Great Britain!

[kangarunner]

Hear ye! Hear ye!

All members of this forum who are subjects of the King of England must stand in solidarity for Great Britain!

I shall ask ChatGPT the following: "what is Great about Great Britain?"

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"Great" in Great Britain does not refer to the country being exceptionally great in the sense of being better than other countries. Instead, it is a historical term used to distinguish the largest island in the British Isles from the smaller islands in the archipelago.

Great Britain is made up of three countries: England, Scotland, and Wales. It is "great" because it is the largest of the British Isles, which also include Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) and many smaller islands.

What is great about Great Britain varies depending on personal perspectives and interests. Some things that people might consider great about Great Britain include:

1. Cultural Heritage: Great Britain has a rich cultural heritage with a long history of literature, art, and music. It's the birthplace of Shakespeare, the Beatles, and iconic authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

2. Scenic Beauty: The British Isles are known for their natural beauty, from the rolling countryside and picturesque villages to the rugged coastlines of Scotland and Wales.

3. Historic Landmarks: Great Britain is home to numerous historic landmarks, including Stonehenge, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and Edinburgh Castle.

4. Educational Institutions: The United Kingdom boasts world-renowned universities like the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, making it a hub for higher education.

5. Diverse Cities: The major cities of London, Edinburgh, and Cardiff offer a vibrant mix of cultures, entertainment, and opportunities.

6. Political and Social Influence: Great Britain has historically played a significant role in global politics, and its parliamentary system has been a model for many other countries.

7. Sporting Tradition: Great Britain has a strong sporting tradition, and it has produced champions in sports like soccer, rugby, cricket, and tennis.

8. Health Care: The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK provides healthcare to its citizens, which is admired for its accessibility and comprehensive coverage.

9. Culinary Traditions: Great Britain has a diverse and evolving culinary scene, with traditional dishes like fish and chips and modern, innovative cuisine.

10. Cultural Festivals: The UK hosts numerous cultural festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Glastonbury Festival, and many others.

It's important to note that what is considered great about Great Britain can vary from person to person and can depend on individual interests and values. Great Britain has a long and complex history, and it continues to be a place of significance and interest to people around the world for a variety of reasons.

[kangarunner]

Hear ye! Hear ye!

All members of this forum who are subjects of the King of England must stand in solidarity for Great Britain!

All Englishmen must check in here!

@Pixel--Dude
@Lucas88
@yick

[yick]

I am also a Peruvian citizen. You also forgot

11. Shit miserable weather

12. Angry depressed gaslit population.

[kangarunner]

12. Angry depressed gaslit population.

Oh come on mate, you know that's not true. Just go to a pub in London and everyone is merry and cheerful.

England is home to two of my favorite bands, Oasis and Bush.

[Lucas88]

Hear ye! Hear ye!

All members of this forum who are subjects of the King of England must stand in solidarity for Great Britain!

I shall ask ChatGPT the following: "what is Great about Great Britain?"

I don't consider myself a "subject" of that ugly Semite (no native Englishman has that kind of phenotype) and WEF butt boy King Chuckie and I initially assumed that you were simply trolling us with your AI-created eulogy of "Great Britain", but now that you've tagged me it seems like you want a serious answer.

First thing's first: You do know that you can ask ChatGPT to write a persuasive article on just about anything and it will probably come up with something no matter how absurd the points might be, right? I could ask ChatGPT to give me 10 reasons why America is the best country in the world or why Tennessee is awesome and the deified AI oracle of our times would come up with 10 supposed reasons. Lol!

But assuming that you're not trolling, or even willingly taking the bait, I'll respond to the AI's poorly generated 10 points:

1. Cultural Heritage: Great Britain has a rich cultural heritage with a long history of literature, art, and music. It's the birthplace of Shakespeare, the Beatles, and iconic authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens.

England is indeed a relatively old country - at least in comparison to the US - and has a history that goes back centuries and therefore arguably a "rich cultural heritage", but so do many other European and non-European countries including Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Greece, India, Persia and China. England isn't particularly special in that regard.

In fact, I personally find English literature, philosophy and music quite mediocre in comparison to those of certain other nations. In my opinion, Germany and France have produced far better philosophical literature, Spain had its Siglo de Oro in the 16th and 17th centuries, Italy was the birthplace of the Renaissance, and the US has been the greatest pioneer of popular music since the 20th century. Moreover, Greece is considered the originator of the European intellectual tradition, and the cultural heritage of Ancient India, Persia and China is greatly underappreciated.

