Life is Always Sunny in Southend-on-Sea
In Essex County of Merry Old England lies the seaside resort town of Southend-on-Sea. This quaint coastal community is really quite remarkable. It boasts seven miles of beaches, great shopping, a seaside amusement park, and the world’s longest leisure pier in the world. Knowing all this, this was one place that Big John wanted to experience first hand.
It appears boating is still very popular along this particular section of coastline.
Southend-on-Sea began its humble beginnings as a place for poor fishermen’s huts and farms at the southern end of the village called Prittlewell. In the 1790s, the first buildings around what was to become the High Street of Southend were completed. Southend continued to stay pretty much off the radar until the 19th century when Princess Caroline of Brunswick just happened to pay a visit to the small seaside community. Well, the princess quickly fell in love with the place and a seaside resort sprang up not long after, giving the community some much needed fanfare. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe, Great Dining and tagged England, Essex County, merry old england, southend, Southend-on-sea by Big John with no comments yet.
Scrumptious Confections from Around the Globe
One of the most exciting aspects about international travel can be the simple joy of sampling new desserts. If you’re a globetrotter with a sweet tooth, you know I’m speaking your language.
In the following article I’ve compiled an assorted list of scrumptious confections from around the world. If you’re currently not traveling, no need to feel left out. I’ve included the complete recipe for each dessert featured; this way you won’t have to journey any further than your own kitchen to enjoy these tastes from around the globe.
Banana Fritters
Chinese migrant workers first introduced banana plants to Queensland in the 1800s. Since then, the taste of this sweet pulpy fruit has become an Australian favorite. The banana fritter is not only delicious, it makes for a low-fat , high-fiber dessert.
Prep Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Ready In: 15 mins
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon of margarine
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 pinch of nutmeg
- 1 quart of vegetable oil (for frying)
- 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar (for dusting)
Directions:
First, in a large bowl mash the bananas. Mix in milk, eggs and margarine until it’s completely smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir these dry ingredients into your banana mixture.
Next, heat the oil in a deep fryer or heavy bottomed pan to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C. Drop batter by spoonfuls into hot oil, and cook, turning once, until browned 2 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels and dust with confectioners’ sugar. This may not be the prettiest dessert but they sure are tasty. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Great Dining, North America, South America and tagged culture foods, desserts, scrumptious confections by Big John with no comments yet.
The Plight of the Leprechaun
The month of March is finally here and St. Patrick’s Day is fast approaching. This cultural and religious holiday commemorates the life of Saint Patrick who landed on Irish shores in 432 AD to bring Christianity to a pagan land. Along with this much anticipated holiday comes lots of drinking, foods, drinking, festivities, and even more drinking for the Irish and non-Irish alike.
In the midst of all that green-colored revelry, it’s easy to lose focus on those in Ireland who are truly suffering. I’m speaking of a people who’ve suffered under the blind eye of the international community for generations. Yes, I’m referring to the Leprechaun people of the Emerald Isle.
The Leprechaun have been woven into the fabric of Ireland since its very founding. They were there in the 6th century, rendering aid to the Celtic people by teaching them all the medicinal and magical properties of the shamrock. They were there in the 12th century, standing tall with their Irish brethren to ward of hordes of Norman Invaders.
It’s difficult to believe that now, in the 21st century, Ireland has turned a deaf ear to the plight of the Leprechaun people. Does anybody notice? Does anybody even really care? (more…)
Posted in Europe, Tall Tales and Big Fish Stories and tagged Ireland, leprechaun, St. Patrick's Day by Big John with 4 comments.
From Merry Old England with Love
CLASSIFIED:
Living the life of a secret agent and international man of mystery is rarely easy in merry old England. I was inside my Godmanchester home, enjoying a nice peaceful day of rest, when an urgent coded message arrived by carrier pigeon at my garden window.
Agent 008: The panther has been spotted sipping wine at the Old Bridge Hotel. Make contact with her, establish trust, find out what dastardly schemes she has up her sleeve, and detain her for further questioning before she can carry out her plot. Exercise extreme caution as she is considered armed and dangerous.
My home for a year in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, England
The Panther was an infamous jewel thief and highly trained assassin. She would not fall easily. I would have to outsmart her with my wit, charm, and ruggedly handsome good looks in order to prevent from compromising the mission. I splashed on my most irresistible secret agent aftershave, jumped into my ever-faithful Rover 45, and raced to the Old Bridge Hotel in record time.
(more…)Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe, Great Dining, Tall Tales and Big Fish Stories and tagged Godmanchester, London, merry old england, York by Big John with 3 comments.
Finding Romance in Bath, England
If you’re looking for that special romantic getaway for Valentine’s Day, you could fly to Florence, Paris, or Vienna and really dazzle that someone special in your life … or you can pull out all the stops and set your sights on the Romanesque city of Bath, England. There is romance in Bath, England. There are actually so many wonderful things about Bath I really don’t know where to begin. I can start by explaining that this historic Roman spa city, located 100 miles west of London, is listed as a World Heritage Site.
Back in the glory days of the Roman Empire, sometime around 50 AD, the Romans erected temples around natural hot springs to honor their Goddess Minerva. These bath complexes, in the ancient Roman province of Brittania, were known by their inhabitants as Aquae Sulis. Today this romantic city is simply known as Bath. To really win her heart, you should start by taking her straight into the heart of this city. Take her directly to the site that really makes this city tick – the Roman Baths.
The Roman baths in Bath, England are the only mineral hot springs in the entire United Kingdom. These 2,000 year old feats of awe-inspiring archeology are superbly maintained for the modern world to see. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe and tagged bath england by Big John with 2 comments.