英國行 – 英國食大不同 / UK Trip - the British Food

各位是不是跟我一樣除了 fish & chips 之外, 想不到英國還有什麼好吃的?

記得第一次到英國, 吃了一份派+無味熟爛高麗菜, 就把它跟英國菜劃上等號 – 難吃, 更糟的是, 那份熟爛高麗菜的口感, 深深陷入我的腦袋深層, 想忘也忘不了….

對我這刻薄的形容, 英國人應該是很不服氣的, 因為他們有噴香的的羊肉派 (可惜我不瞭, 也不想瞭羊肉的美味), 有美味火腿, 豬肉凍派 (可惜都是冷的, 天冷吃冷食, 吃完心都寒了), 有私家嚴製香腸 (可惜太油太鹹), 有每家pub隨時都可提供的切達起士, 火腿三明治 (可惜還是冷的, 再加上沒有沙拉醬的生菜... 哀…), 只能說英國菜實在不合台灣胃…

(ps. 說到豬肉凍派 – pork pie, 各位請不要露出閒惡表情, 其實它吃起來就像沒有綠豆沙的綠豆碰, 還蠻合台灣人口味的喔 ;-) )

但我不確定是近幾年美食, 烹飪節目大行其道, Jamie Oliver 走進了每家每戶的廚房, 啟發了英國人對食物的興趣和創意, 還是我接觸英國菜的機會較多了, 現在發現走近英國餐廳, "期待"的心情是多於"挑戰"的, 我漸漸可以把熟爛高麗菜從記憶裡擦去了, 真是感謝老天!

現在就來分享一下這次英國行吃到的菜吧 (這些餐廳可都是在鄉下地方, 不是大城市喔).

When thinking of British food, I believe that I am not the only one to have “Fish & Chips” popping into my mind and no other remarkable food after it. I couldn’t get rid of the image of overcooked, flavourless cabbage I had years ago .The British might say that it’s an unfair statement as there are many famous dishes such as a hearty Shepherd’s Pie, a slice of pork pie, succulent sausages, or a fine healthy cheese and ham sandwich with salad. To the Chinese taste, however, these dishes are either cold, too salty, too greasy or too heavy and rather unappetizing!

However, I am not sure that if it’s because the UK had a food revolution after series after series of gourmet food TV programs or I have had a better chance to explore food in the UK, but I found it a pleasure to go for a meal in a restaurant in the UK, rather than a flavourless expedition :-)

Here are some images of the food I had at some cafés and restaurants during this trip

櫛瓜鑲肉配酥脆薯塊
stuffed courgette with crispy roasted potatoes

燒烤羊肉串配芫荽香米飯
lamb skewer with rice

義大利風乾牛肉沙拉
Bresaola with salad

蔬菜湯佐雜糧麵包
vegetable soup with brown bread

蛋酥派佐沙拉
Quiche with salad

農夫餐 (比歐洲的農夫餐素多了)
Ploughman's lunch

The cafes and Restaurants we visited in Somerset:

Binegar / Hartley's Kitchen http://hartleyskitchen.com
Shepten Mallet / Sharpham Park Cafe www.kilvercourt.com
Wells / Goodfellows Cafe & Seafood Restaurant www.goodfellowswells.co.uk

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英國行 – 南岸小鎮遊 / UK Trip – Trip to Southern coast

不知何故, 我很難把英國跟海岸線聯想在一起(…明明她就是個島國…), 趁著這次出遊, 好好把我的腦袋裡的資料重整一下…

我們從Wells 出發, 開車不到2個小時就抵達臨英吉利海峽的渡假小鎮, Sidmouth, 延途盡是農田, 牧場, 很難跟海邊扯上關係, 豈知翻過一個山頭, 地勢驟降, 一個海鳥群聚, 海浪拍岸的臨海小鎮就呈現眼前了

 Sidmouth 的海岸以石礫, 岩岸居多, 沙灘很短, 小鎮迷你, 並非一般家庭觀光的理想地點, 但因地方小, 觀光景點和鬧區集中, 小鎮附近丘陵地多, 適合散步, 多數飯店歷史悠久, 且是秉持傳統服務的老字號, 所以這裡很得長青族的青睞.