Like much literature considered "classic", I always found Shakespeare overrated, Austen and Dickens boring as hell (I read them both in school), and could never stand the Beatles (never liked their music and they always gave off a bad vibe).

2. Scenic Beauty: The British Isles are known for their natural beauty, from the rolling countryside and picturesque villages to the rugged coastlines of Scotland and Wales.

The UK's "scenic beauty" becomes quite mediocre once you've seen the lush tropical vegetation of places such as Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil or the sunny and pristine beaches of the Mediterranean. The UK's scenery is bland and boring in comparison. Lol!

3. Historic Landmarks: Great Britain is home to numerous historic landmarks, including Stonehenge, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, and Edinburgh Castle.

I don't find the UK's historical landmarks particularly great either. I've seen way better things in Spain, other Mediterranean countries and Latin America.

4. Educational Institutions: The United Kingdom boasts world-renowned universities like the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, making it a hub for higher education.

True. The UK has some of the best and most prestigious universities in the world. Higher education used to be affordable too but then they raised tuition fees - US style. Now it's far better to study abroad for the common man.

5. Diverse Cities: The major cities of London, Edinburgh, and Cardiff offer a vibrant mix of cultures, entertainment, and opportunities.

The UK's cities are ugly as fcuk and amount to depressing grey urban dystopias for anybody who is actually sane. I've rarely seen cities as ugly as those of the UK. Continental European cities are generally much nicer, Mediterranean cities in particular are often stunning (e.g., Valencia, Barcelona, Málaga, Nice, etc.), and Latin American cities are usually more vibrant with their charming colonial architecture. Even Japanese cities look cleaner and more tolerable despite being soulless.

6. Political and Social Influence: Great Britain has historically played a significant role in global politics, and its parliamentary system has been a model for many other countries.

You mean a fake democracy in which professional grifters colloquially known as "politicians" and who belong to one of a few parties owned by the globalist elite pretend to serve the interests of the people while bankers, corporate overlords and Zionist assholes rape entire nations, cripple the world with debt and basically do whatever they want with impunity, right?

7. Sporting Tradition: Great Britain has a strong sporting tradition, and it has produced champions in sports like soccer, rugby, cricket, and tennis.

The US has better sports than the UK. You guys - those of you who aren't fat unathletic pussies with your metabolism completely ruined by high-fructose corn syrup - have freestyle and folkstyle wrestling in highschool and college, high-level Jiujitsu since the 90s, and some of the best MMA gyms around. Real men fight!!! And, of course, the US has WWF wrestling too!

8. Health Care: The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK provides healthcare to its citizens, which is admired for its accessibility and comprehensive coverage.

True. But so does just about every other European country. The US, on the other hand, truly is uniquely troglodytic even in the 21st century.

9. Culinary Traditions: Great Britain has a diverse and evolving culinary scene, with traditional dishes like fish and chips and modern, innovative cuisine.

This one's gotta be a joke, right? The UK's cuisine is notoriously atrocious. Give me Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese or Thai cuisine any day!

10. Cultural Festivals: The UK hosts numerous cultural festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Glastonbury Festival, and many others.

Bro, the UK's festivals seem quite mediocre to me. Nothing like Brazil's Carnival with thousands of nude ladies marching and dancing throughout the streets or the many colorful and vibrant events that take place in Spain each year including Fallas in Valencia and the Pamplona Bull Run.

[kangarunner]

Chat GPT: What are the characteristics of people from England?

It's important to note that describing the characteristics of people from England is a complex and nuanced task, as people from any country are incredibly diverse, and generalizations can be overly simplistic. England, part of the United Kingdom, is a multicultural society with a wide range of beliefs, backgrounds, and behaviors. That said, there are some cultural and historical characteristics that are often associated with people from England:

1. Politeness: English people are often known for their politeness, and manners play a significant role in social interactions. "Please" and "thank you" are commonly used, and there is a strong emphasis on queueing (standing in line) and waiting your turn.

2. Reserved: English people are often seen as reserved or private. They may not immediately open up to strangers and can be more formal in initial interactions. However, this can vary widely from person to person.

3. Humor: The English have a strong tradition of humor, often characterized by irony, satire, and a love of wordplay. British comedy, from Monty Python to sitcoms like "Fawlty Towers," is celebrated worldwide.

4. Tea Culture: The British are well-known for their love of tea. "Tea time" is a cherished tradition, and tea is often offered to guests.

