Spanish Supermarket Giggles
Having arrived in Spain late last night, there was nothing much in the flat to eat today, so a foray to the supermercado was a priority. A foreign supermarket always interests me. I enjoy exploring daily norms overseas, not to mention having a giggle at some of the strange and sometimes unfortunate names given to some of the products. Here are a few such amusements I came across today: The washing powder called ‘Colon’ (above) was too funny. What inspired that name I wonder? Actually, I hate to think. Call me immature but yes, I find a brand of biscuits called ‘Bimbo’ amusing And ‘Bonka’ coffee was just a bit…
Have a butchers at Londons markets
Whether you are looking for something specific or just keen to get in amongst the locals and soak up some of the atmosphere, London’s markets will not disappoint. There is always a market on somewhere in London and all sorts of treasures can be found. Keep your ears peeled for cockney rhyming slang too. The phrase ‘Have a butchers’ in my title means ‘have a look’ for example. London has many many markets.I have featured my favourites but there are lots more to explore. Camden Camden town has a thriving market scene. The largest market is by Camden Lock and it is possible to buy just about anything here. There…
Visit the Heart of England: The pub
Britain has a thriving drinking culture. If you’ve seen the action at its peak on a Saturday night you might even call it raging. Pubs are very much part of British culture (if having over 53,000 didn’t make that clear) No visit to the UK is complete without at least one visit to a pub. You should probably visit several though to get a proper feel for the place…ahem. Samuel Pepys referred to the pub as ‘The heart of England’, which perhaps explains the drinking culture evident in Britain today. So, what is the difference between a pub and a bar? The first thing you will probably notice is that…
Favourite London parks
A French friend of mine living in London, commented to me once that Paris had nowhere near the amount of open park space that London has and that it was one of the things that she loved most about London. Ironic really I thought, when we probably have the worst weather in Europe. Still, the London parks offer a welcome interruption from the cityscape and are free to visit. Interestingly, at the first hint of sunshine (even on cool but sunny days) they are strewn with barely-dressed Londoners desperate to have even a hint of a tan. Hyde Park Hyde Park is the largest in central London and is often…
Christmas in the UK
Are you contemplating spending winter in the UK? Winters in the UK are a reliably cold affair. Thankfully Christmas is in the middle of winter to cheer things up. Each town gets in on the Christmas decorating, not just Oxford Street, some as early as November. Christmas trees spring up everywhere and once the Christmas Party season starts, everyone is feeling festive. Fortunately with all these festivities (and since by the time Christmas actually arrives most people are tired and hungover) Christmas in the UK tends to be quite a low-key affair, mostly about eating and drinking too much with family and friends, rather than actually going anywhere or doing…
Free Things to do in London
The very name of the city makes wallets around the world groan. London can be a very expensive place to spend time. However there are also lots of events taking place each day that cost nothing. I’m not going to tell you to visit Buckingham Palace and Westminster; that’s what guidebooks are for. Here are some free things to get up to in London that guidebooks often forget. London sightseeing For an iconic London photo opportunity, head to the Changing of the Guard, which takes place at 11.30am (daily in summer, every other day in winter). The Prime Median is the line of longitude defined as 0 degrees. It runs…
Fantastic things to do on the Cote d’Azur
Famed for its flamboyance, the Cote d’Azur in the South of France is so much more than just a place to be seen. Explore this beautiful region and don’t miss out on the shops, scenery or heaven forbid, the food! Nice Old Town Nice is a large but spacious town. It has sprawled rather un-prettily back from the seafront but still retains its charming old town, which is made up of many narrow winding streets. It is a great place to browse the shops or enjoy the many restaurants and cafes. Nice also boasts several museums and frequently hosts large events. Cannes Cannes is a cute little town, made famous…
