There was sunshine again! This is what is so wonderful about England - every day with sunshine is a glory. Even coming from Indianapolis that has lots of sunshine, you quickly adapt to coveting those hot sunny days as if they were Texas gold.
Another day, another garden. We decided to whittle away at that list of 1001 and tick off another: Sissinghurst - "the most celebrated garden in England".
Now, it's a given, being "the most celebrated garden in England", that we wouldn't be the only gaden-seekers tromping through the flora on a sunny day.
If I may, a little about my method of photography. I am a font of patience when it comes to getting the best shot (which is amazing because I'm not know to be a patient person). When I'm snapping photos I will wait... and wait... and wait... until I have a peopleless shot. I don't mind people - I just don't want them in my photos. Except for the people I love but even then I've been known to wait and wait for Drawbridge to move out of the way so I can snap a picture. I have a tendency to be a little less patient with the people I love because I can boot them out of the shot with a wink and a smile. For strangers, I just wait. Not sereptitiously, though, but obviously so's to let them know that I am waiting... patiently... for them to move.
Sissinghurst is owned by THE NATIONAL TRUST. Fortunately, there is no stately home on the grounds so Peter and I didn't feel the need to "write a letter". Note: at this point in our travels, Peter and I have amassed the need to write at least a half-dozen letters for sundry offenses.
(Could it be that they knew Peter and I were about and closed the stately home?)
The sun was warm, the garden was lovely and the "tea room" (I've now kind of gotten the idea that any cafeteria that sells tea is called a tea room) was nice. After wandering the garden for a good couple hours we decided to get some "tea".
Okay, let's talk a little English.
Tea is pretty much a meal. It isn't necessarily that hot liquid drink.
Pudding is dessert. Any dessert. You can have a piece of pie for pudding. Or a piece of cake. It's no matter. If it's dessert of any kind then it's pudding.
Fudge is not always chocolate. You can have vanilla fudge or toffee fudge. And it isn't creamy it's very sugary and sickly sweet. And yes, you can have fudge for pudding.
Chips are not chips they're French Fries. Crisps are chips as we know chips. And if you're looking for a pretzel, forget it. The English don't do pretzels as a rule. Though, if you're a chip lover you'll be in pig's heaven. I have never seen so many flavors of chips (crisps) as I've seen in England.
If you like mustard don't do what I did and taste English mustard by dipping a spoon in the jar and shoveling it into your mouth. English mustard will blow the top of your head off. It's good stuff in small doses and lethal if you put any more than a dibby dab of it on your sandwich or your sausage or your pork chop or whatever. The English don't confine English mustard to just sandwiches - it's pretty much a staple at every meal.
If you absolutely want to puke, try Marmite. The name alone is disgusting. It sounds like a rodent. And it tastes like... well, suck on a boullion cube and you'll get the idea. It's yuck as far as I'm concerned and probably would have scared me straight as a child if my parents had threatened me with a spoonful of Marmite instead of a bar of soap.
Scones are not those hard dry triangular things you'll find in an upscale American cafe. They're rather like a nice biscuit similar to the kneaded versions you can make with Jiffy mix. But don't call a scone a biscuit in England or you'll end up with a cookie. Though, if the biscuit has chocolate chips then it'll be cookie, so don't ask for a biscuit with chocolate chips.
The English don't call the English muffin an English muffin, of course. They call it a muffin. Their English muffin as we know it is a crumpet. And pancakes in England are like crepes - flat and kind of rubbery. If you want a real pancake then you'll ask for an American pancake.
The English don't drink their tea black, they drink it with milk. And if you want to see something disgusting have my father-in-law make you a cup of tea. He's the only person I know who steeps his tea bag in milk and then waters it down with hot water.
Well, now seems like the perfect time to take a tea break - grab a bite to eat, something to drink, go to the toilet. By the way, "toilet" is a totally acceptable word to describe a rest room in England. Americans are quite prudish about calling a spade a spade when it comes to taking a pee.
Please stay tuned for Day Four - part II...
This post really made me laugh, Gale and remember like it was yesterday the time I first came to the UK and had many confusing language moments (my English was very American due to the Dutch television). I still drink my tea without milk (the normal way!!) but I know an Englishman (actually I'm married to him) whose tea looks pale beige and is a 50/50 mix of tea and milk. He drinks this out of a pint sized mug first thing in the morning. And I still love him! Amazing.
Love all the pics. Taken time is definitely paying off!
Posted by: Frieda Oxenham | June 12, 2007 at 02:09 PM
I remember the people at Sissinghurst. Lots and lots and lots. In the end, I gave up and just took photos with the people on the wild assumption that I could Photoshop them out.
Just to unclarify things further.
Fries like you get in a UK McD's are Fries, fries that you get in a fish'n'chip shop are chips. What Americans call pancakes we Brits actually call Scottish pancakes, or in some places (probably Scotland), drop scones. And for any Brits reading, I have tried to explain that an English muffin and a crumpet are two totally different beasts.
Great post baby, I'm off to the loo now.
Posted by: Draw | June 09, 2007 at 10:46 AM