My English Experience: My trip to England and meeting up with Sally!

Question

They say that traveling broadens one's horizons and this trip was really a great opportunity for me to see new places, to meet people and get to know a culture that I knew only from books. My fiancé and I stayed in Suffolk for a week and we visited London and Cambridge as well.

As a tourist, I visited most of the main tourist attractions in London including Big Ben, Tate Modern, St. Paul's Cathedral, the British Museum, London Eye, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Millennium Bridge, Madame Tussaud's Museum, Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the Emirates Stadium . Generally, I believe that London is one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been but when I visited Cambridge, I fell in love!

I loved the rhythm of the city, it's not as crowded as London but it's still a big city with many young people in the streets. I was impressed by the number of bicycles I saw, the large green areas, the river and the beautiful old buildings. All these things compose a magnificent scenery.

I also liked the architecture, the thatched-roofed houses really impressed me.

I also had the opportunity to eat the famous English breakfast, although I preferred the sandwich version, I think it's called egg and bacon roll. It's not the best option for someone who has cholesterol problems, but it was delicious! I had English breakfast every day! I also tasted Indian and Thai food and it was really good. However, what I didn't like so much was Japanese food but that's a matter of taste.

I loved English beer! I tasted Carling, IPA and Woodforde's. Now I understood why English people love drinking beer. At the moment I'm drinking an IPA, it's my favourite.

As I said in a previous post, people in England were very friendly and extremely helpful. I had wonderful chats with the locals while being on the bus and I had the chance to practice my English.

I left the best part of my travel to the end. I met Sally! Yes, our own Sally! When she read that I was about to come near the place she lives, she proposed a meeting and of course I accepted her invitation! We, my fiancé and I, met an adorable person who greeted us very warmly. We had a coffee together and the chance to chat. Speaking only in English for about 2 hours was a great lesson for me and Sally's accent is very clear and easy to understand. In the end, I was really touched by her present; it was very thoughtful of her. She made a whistle - musical instrument on her own and offered it to us! I have already invited her and her children to Greece, she promised she will come!

This travel was a really good experience, unfortunately tomorrow morning I'm leaving but I'll have the best memories. Thank you all English people from SD for the information you gave! It was great!

Please feel free to correct my English.

I'd love to correct your English but it's more or less perfect. - Jeremias, Oct 25, 2011

Actually, I was in London during the period you were in England - but I didn't know in advance I was going so I missed out on the SD Social part, in the odd event I would have been invited. - Jeremias, Oct 25, 2011

That's a pity Jeremias, we could have arranged a meeting. And you came from the US, these things don't happen very often! - ianta, Oct 25, 2011

Moe just missed one correction: it should read "Now I understANd why ..." [What a wonderful, wonderful travel log to read!! Thanks so much for sharing!] - territurtle, Oct 25, 2011

Wow, fantastic Ianta!! - Yeser007, Oct 25, 2011

Thank you for your comments! - ianta, Oct 27, 2011

Answer 1

¡Hola!, Ianta:

I am so glad that you enjoyed my home country - and that it and the people treated you well.

Thank you telling us about it.

Ian x

Ian the people were fantastic. Most of them started a conversation while being on the bus or they were willing to help with my suitcase or when I got lost. - ianta, Oct 27, 2011

Answer 2

I'm glad that England treated you well Ianta I'm also a fan of English breakfast and I love IPA (India pale ale - English style beer but lighter. My local pub serves IPA from a Suffolk brewery - I forget which one though)

I've never been to Cambridge but I think I'll take your advice and go!

Bon Voyage and hope to see you back soon!

I wonder why nobody has brought this beer to Greece. It's great. - ianta, Oct 27, 2011

Answer 3

that sounds so lovely! You should come to visit Ireland, buthte west. Not dublin city ... the country in the west. I'm sure you would fall in love again and again

I know that Ireland is very beautiful. It's written on my list:) - ianta, Oct 25, 2011

Yes. Ireland is a must. - patch, Oct 25, 2011

I agree - ian-hill, Oct 25, 2011

Whoops, your fingers made a typo! "Ireland, but the west." My niece lived and married a fellow from Ireland! - territurtle, Oct 25, 2011

Answer 4

¡Hola!, Ianta:

I'm sure you will remember that I'm Canadian not British. I liked your report on your visit and I envy you that you have had such a wonderful trip. I'm tempted to say a wonderfilled trip but thats a "personal to me" twist of the English language. Thanks for writing it.

