Tell me about Great Britain.

[Zeke]

I took a quick tour on Google Maps and other than a few very large cities, the whole country is little farms and hamlets. There can't be straight road in the country (not that's a bad thing). How did this come to be, all these irregular shapes of land and what do people do with the land? I mean, how much hay can can one country use?

Tell me about GB. I might like to go there someday. But, unlike CA, it looks like you could stop every 1/4 mile and see something.

[GH85Carrera]

It is a very old country. It rains a lot.

[MFAFF]

Milt,

You would love it here...it is physically the opposite of CA... yet I doubt you would feel alienated...

Look around the place a bit more.. the little hamlets and farms are not the only thing outside the big cities...the landscape is varied and diverse and as the distance are relatively small you can experience many in a short time frame...

You might also appreciate the craftsmanship you would see in the buildings...

Come on over..

[dependencies]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

It is a very old country. It rains a lot.

*sneering*

how little you know my man,
oh wait a minute, actually your about right actually

[dependencies]

Twisty roads are mostly a result of boundary enforcement,
the few straight roads are as a result of Roman culture or 70's planning

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by dependencies

*sneering*

how little you know my man,
oh wait a minute, actually your about right actually

I know all about GB. I watch Top gear. It rains on the show all the time. Top gear would NEVER exaggerate !

[dependencies]

Oddly the British own more convertible cars than many European countries

[Hugh R]

Lots of great architecture and its hard to imagine that some of the really astonishing structures are 1,000 years old or more. If you ever go, don't rent a car in London. Driving outside of London is OK, but inside the city, as an American, I couldn't image why.

[scottmandue]

Seeing Britain, the UK, and Europe are on my list...

Supposedly my surname goes back to England... I think there is even a castle with our name on it.

[azasadny]

I would love to visit the UK. My mother's family is Welsh and I've always heard great things about that place and the British people I've met have always been friendly!

[Chas White]

The thing about Britain that impressed me was that there doesn't seem to be a stone out of place anywhere. The whole island is like a giant park, with dedicated grounds keepers. That, and you can always tell the Americans are around when you hear loud talking. Plus they gave us P.G. Wodehouse and Patrick O'Brain.

[Stuart993]

I'm a Brit.
It's cold, overcast and damp.
Crowded, and the roads are a nightmare.
I moved to the US approx. 12 years ago, I know which I prefer.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Chas White

The thing about Britain that impressed me was that there doesn't seem to be a stone out of place anywhere. The whole island is like a giant park, with dedicated grounds keepers. That, and you can always tell the Americans are around when you hear loud talking. Plus they gave us P.G. Wodehouse and Patrick O'Brain.

And Top Gear!

[svandamme]

You cannot discuss Great Britain as a place to go, it's a combination of places
England, Scotland, Wales and don't forget Northern Ireland.

Only been to England myself
i like how people are very polite there, except so i have been told for the hoodies, hooligans and knife wielding hoodlums. Oh , and the Chavs

And they never send me speeding tickets, despite my speeding.. I think that's another part of politeness. Or maybe because i'm from Ypres, of which Churchill said, is Holy land to the British Empire, which makes me a Saint. All in all, i like England, because that's what we're talking about , right?

They used to have a reputation for bad food(cooking), but i have to say, i actually had some very good meals there.. Pub food is great.. in the countryside a Pub is not simply a drinking place , it's a place where you go and hang out , eat, meat people on sundays, with the family... quite traditional, quite nice. And again, very polite...

All in all, i like England, i should go more often.

[boba]

The people are generally nice, but they do not understand or speak American.
There is little native cuisine worth trying to find, lots of good restaurants in London.
It will rain every day, it may not be fair to call it rain it is often just a mist.
The beer is warm on purpose, brings out more flavor.
Do not drive in roundabouts without all your wits about you.

And most important always look right before you step off the curb.

[BeyGon]

I haven't been there since the big wedding, spent the evening with Charles at Hyde park for his bachelor party, me and 500,000 others. Got a pretty close look at him and Princes Di the next afternoon at Waterloo Station. Had a great time in London and then took the train to Scotland, Edinburgh and Inverness, looked for the lake monster but couldn't find it. I liked Scotland a little better, a little more casual and a street called Rose street that was great. I took busses and trains, never even thought about a car.

[scottbombedout]

Originally Posted by milt

I took a quick tour on Google Maps and other than a few very large cities, the whole country is little farms and hamlets. There can't be straight road in the country (not that's a bad thing). How did this come to be, all these irregular shapes of land and what do people do with the land? I mean, how much hay can can one country use?

Tell me about GB. I might like to go there someday. But, unlike CA, it looks like you could stop every 1/4 mile and see something.

Milt, I can't lie.
A lot of the place (inner city etc)is a crap hole.
The weather isn't half as bad as people imagine.
Some of the inhabitants can be less than friendly, but most will treat you perfectly.

But, go out into the country and it is breathtaking. I live in the Lake District. I took a route home today that I normally dont do. I had to stop and get out (I admit it was raining ) to take in the view. Beautiful beyond words.

About 1 mile from my house is an ancient castle built about 1200AD on an island to keep out marauding Scots invaders. The kids go on their bikes and get a tiny ferry across. I could go on and on. The place is fantastic

[Zeke]

I was just poking around in the Lakes District and found a place called Grasmere. I could stay there for 2-3 days just looking at the few buildings. Of course, the pub, a couple hotels and a sandwich shop. What else do you need?

I came across an Arena Red Cayman driving in front of maybe a gallery (seems to be a few of those as well) on Stock Lane.

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by scottbombedout

About 1 mile from my house is an ancient castle built about 1200AD on an island to keep out marauding Scots invaders. The kids go on their bikes and get a tiny ferry across. I could go on and on. The place is fantastic

Well, if 'e 'ould 'av left us aloon to rule ourselves, that 'ouldn't 'ave 'appened now, would it?

[ckissick]

I lived in London for a year and a half. It rained almost every day, but you get used to it. The countryside is very beautiful.

There are more cities and industrial areas than you might think. It's much more densely populated than California. Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) has 60 million people in an area of 85,000 square miles. California has 37 million people in an area of 164,000 square miles. Having said that, there's plenty of countryside to explore.

The reason for the twisty roads is the mish-mash of ancient farm properties, created long before cars.