOT dessert), bubble & squeak (potato pancakes), eggs, & toast.

AKA the hangover cure.

HOWEVER…

Despite all the delicious pros, I must take a second to whine & complain.

THE BAD

1. London is too big, too crowded, & too pricy: Okay, okay…I know all mega-big cities are like this. But I must say, it’s easy to feel anonymous here, like a tiny ant bustling around in an enormous, concrete, money-sucking ant hill.

2. British food: Besides those previously mentioned exceptions, British cuisine is not what I would call the pinnacle of the culinary arts: lots of meat pies, lots of potatoes, lots of coleslaw, lots of fried chicken & fish, LOTS of chips doused in vinegar…

And behold, the chip butty.

Yep, those are chips shoved in a buttered roll…

3. British booze: Okay, I’m the first to admit that I’m a beer snob. Though London pubs have their charm, they’re lacking in tasty beers. Whatsmore, ales here are warm. Yuck.

In addition, London cocktails are nearly always too small, too weak, and too full of ice for their expensive price.

Also, Bloody Mary’s here are…just awful. Pass the salt.

4. Grocery stores: Yep, I grew up with Safeway, Wal-mart, Fred Meyer, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Costco, etc.

America has a lot of stores with a lot of stuff.

If you’re trying to find anything besides the basics in Sainsbury’s, Tesco, or the Co-op…good luck.

5. The accents: Of course, we love them. But even when we’re used to them…we still just can’t understand them. Here are some tips:

trainers: tennis shoes

jumper: sweatshirt

trousers: pants

kip: nap

‘sault (pronounced “sort”): attractive girl or boy

6. British TV: Brace yourself for budget soaps, odd dating shows, and American television re-runs.

7. British Weather: Also brace yourself for cold, cloudy weather…basically all year round. No tan this summer.

Last, but not least…

THE UGLY

These shoes.

But, overall London…I approve!

Btw…no one really calls the bathroom “the loo”…

#London #Pudding #Crumpets