While not meaning to start another Olympics thread.
Ive been watching the Olympics, mostly the bike road races, marathon, race walking, sailing and other sports where you can see the countryside and scenery. I just have to say.....gee doesnt England look smashing at the moment. There has been some gogeous footage on the TV and its shown me some places I now want to visit.
So good on the POMS for putting on such a spendid show.
nomorecatering. Thanks for that. It is particularly green at the mo, no doubt due to the persistent rain we had during the weeks/months leading up to the games. Some pundits were forecasting that it would be the wettest games ever, apart from a few showers, they were wrong. We may not have the splendour of the Blue Mountains, Uluru etc etc, but it's home and it does for me.
gee doesnt England look smashing at the moment. There has been some gogeous footage on the TV and its shown me some places I now want to visit.
The "Green and Pleasant Land" has ALWAYS looked good, nomorecatering, but there's some far more stunning scenery than that in the UK, especially when you head north, like the one below looking over my home town.
or the Lake District
or the Peak District
The list goes on, and that's before you head west.
It is indeed one of the most beautiful and diverse countries on earth. It is just a shame that the shower of useless politicians have allowed it to decline and decay over the years and have beaten the people into submission by instilling fear and political correctness.
Yes the lumpy bits are pretty, hellsbrink, but I personally have a soft spot for the big skies of the Fen country, with a view for miles over the flat land only interrupted by one of the hundreds of medieval churches which abound in the area. Like most people on here I've been around a bit, but I still reckon I am so lucky to live in this beautiful country.
I agree TTN re the fens. Not only have they a unique beauty they also have a very interesting history. My forebears were the Dutch who were brought over to drain them and build dykes
to be honest, there's lots of places to visit, and a warm local welcome in many of the country inns and pubs/hotels that provide great food from local produce in great countryside with flagstone floors and local beers. True, they may not have the amenties or corporate presentation of a big hotel chain, but if you can live past some eccentricities they are great places to stay and explore the true nature of the UK and there is a fair amount of it left.
here's some of my locality and where the cycle race went through
Ive been to the UK probaly 30 times in my life. Mostly to Newcastle as i have family there.
Traditionally here in Oz we have thought of the Uk, in an affectionat way, just a little bit dreary, soggy chips and rainy weather, the population apathetic.. We know thats not reality but a bit of a metaphore. Often as a counterpoint to the schmaltzy 'how good are we...we are the best' persona of our American friend.
But I think the Olypics, and Wills and Kates wedding recently has done a lot to turn that image around. Its so fantastic to see the public out en mass, cheering the athletes etc, waving Union Jacks, screamig their heads off. Beeing proud to be British.
I'm a true blue Aussie, of British heratige. It will be over my dead body that some one removes the Union jack off the Astralian flag.
So good on the Brits, keep waving those flags and being patriotic. You might even find a few Ozmates joining in.
As an Englishman might I say a big thankyou for your comments, we have a habit here of being very self-critical so its great to hear that these islands are viewed positively by those from afar........
Newcastle is the doorstop to some staggering scenery, next time your here, you are 40 odd miles from the Lake District... Do Lindesfarne, the Farne Islands and Berwick, they are closer still.
Newcastle is the doorstop to some staggering scenery, next time your here, you are 40 odd miles from the Lake District... Do Lindesfarne, the Farne Islands and Berwick, they are closer still.
aww heck if you have the time, see if you can get a night or two in at Wasdale Head and just for the added bonus go there by way of Hardknott and Wrynose pass
mostly the bike road races, marathon, race walking, sailing and other sports where you can see the countryside and scenery
Nope I haven't seen any of those events in Scotland or any of the Scottish countryside on television, so I think I will give the OP the benefit of the doubt that he knows the difference between England, Scotland and the UK as a whole and was actually talking about England.
but there's pockets of beauty throughout. The Peak District is my Winter playground.
And we constantly moan about the weather, and yes, winter does seem to drag on, but actually it's the seasons that make us appreciate, this green and pleasant land.
Nope I haven't seen any of those events in Scotland or any of the Scottish countryside on television,
Of course, having had very little to do with the olympics, other than Sir Chris Hoy becoming the greatest British olympian, the Scots will have been paying their fair share of taxes for the events to be London-centric.