有多受長青族歡迎呢? 最明顯的例子就是在我下榻的飯店用早, 晚餐時, 餐廳裡聚集了滿滿的白髮長者, 我估計最年輕的也超過六十歲了, 我跟Andy彷彿誤闖了老人國.

在Sidmouth停留期間, 我們還去參觀了驢子保護收容所 (Donkey Sanctuary www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk ), 這是由一位喜愛驢子的Dr. Elisabeth Svendsen創立的慈善機構, 最初是收留在英國 Devon 郡因工作受傷, 或退休的驢子, 但現在這收容所的義行擴及全球, 照顧遠至歐, 非, 亞洲受傷, 老殘的工作驢.

在英國, 我看到很多”不因善小而不為”的實例, 從維持個人生活品質的小事, 到維護整體國民, 全球人類, 動物權益的大事, 每個人都很積極的維護自己, 跟他人的權益, 不論你是多數, 還是少數.

We had a short visit to Sidmouth while we were in UK, which is located on the southern coast of England. On the route from Wells to Sidmouth there were endless farm lands and I was wondering how we could reach UK coast line in less than 2 hours of driving? Then right after we descended the last steep hill, there it was, Sidmouth situated on the English Channel

Sidmouth is a small hilly town with a mainly rocky coastline and beach, without too many entertainment facilities which does not make it an ideal holiday destination for young families. However, as the high street and beach front are within walking distance of the town centre and the hilly coastal roads providing an easy place to stroll along and provide picturesque views it makes a very popular destination for the older tourist. In addition most of the hotels have been in business for decades and provide services in the traditional way which is also popular for the older guest.

Apart from beach scenery, there’s also a nice tourist attraction in Sidmouth called  Donkey Sanctuary (www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk), which was founded by Dr. Elisabeth Svendsen. It’s interesting to pay a visit to see friendly donkeys, getting to know more background of working donkeys, and how they have been taken care of in this sanctuary.

小鎮全覽
Sidmouth from nearby hill

海濱步道
The esplanade I

海濱步道
The Esplanade II

看看這兩位英國人的夏日裝備
Did I mention it's July, in England !?

"偶遇"陽光的海濱步道
The Esplanade in sunshine

驢子保護收容所
Donkey Sanctuary

在特殊幼兒中心陪小朋友玩的驢子
the donkeys in child care center and wait for their turn to accompany children with special care

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英國行 / UK Trip - somerset

啊..., 可以說我不在家, 所以不能更新網誌嗎? (不知恥ing)


七月陪 Andy 返鄉探親, 大部份的時間都在英國南邊的 Someset County裡, 這裡說起來跟英國其他鄉下地方一樣, 一眼望不盡的農田, 成群的乳牛, 綿羊, 看不到來車的羊腸小徑, 似乎沒人住的寧靜村落, 但因為我待的時間夠久, 很多隱藏在麥田裡秘密都被我發覺了...


首先, 這裡有個英格蘭 (England) 最小的城市 - Wells (www.visitsomerset.co.uk/site/explore-somerset/towns-and-villages/wells-p500273), 事實上它只有小鎮的規模, 但因這裡有建於十二世紀的 Wells 大教堂 www.wellscathedral.org.uk ( 之前只有具城市規模的地方才能設大教堂(cathedral) ), 所以到現在它的編制還是 Wells市.

Wells 因美泉而得名, 行走街上, 可見街旁水道流水涓涓, 湧泉處就在主街上, 另外還有兩個湧泉口在主教宮殿 www.bishopspalacewells.co.uk 的美麗花園裡.

小小的城市裡, 有一個宏偉的大教堂, 美麗的主教宮殿和花園, 加上一個星期兩次的市集, 所以許多前往巴斯 (Bath) 觀光的旅客, 行有餘力, 也會繞到 Wells 參觀.

Wells 之外, Somerset County 裡還有 Cheddar 鎮, 很耳熟嗎? 它就是鼎鼎有名的切達起士 (Cheddars Cheese) 的發源地, 雖然現在全球各地的酪農都會生產 Cheddars Cheese, 但這個鎮還有一個不能複製的觀光重點 - 切達峽谷 (Cheddar Gorge), 車行峽谷中, 好似開了小叮噹隨意門, 開回花蓮太魯閣了, 當然這裡的峽谷是迷你版的 :-)

即使不特地安排觀光行程, 隨意開車於 Somerset 田園間, 偶遇地勢較高處, 停車眺望, 一幅幅恬靜如畫的鄉村景致隨即展現眼前.

