Copyright (C) 2018 by Michael Rickard II

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford. Samuel Johnson

London holds so many surprises and I was having a blast exploring the Battersea area and its many delightful restaurants and locales. By Wednesday, I was getting ready for my train trip the next day to Lincoln, but I wanted to squeeze in at least one more restaurant. Was I getting tired? Not even close.

Although my trip was a working holiday, I had fun from sunup to sundown. While I was doing some writing, I noticed a fox in the backyard of the flat where I was staying. My host had told me the neighborhood had some foxes, but I was surprised to see one roaming about in a city. I’d seen a red fox when I lived in the suburbs, but was surprised to see it. It went about its business while Mr. Oreo, the cat inside couldn’t care less. From what I figured, the fox probably had trekked over from nearby Battersea Park.

The Fox

and the Feline

After a productive morning, I decided I’d better haul my carcass to get some food. I took the bus. I’d had two English breakfasts and wanted something different. It was time for some pub food.

To be honest, I was somewhat concerned about food in England. Sure, they were known for their fish fries, but what else were they known for? Kippers and mash? Someone told me not to worry as England’s pubs are known for some tasty comfort foods. They were right but in my case, I was going with more Americana.

One of a multitude of pubs in London town

Traditional pub food can include a number of items such as cockles, high tea, toad-in-the-hole, black pudding (not to be confused with the monster from the game Dungeons and Dragons), marrow, Welsh rarebit, gammon, and a number of other culinary creations that sound disgusting, but I’m sure are good for some people. Check out this site for more information on traditional English pub grub.

I needed a shovel to eat these babies!

None of these items other than Yorkshire pudding were happening with me so when I entered a pub and saw more traditional American fare, I knew I was in the right place. Instead, I went with Loaded Nachos and man, were they loaded! The pub served Coca-Cola in glass bottles, always a treat for me. I devoured the nachos, and knowing this was going to be my big meal of the day, I ordered a Fried Chicken Sandwich. It was delicious, but there was still room for more. It was time for dessert.

Fried chicken sandwich. Delicious. Fries were decent, but nothing special.

Dessert and I'm done!

Did I have a traditional pub food experience? No, but honestly, I wasn’t looking for one as most of the food just doesn’t appeal to me. I was happy with what I had and somehow managed to get home despite having ingested around 3000 calories. Naturally, it was time for a nap afterwards. I started packing my suitcase as I wanted to leave early so I didn’t miss my train the next day. Battersea was fun and while I didn’t go into London to see the traditional sights, I had a great time and would come back to Battersea again. It’s a beautiful part of London.

So much to see in London.