Breakfast is by far my most favourite meal of the day. I love the more elaborate offerings found in places like this but travel has given me many simple but joyous breakfast moments, enjoying the cold meats and bread rolls served in the frühstückszimmers of Germany ("Möchten sie ein ei?" "Ja, bitte!") and the hearty, stodgy fare of the full English Breakfast.
So it is with pleasure I make this entry.
Here I am tucking into the hearty breakfast at the YHA overlooking the historic St Pancras Railway Station (commonly confused with St Pancreas), which is currently undergoing significant renovations – including some very expensive apartments on the upper reaches.
The YHA and its filling start to the day were, on the other hand, not excessively expensive. Although one could assume the English drifting away from 'tradition' and eating a less substantial breakfast on the weekdays I was able to find quite a number of "cafs" (as they say on The Bill (be careful of spoilers with that last link, Australian viewers)) which serve quite inexpensive but substantial examples of the English Breakfast. The price of that type of breakfast was in contrast with the price of food in London – or at least at the sort of places we as tourists in central London found ourselves eating. I was surprised though – I was set to suffer though the fabled terrible food the Brits are supposed to have over there, but sadly I was let down.
I was surprised in another instance, also. If you have ever been to London I'm sure you will have noticed the incredible, staggering proliferation of food chains – of the sandwich and or coffee type (and on occasion the pizza chain). In this case I'm not going to mention brands but suffice it to say that you couldn't spit in disgust at seeing another one for hitting a similar competitor store. It's out of control. Here in Melbourne we have a problem with so called "convenience stores" springing up in the city, to the point where they have eradicated other business types and have become, frankly inconvenience stores. I mention this so my Melbourne readers have a context and can tell them the London problem makes it look positively pathetic by comparison. I can't wait to see how London turns out after the Olympics have finished with it.
Shame, although I'd initially expected to be disappointed at the place, with Australia being based on the English thing (indeed being a British colony), and find that the place wasn't as exotic as I'd hope for on an overseas holiday, but in the end it turned out that I just plain liked the place.
As long time readers will be aware I'm something of a scholar of food names and origins and my exhaustive research and esoteric sources has turned up that there are alternate names and regional variants of this dish, which could allow me repeat this little performance over again! Including the "Glasgow Salad"! Serendipity!
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