Today I went for a walk at lunch and saw:
A market vender doing his spiel for the passers-by, who said “…now, I’m not saying that they fell off the back of a truck, but the fact is we may have knocked a few off…”
A pub called The Quiet Woman, with a sign that shows a woman in a long dress, candelabra in one hand, and her severed head beneath the other arm. Really weird.
An old lady pushing a pram with a Yorkie in it.
Things I love about England:
1) Everyone is really, really friendly.
2) The politeness…even in road signs. If you are held up by roadworks, there will be a final sign that apologizes for the wait. There are caution and road crossing signs for Caution: Elderly People (with a little silhouette of a bent-over person with a cane), and also things like Watch for Blind Persons (near schools for the blind).
3) Desserts. I need to stop eating them! Gorgeous sponge puddings with fresh berries and hot custard on them. Meringue shells filled with strawberries and double cream. *sigh*
4) The livestock – all the cows and sheep look so clean and shiny. I’m used to rough beasts dripping snot on one end and diarrhea from the other. Also, you see them sleeping a lot…unlike there, where they have to spend every minute of the day desperately hunting food.
5) Weird sports, like lawn bowling and cheese rolling. There was a carnival one weekend, and the local dog club put on a choreographed exhibition to music with their dogs.
Things I don’t love about England:
1) The rain.
2) Things like Half-Day Closing. You’ll go into a town to do urgent shopping, and find out that the entire town is closed on Wednesday, or whatever. Weird.
3) Driving. On tiny little roads that are big enough for one car, but somehow handle two-way traffic…AND cars parked on one side!!!