Let’s go to Great Britain! – Menjünk Nagy-Britanniába!

When you think of Great Britain it’s usually the traditional stereotypes that first come to mind. Red double–deckers and telephone booths, black taxi-cabs, 5 o’clock tea, the Union Jack and conservatively dressed polite English people. But there is more to Great Britain than meets the eye. When people choose Britain as a destination the first and most obvious choice to head for is the capital city, London.

It’s a bustling multicultural metropolis with crowds of tourists everywhere, especially in the centre, around the sights London is famous for. However, if you want to avoid the touristy places and want to see and experience the real England, leave behind the capital and visit rural England. Small English towns and villages show a completely different side of the country. In the countryside life moves at a slower pace, there are fewer tourists and people have more time to welcome visitors. If you want to practise English, the best way is to stay with a host family for a couple of days and take part in their everyday life while sharing their home and meals and enjoying their hospitality.

The relaxed breakfasts and dinners are excellent opportunities to talk about whatever comes to mind and get to know British life and culture better. Retired people often host students or visitors and most of them don’t do it only for the income they get out of it. Most of the time they are genuinely interested in their visitors, they want to talk to them and they want to show them their life and culture. Rural England is full of beauties you cannot find in big cities. The ocean with pretty fishing villages and stunning sandy beaches, picturesque lakes, ancient castles, thatched cottages, stone-roofed houses and traditional pubs, old churches, cobbled stone streets, the spectacular nature with sheep and mountain goats and the incredibly luscious green grass are all unforgettable sights. There is no need to hurry in rural England and you may feel that time seems to have stopped in its tracks.  

The English countryside is idyllic, beautiful and diverse with quaint little villages, inspiring towns and rolling landscapes perfect for walking and cycling. There are numerous walking trails, from easy paths across fields to more challenging treks up to the highest peaks, or along coastal paths and beaches. If you take the time to explore and you are lucky, you may even experience British wildlife. You’ll be surprised to see the variety of animals and birds that inhabit the woods, mountains, meadows, and coast. Dolphins, seals, and whales can be spotted around the coastline of England. The forests are home to squirrels, deer, foxes, and badgers. Otters swim in the rivers, and puffins nest on the cliffs. Not to mention the seagulls that may appear at unexpected places and are quite cheeky.

Though Britain is not considered to be a country with special culinary delights, there are foods worth trying anyway. Fish and chips with mushy peas served in paper – in the past they were wrapped in newspaper pages – cream tea, Cornish pasties, and local cheeses are delicious treats. Wash them down with some ale, cider or tea with milk in a country pub in the friendly company of local people while discussing the weather. A unique experience not to be missed.

FOCUS ON THESE EXPRESSIONS:

there is more to it than meets the eye – több van a felszín mögött

time seems to have stopped in its tracks – úgy tűnik, hogy megállt az idő

cream tea – teából, édes pogácsából, lekvárból és vajból álló étkezés