The top ten things we love about the UK, and bottom ten things we don’t understand or are having a hard time adjusting to:

Top Ten:

Gardens…everywhere, lovely and lush.

9. Bugs… or lack there of… there are NO biting insects here… no mosquitos, nothing.

Candy bars… we’re having a great time trying them all… so far Penguins are #1.

Old Stuff… we are all amazed by the history all around us.

Bread… why can’t we North Americans get this right? How hard is it to make good bread?

Cycle Paths… they are everywhere, with good signs… we love that!

Dairy Lea… this creamy cheese-butter mix that is SO delicious on good bread.

Castles… you just don’t find those at home… WOW!

The English… what lovely people, helpful at every turn and AMAZED to see “Crazy Yanks,” as we’ve been called several times, cycling with this many kids.

Nutella… I know it sounds crazy, but this is the kids’ favorite discovery. Want to have an English countryside picnic lunch with us one day? Get a loaf of fresh bakery bread (it won’t be as good as what we’re getting, I’m sorry to say) slather it with Nutella, have clementines, carrot sticks and sliced pepperoni on the side, eat it sitting in your yard and stir in some rain and ants and you’ll be approximating our experience right there at home!

Bottom Ten:

We hesitate to say that there are things we don’t like because we are so enjoying EVERYTHING… however, there are a few things we’re having a hard time adjusting to or just plain don’t understand:

Road signs… a bike with a red circle around it means “don’t cycle”… we thought it meant DO cycle. Whoops. And WHAT do those blue circles with a red circle around the edge and red X through them mean? Someone? Please?

Exchange rate… we hate to sound like whiney Americans, but when our dollar buys us 45p… well, we’re having a hard time with that… could someone fix the economy please?

Stinging Nettles… I remember these from my childhood, but somehow my kids have never experienced them… until now… and they’re everywhere. Just ask Hannah.

Fries, Chips, Crisps… Meg says to tell you this drives her crazy. Fries are Chips, even though they’re fried, Chips are Crisps, but these are fried too, and “Fries” is used just intermittently enough to drive the kids right over the edge in their attempt to translate in their little brains. Personally, I find watching them try to order lunch properly entertaining.

Lack o’ Picnic Tables… While the Brits have bread going for them, American campsites have picnic tables… and we miss them. We would like to formally thank Uncle Dick for insisting we needed the ultra-light weight tarp… which we use daily.

Riding on the Left… I must say this is getting better… however, every so often when we round a turn (riding on the left) and I see a car coming our way, Mama has a mini-meltdown while her brain catches up with her surroundings.

Weird food… now don’t get us wrong, there is a LOT of the food we like… however, kippers were not Mama’s favorite… bacon here is NOT bacon, it’s ham… and there are a few things we’ve tried that are not identifiable. Peas should not be half mashed.

Toilets… Okay, we have boys and so this is a major topic of conversation. First, asking for a “restroom” or a “bathroom” will get you quizzical looks… “Why do you want to rest? And you certainly don’t mean to bath in public do you?” The proper terms are “toilet” and “loo.” We have yet to figure out why the flushers are two buttons close together… it seems like one button might achieve a light flush and two a more strenuous flush, but scientific testing has not proved conclusive on this point. The boys were most intrigued by the “wall of pee” as they dubbed the floor to ceiling urinal in Stratford-Upon-Avon. Have boys, will travel.

ABBA… maybe it is just that we are writing this in the pub during the disco night… but it seems like there is an inordinate amount of funky old music played in this country, and we’re mildly amused… “Take a chance on me…. take a chance take a chance…” Yikes.

Hills… Yes I know, we’re the ones that decided to CYCLE around the world, no whining about hills… BUT… how is it possible that this island is entirely up hill, no matter which way we go? No kidding. I can’t explain it, but it’s true. Okay… maybe almost true.