5. Cultural Heritage: England has a rich cultural heritage, with contributions to literature (Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen), music (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones), and science (Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin).

6. Football (Soccer): Football (soccer) is a major part of English culture. The English Premier League is one of the most popular and widely watched football leagues in the world.

7. Pub Culture: Pubs are an integral part of English social life. They serve as meeting places for friends and a venue for socializing. English pubs are known for their charm and character.

8. Monarchy and Traditions: The monarchy plays a symbolic role in England, and there are numerous traditions associated with it, such as the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace and royal ceremonies.

9. Diversity: England is a diverse country with people from various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Large cities like London are particularly multicultural, with a wide range of languages and traditions.

10. Accent Variations: England is known for its diverse regional accents and dialects. Accents can vary significantly from one part of the country to another.

11. Love of the Countryside: Many English people have a deep appreciation for the countryside, and outdoor activities like hiking, cycling, and gardening are popular pastimes.

12. Education: England has a strong tradition of education and is home to some of the world's top universities. Education is highly valued and seen as a pathway to success.

13. Healthcare: England has a publicly funded healthcare system known as the National Health Service (NHS), which is considered a point of pride in the country. Access to healthcare is generally free at the point of use.

It's important to remember that these characteristics can vary greatly among individuals, and England is a diverse and evolving society. People's behaviors and beliefs may not conform to these stereotypes, and individuals should be considered on their own terms rather than based on broad generalizations.

[MrMan]

I've never been to the UK. I did try 'bangers and mash' at a pub in Australia when I went there. The brown gravy, fresh peas, mashed potatoes and sausages were a good combination. I think that's English food. I tried fish and chips, too.

Of course fried food and junk/comfort food is going to taste good. It's easy to make meat taste good.

Does it have to be Mexico, China, Indonesia, or Thailand to find good food? No, most countries have some good dishes if they are prepared well.

[Lucas88]

I've never been to the UK. I did try 'bangers and mash' at a pub in Australia when I went there. The brown gravy, fresh peas, mashed potatoes and sausages were a good combination. I think that's English food. I tried fish and chips, too.

Of course fried food and junk/comfort food is going to taste good. It's easy to make meat taste good.

Does it have to be Mexico, China, Indonesia, or Thailand to find good food? No, most countries have some good dishes if they are prepared well.

That kind of British "cuisine" is just disgusting peasant slop. I never eat it.

In the UK, whenever I want to eat something tasty, I just order Chinese food, Thai food or a nice pizza or go to an Indian or Japanese restaurant. The foreign food here is way better whether it be authentic foreign food or just some inauthentic ersatz.

Food is way better in Spain and Japan - a hundred times better than in the UK. Mexico also has tasty food but most of it is unhealthy with all of the tacos, burritos, gorditas, etc.

[kangarunner]

I've never been to the UK. I did try 'bangers and mash' at a pub in Australia when I went there. The brown gravy, fresh peas, mashed potatoes and sausages were a good combination. I think that's English food. I tried fish and chips, too.

Of course fried food and junk/comfort food is going to taste good. It's easy to make meat taste good.

Does it have to be Mexico, China, Indonesia, or Thailand to find good food? No, most countries have some good dishes if they are prepared well.

That kind of British "cuisine" is just disgusting peasant slop. I never eat it.

In the UK, whenever I want to eat something tasty, I just order Chinese food, Thai food or a nice pizza or go to an Indian or Japanese restaurant. The foreign food here is way better whether it be authentic foreign food or just some inauthentic ersatz.

Food is way better in Spain and Japan - a hundred times better than in the UK. Mexico also has tasty food but most of it is unhealthy with all of the tacos, burritos, gorditas, etc.

What about the classic fish and chips mate! I went to this restaurant in Saigon that was owned by an Englishman. They had the Union Jack flag everywhere. The fish and chips there were so good.



And good old English breakfast!

[MrMan]

I've never been to the UK. I did try 'bangers and mash' at a pub in Australia when I went there. The brown gravy, fresh peas, mashed potatoes and sausages were a good combination. I think that's English food. I tried fish and chips, too.

Of course fried food and junk/comfort food is going to taste good. It's easy to make meat taste good.

Does it have to be Mexico, China, Indonesia, or Thailand to find good food? No, most countries have some good dishes if they are prepared well.

That kind of British "cuisine" is just disgusting peasant slop. I never eat it.

