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Hmmm... DH's grandmother is there now; maybe I should have her pick up a few boxes of tea.

What a small world - I'm also in Columbus! Born and raised here, if you can believe that. I went to OU for English lit., and of course I travel whenever I get the slightest chance. DH's aunt (we are the same age) moved to UK for work in 2000 - so I have been several times to visit. She married a Brit and now has a new baby, so it looks as if she's staying! What a great bit of luck for us -- just have to pay airfare!

Hehehe...what a small world! I went to Ohio State for English Lit and started a masters degree in English Lit at Miami, before the opportunity to move to Germany presented itself. So yeah, it presents me with a few opportunities to go to England. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Well, and other places too.

But England is still my favorite.

Having spent one crazy week in Paris while in college, I pictured myself retiring on one of their quaint streets with open windows, red geraniums in the window box, curtains flying in the breeze, music spilling into the air...

that is, until I went to the Motherland. I feel so at peace in England, I can't even describe it. Particularly in the west country - I love Salisbury, Glastonbury, Avebury and that whole area. On my trip last July, I had the good fortune to travel through the moors of North Yorkshire while the heather was in bloom! We also saw fields of English lavender in their stunning purple glory. It was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. I couldn't get my camera out fast enough, but no photo would do it justice anyway.

It's amazing how much we have in common! I've seen you on the Married No Kids board as well, and I am childfree myself. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The North Yorkshire moors are very pretty when the heather is blooming. Fields full of purple...lovely.

I thought I'd seen your name on that board! It really is a small world, even on the web!

My friend and I were in Scotland in Feb 04 and our tour guide pointed out the brown heather and commented that it's beautiful for about one month out of the year. I wasn't expecting to see any on my last trip either, but fate (aka my niece's class schedule) had us traveling in July - perfect timing!

I hadn't realised how much I missed 'real' English cooking here in Mali until I found some 'proper' beef for roasting the other week. (Mostly I buy slabs of beef - cut unknown - from the market)

I did a sunday lunch for us - roast beef, roast potatoes, fresh green beans and gravy. Quite a change after Malian sauce and rice.

I bring Earl Grey teabags with us, but, sigh, my tin is almost empty. I also brought a kilo of Marmite!

In Britain I hardly eat in restaurants at all - I don't count MacDonalds! Too expensive, and even pub lunches can tend to be pricey.

Home cooking for me tends to be plainish but tasty. Meat pies (the ubiquitous steak and kidney), roast meat, fish cooked in milk and butter, potatoes with practically every meal, lots of fresh vegetables, freshly made bread.

One change which I like is the organic section in supermarkets. This is a growing trend. Farmer's markets are also increasingly popular and sell a wide range of produce from meat to vegetables. All coming straight from the farms and locally produced. This is in contrast to the imported products in the supermarkets.

Here's a question. Any thoughts on where I can get a really cool French press? Mostly what I've found over here (US) is the Bodum plain-jane glass and stainless, which is fine. I guess I was looking for something with a more unique style to it.