Just curious. I have never personally been out of the continental United States. But I was wondering where any of you United Kingdom people have visited here in the States. What you thought of it. Was it business or pleasure. If you were to come back would you visit the same place or go somewhere else and why. If you have never visited over here what would you like to see?
And , of course, to turn it around a little. I dream of visited the land of James Herriot's books. The peaceful countrysides with flocks of sheep and other beautiful livestock. I know there are problems over there with visiting the countryside right now, but I can still dream. The cottage gardens must be beautiful We got the idea from you guys right?
Ireland in the Spring. That must be incredible. It is as green as we hear?
Silly questions
what flocks of sheep!? LOL. only messing as we still have sheep in the countryside.
anyway,I've been to Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Tuscon ( actually the desert) and Baton Rouge.
can I go a little further south and say Mexico, Belize and Guatamala.
Mark
Kathy Joe, forgive me if you think I'm over-sensitive - we in Ireland are not United Kingdom people - they live next door - you're in America, but I know the US is different from Canada or South America. Ireland is beautiful in the Spring, as no doubt is anywhere in the world that has a Spring after a Winter. I have realised since visiting this forum how different are we in Europe from you in the U.S. Some of the differences are o.k. some just too different to understand; as gardeners, we are more like the British, we learned our gardening from them. At one time, we were only allowed grow the potato, and we all know what happened then. I am all for peace, living in peace with our neighbours. That is why the happy experience of coming to this forum has finally turned so sad, so incomprehensible!
KathyJo
After a frightening 17 hour journey I got to the states. Well I know a lot of you have a white christmas but it was beyond the joke LOL.
I think the most surprising thing to me was the warmth and friendliness of the people, although I was often asked if I was a new zealander, aussie, irish and mainly (which I can't work out) a south african, I didn't mind. In the summer down here in the tourist driven south we often play spot the American on quiet days, they almost always start a conversation with us natives and we have had some fun. The thing I didn't like as a Brit (when I eventually told people) was being berated for Northern Ireland by all the taxi drivers LOL (boy didn't I get some lectures!). Our cultures are similar but sometimes the similarities are startlingly different, the main one being the language.
Ireland is a fantastic place too and as Vinca rightly points out, a different country whose people fought hard and long for their independance. And yes its very green.
I think the UK and the republic of Ireland are two of the most stunningly beautiful countries in the world, we could do with a bit more of your sunshine though :)
You are correct Vinca, I didn't know it was a separate Republic, and should have know that.
Mark, you have traveled quite a bit then. Do you collect plants and seeds as you go?
Spot the American? Too funny. What's the biggest givaway besides the accent? cameras? attitude?
LOL KathyJo
We play spot the....lots of catagories (thug, nationalities, woman who married for money, man under the thumb etc (hey it gets dull here)) No one thing identifies one person for another its really a whole range of things. One of the best ways of spotting someone who hasn't spent much time here is pointing at things, its considered rude to point in Britain, after that theres a whole gamut of giveaways. I always say hello though as I like to talk to people from other places.
I'm more typically Brit than I care to admit too. Instead of looking to see what other people were doing I just carried on in my own way and often got odd looks before realising it wasn't the done thing.
kathyjo -
in response i can say that although i haven't been to the states myself i can say that the main differences and main giveaways between our two nationalities are confidence (americans aren't known for their reserve as they are here in the uk), attitudes (the us seems to be behind the times on some things, but unfortunately ahead of us in others (gun laws for instance)) and finally volume...it seems to me that the american people are so loud compared to us!
I hope i don't haven't offended anyone, mind you! Any americans want to respond to this?!!
Lil