In the UK, whenever I want to eat something tasty, I just order Chinese food, Thai food or a nice pizza or go to an Indian or Japanese restaurant. The foreign food here is way better whether it be authentic foreign food or just some inauthentic ersatz.

Food is way better in Spain and Japan - a hundred times better than in the UK. Mexico also has tasty food but most of it is unhealthy with all of the tacos, burritos, gorditas, etc.

The US doesn't have Indian food all over the place like the UK does (based on TV and film that we get in the US... never been there.) Small towns usually have some kind of Americanized Chinese food place. Then more common would be Mexican and Italian, then as towns get larger, they might have an Indian food restaurant. There is a restaurant here that sells Indian street food. So that's poor man's food in India, but here it is something unique and cool to eat.

The 'peasant food' in the UK, if we haven't had it here, then it's something different, but English food doesn't seem to be all that different from some American cuisine. Americans aren't really into eating kidneys. My guess is that they hide it in hotdogs and other lower end sausages to get rid of it along with the kidneys.

But fried fish... frying it is an easy way to make it tastey. Honestly, I wasn't that crazy about the fried fish I had at a stand in a liquor shop that was still open in Perth after they rolled up the proverbial sidewalks at 9 right after I got there. It was a little bit on the 'fishy' side of fish for me for taste.

But is any kind of meat really pauper's food, unless it's rats or something like that? Pickled onions sounds bad. Is that British pauper food, along with bread and just a bit of cheese?

Is Spanish food good? I remember my Spanish professor saying Spanish food isn't that great, that it's kind of like English food, and you don't see a lot of English or Spanish restaurants all over the world. I think the only thing I've only had was paella, once at a part of Disney land that has restaurants that you don't have to pay park admission to get into in Anaheim, and I think I had it elsewhere. It's kind of a dull dish, IMO, considerin the ingredients.

I prefer bolder flavors of Indonesian food. I do like 'American Chinese food' though it has too much oil and sugar, and there are plenty of flavorful real Chinese dishes also. I like Korean food, though the flavors get repetitive if you eat it often. Thailand has good food. I agree with you about Mexican food, though some of it can be healthy depending on how it is cooked. Mexico has a lot of regional variations. Nayarit has some delicious flavors for seafood.

[Lucas88]

But is any kind of meat really pauper's food, unless it's rats or something like that? Pickled onions sounds bad. Is that British pauper food, along with bread and just a bit of cheese?

Yes, low-quality processed garbage meat, which you commonly find in sausages, bacon, canned meat and other terrible food products.

British peasant slop, which is commonly eaten by the poor working class, includes baked beans (which come in a can and are typically made by Heinz), "bangers and mash", and cheap and greasy-as-hell "fish and chips" which people buy wrapped in paper from the local "chippie". All of it is gross.

The fact that something as plain and mediocre as "fish and chips" is considered a signature dish of the UK is pretty telling of the state of the country's cuisine. Even the somewhat better signature dishes like "Toad in the Hole" are still quite bland in comparison to foreign dishes.

Is Spanish food good? I remember my Spanish professor saying Spanish food isn't that great, that it's kind of like English food, and you don't see a lot of English or Spanish restaurants all over the world. I think the only thing I've only had was paella, once at a part of Disney land that has restaurants that you don't have to pay park admission to get into in Anaheim, and I think I had it elsewhere. It's kind of a dull dish, IMO, considerin the ingredients.

Yes, Spanish food is good and includes all kinds of delicious dishes (especially those with seafood) and blows English food right out of the water. #Hechos #Basado #PuraVerdad

Here are just some of many examples of Spanish cuisine:

[youtube]https://youtu.be/PvVUy107iKg?si=N8pNqEbdJodKbqsd[/youtube]

You can already see how they all look far more appetizing than English food from a visual standpoint.

But I wasn't just talking about cuisine and signature dishes. I was also referring to the quality of food. It's much better in Spain than it is in the UK.

[MrMan]

British peasant slop, which is commonly eaten by the poor working class, includes baked beans (which come in a can and are typically made by Heinz), "bangers and mash", and cheap and greasy-as-hell "fish and chips" which people buy wrapped in paper from the local "chippie". All of it is gross.

Do Brits put any flavoring in the bake beans? I hear they eat them on toast. My kids watched Peppa Pig, where a pig with an English accent says, "Cowboys eat baked beans on toast." I suppose someone probably scraped up a bit of baked beans with a bit of bread or toast at some point in the US, but I'd never heard of Americans substituting it for jelly? Do Brits bother putting any bacon, barbecue sauce or smoked flavor, and other stuff in the baked beans or do they eat in bland like they eat it bland like some of the Yankees up north in the US?

