Britishness

We are becoming increasingly settled into the British way of life. We haven't adopted the accent or anything crazy. We have adopted the pimms cocktail as the refreshment of choice on a warm sunday. We have expanded our chutney repertoire/collection to include home made mango chutney (remember that mango we got a month ago? went lovely with roasted veges including fennel and blackened cajun salmon) and an organic beetroot chutney that i picked up on a visit to a farm with Rohie and Ainslie. and i have already mentioned the yorkshire pudding. and our little english country garden which is growing quite nicely, with flowers out the front and all manner of fruit and veges out the back: the newest are zucchinis and capsicum.

My little flower garden which is now finished and growing rapidly.


The farm visit was part of farm open day. Did you know that 22% of british adults do not 'believe' that sausages and bacon originate from a farm? And that 23% did not realise that bread originates from a farm? 40% didn't know yoghurt is made from farm produce? Neither did I. Are they really that dumb or is just bad questions? Anyway, we went to one of the open farms and after an organic coffee and some almond and lemon cake, we strolled around the english countryside for a bit. We weren't properly prepared thought. the real english had their big green wellies on, despite the fact it was dry and warm. but walking through long grass in the UK has that lovely free feeling, because you know there is no issue with snakes.

And after our farm visit, I saw the English coastline for only the second time since we have been here (i have seen the welsh coastline too). Roh & Ainslie live south of london so we went on an adventure, after the farm, to beachy head. It was a lovely day. Inland it had been hazy, but on the coast it was clear and blue. when we arrived at least. we spent less than an hour there, but watched the beautiful day being blanketed by sea mist.

Roh & Ainslie at Beach Head in the sun


The lighthouse - still sunny


The cliffs, which beachy head is famous for, with a bank of clouds in the distance. I thought they must be land at first, when they were just on the horizon.


But then the mist came rolling across the headland...




Food challenges haven't been too hard recently, but this week we have broad beans, chinese cabbage and kohl rabi.