Tuesday, November 19, 2013

May we introduce you to British Cuisine?

Nothing screams more Great Britain than a 5 o'clock tea in London. Enjoy the famous British pastries such as scones with cream and jam or finger sandwiches. From high-class hotels like the Ritz to The Savoy, you will find the top afternoon tea addresses here

Since Great Britain is with 395 people per sq km the most crowded country in Europe, followed by Netherlands and Belgium, the British cuisine has multi-cultural influences from all over the world. You will find a lot of so-called hybrid dishes such as chicken tikka masala or goulash on British restaurant menus.

British cuisine has traditionally been limited in its international recognition to famous fish and chips, and the Christmas dinner including the traditional Christmas pudding. Other famous British dishes include Sunday roast, steak and kidney pie, shepherd'spie, and bangers and mash (bangers and mash are potatoes that have been mashed up). British cuisine has many regional varieties within the broader categories of English, Scottish and Welsh cuisine. Each have developed their own regional or local dishes, many of which are geographically indicated foods such as Cornish pasties, Yorkshire pudding, Arbroath Smokie, and Welsh cakes.

Although some traditional dishes remain popular, there has been a significant shift in eating habits in Britain. Rice and pasta have accounted for the decrease in potato consumption and the consumption of meat has also fallen. Roast beef is still the national culinary pride. It is called a "joint," and is served at midday on Sunday with roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, two vegetables, a good strong horseradish, gravy, and mustard.

"And then to breakfast, with what appetite you have." 
William Shakespeare

The great British breakfast is famous (or notorious) throughout the world. The typical English breakfast is a 19th century invention, when the majority of English people adopted the copious meal of porridge, fish, bacon and eggs, toast and marmalade, that has now appeared on English breakfast tables for 100 years.
The annual consumption in the United Kingdom is 450,000 tonnes of bacon, 5,000 tonnes of sausages and millions of eggs. It has retained its popularity as one of the country's favorite meals, and survived a whole series of eating trends and food fads.
 



VIP Shadow Tour release today, November 7

The Belcanto Enchanting Europe Tour 2014 is designed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the travelers and naturally Mr. Koliha, as his big farewell performance tour from Monte Vista High School. 

In addition to the singers, many people have expressed interest in a companion tour, which Incantato's sister company Inside Europe was more than happy to organize. 
This parallel and so-called VIP Shadow tour is designed more with the family and friends in mind that are traveling with the choir but are not necessarily singers. It will include upgraded accommodations such as central 4 superior hotels as well as additional special activities services not otherwise included in the itinerary, such as specialty tastings, more free time to explore, etc. 

This companion tour may be an attractive option for those not wishing to complete the same itinerary as the performing choir, for those who prefer more convenient hotels, or those simply wishing to have additional free time and less scheduled activities. An expert Inside Europe host is with the shadow group 24/7 to coordinate individual activities, make special reservations etc. The companion tour is operated parallel to the performance tour and participants will have the opportunity to be at all performances. Travelers have the possibility to change from the classic tour to the VIP shadow tour. 

For more information, please email us to info@incantatotours.com. Inside Europe's website is www.inside-europe.com

Please also have a look below at the tour brochure:


Incantato Introduces You to London's Churches

London's magnificent churches create the city's unique skyline and tell the story of the capital's history. One of the oldest of these is the cathedral church of St. Saviour and St. Mary Overy, originally founded in 606 AD. It was in this cathedral that John Harvard was baptized in in 1607, which is why there is the Harvard Chapel. On the north bank is where you will find some of the most famous churches, including Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral. However, with such monumental buildings, it is easy to overlook some of the other churches, such as St. Margaret, the church of the House of Commons. It was founded in the 12th century; the current building dates back to 1523 and is particularly noteworthy for the 15th-century stained glass in the east window. Just a footpath away from Westminster Abbey, this is where Winston Churchill was married. 
Westminster Abbey itself is, of course, no to be overlooked either. Steeped in more than a thousand years of history, Benedictine monks first came to the site in the middle of the 10th century and established a tradition of daily worship which continues to this day. Begun in 1245, it is one of the most important Gothic buildings in the country. The Abbey has been the coronation church since 1066 and is also the final resting place of 17 monarchs. 
Equally imposing is St. Paul's Cathedral. The current building is the fifth to stand on the site since 604 and it was built between 1675 and 1710 after the previous building had been destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Throughout its long history, there have been several commemorating events, such as Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee celebrated here in 1897. Catherine of Aragon and Prince Arthur were married here in 1501, as well as the famous wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana in 1981. Most recently, Queen Elizabeth II also celebrated her 80th birthday here in 2006 and her own diamond jubilee in 2012.