I'm from the south, so we eat fried fish from time to time. I prefer beer batter to southern style with corn meal. But it can be greasy and it's just an occasional thing. I probably crave fried fish every couple of months, and my wife fries or otherwise cooks fish Indonesian style with the head and tail on, too, which tastes good.

The fact that something as plain and mediocre as "fish and chips" is considered a signature dish of the UK is pretty telling of the state of the country's cuisine.

Frying something to make it taste good is an easy short-cut. You are probably on to something. Parts of the US are far from the coast, and fish can be a bit expensive compared to other foods, so fried fish hits the spot sometimes. But it isn't a great culinary achievement.

I had a friend who had a theory that countries with a lot of meat didn't use a lot of spice, usually. The UK and some of the western European cultures had some of their cuisine focused on meat and dairy. But more vegetarian cultures like Korean farmers and India, especially the south, developed spicy cuisines because meat already tastes pretty good. So the cuisine turns out to be a bit boring. But it was the rich who had access to lots of meat in some places. I wonder if Estonian poor people historically had access to meat. A man I know who lived there said they ate five or six things, lots of dark bread, cabbage, potatoes, boring cuisine, and they didn't even use a lot of salt or pepper. Just the same stuff over and over again. Then apples and tomatoes in the summer. When his wife and he went to Thailand after leaving Estonia, they'd be up in the middle of the night eating fruit.

Even the somewhat better signature dishes like "Toad in the Hole" are still quite bland in comparison to foreign dishes.

I had to look that up. It sounded like it would be a turd in the hood. England has some unappealing food names, like spotted dick and toad in the hole. 'Pigs in a blanket' are a dish in the US, not something I want to eat.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/PvVUy107iKg?si=N8pNqEbdJodKbqsd[/youtube]

You can already see how they all look far more appetizing than English food from a visual standpoint.

I haven't seen enough British food to comment. But there are Mexican versions of seafood dishes and I would be surprised if the Spanish versions were tastier, since Mexicans are bold with the flavor. Not all Mexican food is smothered in pork fat, which they got from the Spanish anyway. Octopus doesn't appeal to me. I've had squid. Not something I crave.

But I wasn't just talking about cuisine and signature dishes. I was also referring to the quality of food. It's much better in Spain than it is in the UK.

Is it fresher?

[Lucas88]

Do Brits put any flavoring in the bake beans?

Here are the ingredients of Heinz baked beans according to the Heinz website:

Beans (47%), Tomatoes (36%), Water, Sugar, Spirit Vinegar, Modified Cornflour, Salt, Spice Extracts, Herb Extract

Working-class Brits usually eat Heinz baked beans with toast, or toast and eggs, or toast and sausages. The typical Brit has zero culinary sense. Just thinking about that kind of peasant slop makes me want to puke.

I had a friend who had a theory that countries with a lot of meat didn't use a lot of spice, usually. The UK and some of the western European cultures had some of their cuisine focused on meat and dairy. But more vegetarian cultures like Korean farmers and India, especially the south, developed spicy cuisines because meat already tastes pretty good. So the cuisine turns out to be a bit boring. But it was the rich who had access to lots of meat in some places.

I've heard two theories as to why British food is so bland and boring. One holds that it was due to the cultural influence of English Puritans in the 16th and 17th centuries who disliked strong flavors and favored a simple diet while the other argues that British cuisine lost much of its richness due to rationing and the introduction of a more basic diet by Lord Woolton during WW2.

Here is an excerpt from an article on British food by My Hungry Traveler:

Beyond the geographical limitations of being an island, the British limited their own culinary growth themselves. During the 16th and 17th centuries, English Protestants formed a group called the Puritans, who were averse to strong flavors and bold ingredients (actually, anything pleasurable). This led to a distinct simplification of English cuisine. As the Puritans moved between England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland, they took their conservative ideas with them. This continued into the 20th century only to continue with the legacy of World War II and the years of rationing that followed. That all finally changed in the 1970’s as North Americans, Indians and Chinese immigrants flooded across the border and introduced the locals to garlic, chilies, exotic sauces, and much more. Today, Thai, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French influences have also been incorporated British cuisine.

https://myhungrytraveler.com/cuisines/b ... %20cuisine.