參觀完歷史古鎮, 鄉村景觀, 是不是和我一樣快被催眠了呢? 讓我們來點熱血的行程吧! Somerst 裡有個叫 Street 的小鎮, 它是鞋商 Clacks 的總公司和設計中心所在地, Clacks 在 Street 設有大型 outlet 購物中心www.clarksvillage.co.uk , 裡面除了 Clack 的商品外, 還有許多英國和歐洲品牌精品店, 提供許多比市價優惠的商品, 是個讓人又愛又怕的地方… (問我如何自拔嗎? 當然就是有背後靈跟著, 讓妳不能盡興的逛, 就可早早結束購物行程了…)

另外時尚名牌 Mulberry 也是在 Somerset 的 SheptonMallet鎮誕生的, 雖然 Mulberry 已由國際時尚企業收購, 但原來的工作坊還是照常運作, 手工師傅還是數十年如一日地, 在小鎮裡一針一線的製作提包, 這裡另設有 Mulberry factory shop, 賣價約為市價的七, 八折.
Somerset不是英國的觀光重鎮, 但這塊被麥田, 牧場覆蓋的土地上, 卻隱藏著閃閃發光的寶石, 是塊耐人尋味的土地.

Well, I am not going to talk about Downunder, I am going to talk about “North”, the land with “correct” seasons. Me and Andy spent most of July in England, I was quite excited as I hadn’t been to England in the summer time before.

Somerset is the land where we spent most of our time, located in the South West of England, near the well known tourist town of Bath.

The majority of the land is used for farming and growing various kinds of crops, which is the same as other nearby counties, but I am pleased that I have spent my time in Somerset and long enough to be able to discover the hidden secrets of this  farming land.

It’s a land with the smallest city in England – Wells (www.visitsomerset.co.uk/site/explore-somerset/towns-and-villages/wells-p500273), it’s a charming little town, a city with a remarkable Cathedral built in the 12^th century (www.wellscathedral.org.uk). Every time I walked by the splendid exterior I always slowed my pace, the city is also a place with 3 spring water sources right in downtown.

Another well known town in Somerset is Cheddar, where Cheddar Cheese originated from. Nowadays Cheddar Cheese can be produced in any dairy farm around the world, but there is another gem in Cheddar that can not be reproduced – The Cheddar Gorge. It cuts deeply down to the valley, with astonishing scenery when driving along the winding road at the bottom of valley.

In this lush and boundless farming land, you don’t actually need a travel plan, it’s effortless to get picturesque scenery when driving along the country roads, well, in the condition that you don’t find it frustrated in driving along narrow, winding, limited sight country roads.

If you find history and culture a bit overwhelming, Street and Shepton Mallet will be ideal towns to pay a visit.

Street is the headquarter and design center of the International Shoe company, Clark’s, who built a Factory Outlet Center in its home town. In the outlet center, Clark’s product is not the only option, there are many more shops with boutique products from the UK and around the world. www.clarksvillage.co.uk 

One of the UK’s fashion icons is Mulberry, with its first hand bag actually being created in a little Somerset town, Shepton Mallet. Although it’s an international fashion label the factory still produces hand made handbags like they first created in this humble little town. There is a factory shop in Shepton Mallet which provides Mulberry goods at very appealing prices.

Isn’t it a surprise that an ordinary farming land would have so many hidden treasures!?

Wells 一隅, 當天有法式滾球慈善活動, 當天陽光燦爛 ,
典型的英國小鎮搖身變為南法鄉村
Wells Town Square, a charity event - Boules competition was taking place that day,
it was relaxing atmosphere with lots of sunshine, live music, food and drink...,
but the competitions were pretty tense... 

從高點遙望 Somerset 農地, 這種景色應該是英國人最典型的鄉愁了
Viewing Somerset farm land from higher level

窄窄看不到來車的鄉村道路
the narrow, winding, limit sight country road

是雙相道沒錯, 如果沒有遇到會車的空地, 英國的白羊黑羊會怎麼處理呢?
Yes, most of country roads are two lanes

Clark's 購物中心 / Clark's Shopping Village I

幾乎佔了半個小鎮的購物中心
Clark's Shopping Village II

Mulberry Factory Shop I

Mulberry Factory Shop II

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