You did invite corrections. Con permiso/with your permission then here are a few minor ones:

to get to know with a culture
knew only from the books
including the Big Ben
All together these things compose a magnificent scenery.
I liked more preferred the sandwich version
while being in the bus - maybe the brits say "in" but here we say "on"
best part of my travel in to the end
on her own and it offered it to us
her and her children in to Greece

I would also like to repeat my thanks for your good wishes to me only yesterday.

Muchos saludos/Best regards,
Hasta luego,
Moe

Moe, your fingers played a trick on you -- "tempted to say a wonder filled trip" So good of you to offer such helpful suggestions! :-) - territurtle, Oct 25, 2011

I must have just typed it automagically, or automatically or something. - Moe, Oct 25, 2011

Thanks a lot Moe for your help and kind comments! - ianta, Oct 27, 2011

Us Brits say "on the bus" :) - 0088b3fa, Oct 27, 2011

Answer 5

Fantastic story Ianta. Your English is excellent - just a few tiny errors, which Moe has corrected.

I am so glad you had a great time and did all the things you wanted to do. There are many things mainland European countries do better than England, however, one of them is not the breakfast! You can't beat a good old English fry up!

Have a safe journey back home to the sunshine and look forward to your posts when you have had the chance to recover from your trip.

I had a great time! Now I'm back watching the video I recorded with my camcorder. - ianta, Oct 27, 2011

Answer 6

What impressed me/ surprised me/ saw for the very first time:

1. In England they have a handle for flushing the toilet. It was the first time I saw something like that since we have a button.

2. Bathroom again! There's a string that switches on the light instead of a switch!

3. Bathroom again ! There is a carpet in the bathroom as well! Even on the bathtub's sides!

4. Everyone who got off the bus thanked the bus driver. That's a very good habit, I wish we did the same here.

   1. There are roundabouts everywhere in every junction!

I'll think of more.

By the way, we call that string in the bathroom a cord. Anybody would understand 'string', of course. :) - galsally, Oct 27, 2011

I was cheekily amused by the notion of having a light switch outside the bathroom, allowing mischievous people to plunge others into darkness. :P - galsally, Oct 27, 2011

Lol, now I know you tasted curry for the first time, but whats the obsession with the bathroom :p ;) We do try to be polite over here, saying "please" and "thank you" never harmed anybody :) - billygoat, Oct 27, 2011

@Sally: that happens all the time, we are in the bathroom and there is always someone switching off the light! Then we shout - ianta, Oct 27, 2011

@Billy: We were eating curry and Thai almost every day. So you understand;) - ianta, Oct 27, 2011

Answer 7

Something Ianta hasn't told you is how she and Pantelis managed to bring the Greek sunshine over here with them, and not only in the unseasonably warm few days we enjoyed while they were staying! (Seriously, 18oC in mid-Autumn??)

I could have talked and listened for hours - I really didn't notice the effort of concentration that must have been taking place in an unaccustomed 2 hour session in a second language!!

Besooooos!!

Answer 8

I am so glad to hear the English made you feel welcome, as others have said your English is excellent, Moe has already given all the necessary corrections.

Next time you come you just visit the beautiful Cotswolds and Forest of Dean. I would love to show you round.

Thank you so much for your invitation Mary! You're always welcome to Greece, you've never been to Thessaloniki! - ianta, Oct 27, 2011

Answer 9

Very nice experience, this sounds great

It was great:) - ianta, Oct 28, 2011

Answer 10

How wonderful!!!

Thank you Mariana, it was great. - ianta, Oct 28, 2011

Answer 11

It is so gratifying when our members travel to other countries and have great

experiences then share them with us , we are then all armchair travellers

seeing all the best that is on offer . Thank you Lanta you brought it all alive

for me in a beautiful descriptive way , it almost makes me want to visit there

and see it all again. Well done and please tell us more.

Thank you Ray, I travelled with you to Borneo! And it's ianta, it's an i not an L, inspired by my favourite Mac:). - ianta, Oct 28, 2011

Answer 12

how she and Pantelis managed to bring the Greek sunshine over here with them

We were very lucky, there wasn't a single rainy day, not even cloudy.

I forgot the most important thing that impressed me. I noticed that English people love to talk about the weather! When I told Sally about that she laughed and I explained that we love to talk about the story of our life when we meet someone.

Yes, the weather is very topical in England lol. That is because it is not unusual to experience all four seasons in one day here! Our weather is notoriously changeable. - billygoat, Oct 27, 2011

Answer 13

What a fantastic experience, ianta. I'm so thrilled to hear about this!!

Thanks Sonrisa! A trip is always a good experience! - ianta, Oct 27, 2011