What a great writing prompt!
What are the biggest mistakes people make when visiting your country?
The first thing that popped into my mind was I remember a story I heard from my husband. When he was at university, he was walking with a friend from Pakistan. As they were wandering along, chatting, the friend absentmindedly dropped a piece of litter. When challenged on this, the friend said, I don’t care, it’s not my country. So yeah, that was a big one. Not ok, regardless of the country you are in or from. Guests or not.
The second biggest mistake that comes to mind is only visiting London or trying to pack too much in! Our countryside is beautiful, and our beaches are worth a visit. You can get to Clacton easily from London by train, just as you can Brighton and I’m sure many other places. Local buses in some places are hit or miss with how frequently they run, but it’s usually better in the summer.
My friend was telling me how she visited Cornwall and missed the once-a-day bus, and luckily, the B&B owner offered her a lift to return. You can get to Cornwall by train.
I think it was always a standing joke that our food is awful, but that isn’t the case these days, in my opinion and I’d invite you to try local independent cafes. Unfortunately, Jessica’s and the Blue Bird Café have now closed locally, but we have Jaco’s and Reuby’s Salt Beef & Cheesecake Bar to name just two. Flaggs Café, Steamers, and one up near the Martello Tower, among others.
Another big mistake that people make is expecting any kind of consistency from the weather. Yes, you may well still get sunburnt on a windy day. Just because it’s summer in the morning doesn’t mean it won’t be winter by the afternoon! Recently we had a heatwave, now I’m sitting here in a hoodie, and the heating came on this morning. Weather isn’t the same as climate change. We’ve had torrential rain this morning.
The biggest mistake I usually make when visiting other countries is taking too many clothes! But if you are visiting here, I’d say bring a coat and comfortable shoes and see where else you can visit, the UK is not just London.
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