More on the simplification of the British diet by Lord Woolton during WW2:

So, what happened? The short answer is rationing. The system introduced in WWII by Lord Woolton did away with a large amount of spices, sugar, and other non-essential “luxuries.” As biographied in Eggs or Anarchy by W. Sitwell, Lord Woolton had a delicate digestion that reacted poorly to rich or spiced foods. In addition to his own views, the wider strategic view that anything not strictly essential to sustenance was an unnecessary waste of shipping capacity meant that these spices disappeared quite suddenly.

Of course, the British people had to adapt to this new system. The government attempted to aid this by providing example recipes within the Rationing system. The Ministry of Food released many leaflets over the years of the war, which you can read in a collected format in Food Facts for the Kitchen Front. This, sadly, is where it all goes downhill. The famous examples of “Mock Duck” and other less favoured British foods are present. The instructions often told cooks to overboil food, and seasoning was limited in the directions. Spices were almost non-existent.

https://historyqa.com/why-is-traditiona ... -so-bland/

I had to look that up. It sounded like it would be a turd in the hood. England has some unappealing food names, like spotted dick and toad in the hole. 'Pigs in a blanket' are a dish in the US, not something I want to eat.

I think that there is something a bit ugly about British culture altogether. I subscribe to the theory that countries and cultures each have their own "collective soul" or "energy matrix" with its own particular characteristics. In my observation, the UK's collective soul tends towards a certain quality of ugliness and griminess. This can be observed in the country's bland and unappealing cuisine, unsightly architecture, grey dystopian cities, poor fashion sense, dull-sounding language and unappealing names for things, dark dreary skies, cold harsh climate, and even a preponderance of unattractive people (Brits by and large aren't a pretty race).

I find myself incompatible with the UK's overall vibe and therefore overwhelmingly prefer Mediterranean culture.

Is it fresher?

Yes, whenever I go to a restaurant in Spain, 9 times out of 10 it tastes fresher and of better quality than when I go to a restaurant of comparable price in the UK. I think that Brits tend to have far lower standards when it comes to food and so many businesses are content to serve pure crap to their customers.

[MrMan]

Yes, whenever I go to a restaurant in Spain, 9 times out of 10 it tastes fresher and of better quality than when I go to a restaurant of comparable price in the UK. I think that Brits tend to have far lower standards when it comes to food and so many businesses are content to serve pure crap to their customers.

For the same price? Isn't Spain a lot cheaper than the UK, and cheap meal in the UK would be a nice meal in Spain because of the differences in prices?

[yick]

Is Spanish food good? I remember my Spanish professor saying Spanish food isn't that great, that it's kind of like English food, and you don't see a lot of English or Spanish restaurants all over the world.

Your Spanish teacher obviously wasn't a Spaniard, no Spaniard would ever say that about their own food, they're very chauvinistic about it and obviously they love it. In Spain you see Chinese restaurants all over the place and the odd South American place selling Peruvian ceviche or Argentinian parrilla but Spanish people love their own food.

Spanish food is healthier than British food, if you cook then you can live healthily and cheaply, better range of seafood and fish as well as fruit and vegetables and I prefer the bread than what you get in the UK, also they have a lot of specialist stores selling hams, pates, artisan cheese and though 'menus' aren't cheap or the bargain they were, they're still three reasonable courses for 10-12 Euros.

I remember taking my mum to her ancestral homeland of Extremadura a few years ago and we stopped off in this little cafe in Madrid and we had Madrid style patatas bravas with a side of fried calamares and it was so damn GOOD and it didn't cost ten euros. Again, took mum to San Sebastian to have their Pinxtos and they were about two Euros each but three or four filled you up no problem and they were great as well.

When I was in Cadiz, they had a local dish called 'carne del toro' it was basically stewed steak and chips but it tasted amazing for stewed steak it was stewed steak but better and in La Coruna I was pulpos, freshly done with crusty Galician bread, the only thing I didn't rate was in Extremadura was the migas - they're 'meh' but they had this morcilla you could get anywhere there and that was amazing also.

You eat well in Spain but you don't have the variety that you do in the UK - if you don't like the local stuff then it is hard to get anything else, especially outside of the big cities and the costas (where you can get British, Dutch, German food etc).

Of course, MacDonalds, Burger King and Pizza Hut are everywhere though (which Spaniards call 'comida basura' and they tend to think all American food is 'comida basura') when I get pizza in Spain - I prefer Telepizza - they have tasty 5 Euro pizzas.