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2011


Southern Coast of England

FBWorld.com Writer

I can't believe it has only been a week and half since I left that frenzied world and gone wandering in places I had never been before. Everyone here keeps asking what I'm doing in at this time in England when the weather is rainy and cold. I'm here having the time of my life.

I landed late Saturday, and early the next morning, took a drive down the south coast to Arundel, a little town complete with cobblestoned streets, local pubs, and a Norman style castle, which we explored with once-resplendent halls, massive gardens, and best of all, the kitchen in the lower levels.


click on images to enlarge

I also found the perfect dining room for my next dinner party. In the day, it had solid gold plates and quite a number of butlers to function. Of course, being friends with the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk was required. An interesting find were suits of armor, which one can purchase for $2,500.

Of course, I had to have a pint of English ale at an English pub. After all, it was almost lunch time - and on the menu was Sunday Roast, an enormous plate of roast meats complete with Yorkshire pudding, and smothered in a dark gravy.

The next evening, I was taken to a dark, back alley, crowded with people, in downtown Southampton. They all appeared to be from foreign places, like myself. I was told this was where to get fresh seafood. We waited in anticipation until a truck rolls in, and they unloaded boxes and boxes of seafood of every imaginable kind. The crowd surged forward, and I had to literally fight my way to get at the cockles, razor clams, squid, stone crab, skate, sea bream, and all kinds of sole. We feasted that night. Because it was so fresh, there was not much to do but to steam or pan-fry. What incredible flavours. When it comes to fresh seafood, it is a language people all over the world can understand.

I have not had to spend much time in "proper restaurants". There is just so much good food in the ordinary life of eating. But there was one memorable experience at Lupa, an Italian restaurant. To taste prosciutto from Parma with dolcelatte cheese in an asparagus salad, and bruschetta - wow! I see I will have to keep up with my walks and runs on this journey to fit into my jeans.

During the week, I took a double-decker bus ride through the narrow roads which are widespread throughout the country to Stonehenge for a typical tourist experience. Unfortunately it was underwhelming.


By comparison, the next day, I drove through those same narrow country roads to the seaside village of Lulworth and hiked the white limestone cliffs. Now, THAT was spectacular.

We had come to see a rock formation called the Durdle Door. Sitting on the pebbled beach in front of the rock with a simple picnic of fish and salad and watching life go by was better than anything I have done in a long, long time.

 

LONDON

On the weekend, I went to the Borough Market, the oldest and largest open market in London, situated at the foot of the London Bridge. With the open trade under the EU, the people in England have benefited from the foods from all over Europe, and it was all laid out here in this market.

I didn't know where to start tasting. It was overwhelming with the Spanish Jamon, aged sausages and fresh ducks hung in the stall, and at Neal's Yard, English Cheeses I had never even heard of. I had fresh buffalo mozzarella that was made in Italy, literally a day ago, in a baguette with slices of mortadella infused with truffles. I finally understood how smooth and creamy fresh mozzarella should taste. The day ended with British fish and chips at the local pub with a pint of Guinness. It was a good day.

It also meant I had to keep up with my walks. On the Sunday, I did a seven hours walk through all the sites of London I had only read about, palaces, cathedrals, towers, bridges, and squares, interspersed with futuristic glass towers. That was my way to familiarize myself in this city.


I did another six hours the next day because I had an enormous full English breakfast, with Cumberland sausages and Black pudding (the flavorful British blood sausage), and fried bread.
I was staying about five minute from the Tower Bridge, and took this shot early in the morning.

 

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