Bed & Breakfast Around the World
Enjoy Traditional Foods in a Different Culture
Staying at B&B’s in different countries is one of the best ways to meet local people. Finns do it, Swedes do it, even the Japanese do it. Although it originated in Britain the B&B concept is catching on around the world.
Bed & Breakfast in the UK
In many tourist areas it's not unusual to walk down a street where nearly every house has a B&B sign stuck in the window. Even in the countryside, people are not shy about advertising. The houses come in all styles and sizes but what they all have in common is the great F.E.B the Full English Breakfast, usually consisting of eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, fried bread and often with a thick slice of black pudding. (Otherwise known as blood pudding, this is an acquired taste).
Bed & Breakfast in Canada and the United States
B&B’s are not necessarily the cheap option to staying in hotels, as they are in Europe and one of the things you will notice immediately is how up-market they are. Many are historic homes furnished with antiques; one day you might find yourself in a Greek Revival mansion in Mississippi or an elegant Georgian house in downtown Toronto. However, one thing they all have in common is absolutely fabulous breakfasts. Par for the course is freshly baked bread, blueberry muffins, home-made jams, pancakes with delicious fruit syrups - not for those fighting the battle of the bulge!
Bed & Breakfast in Australia
There is a great variety of places to stay: apart from conventional family homes there are historic houses, country homesteads and inner city townhouses. You can find B&B’s throughout Australia. Breakfasts are hearty and you can find yourself facing a huge plate of steak, eggs, and sausages. However, if this is too much for you, Australia has an incredible variety of fruit, like strawberry mangoes, hairy red rambutans, jackfruit or mangosteins. If you’re in the Outback you could be offered “bush tucker” in the form of camel or crocodile steaks. (Witchety grubs are optional!)
Bed & Breakfast in Finland
B&B in Finland is “Bådd & Frukost”and some establishments will also offer the use off a sauna - thought by many Finns to be a spiritual as well as a cleansing experience. Don’t expect a fry-up for ‘frukost’ here. Continental breakfast are normally served: fruit, yoghurt, cereal, often with fresh berries and a Finnish touch of black rye bread. They are easier to find in rural locations than in the cities.
Bed & Breakfast in France
‘Le Bed & Breakfast’ est arrivé. From small private homes or farms to elegant chateaux there is a huge choice. Some hosts will offer a cooked breakfast but usually Madame will pop down to the local boulangerie for freshly-baked baguettes and croissants and the jam on the table is often home-made. Hot chocolate is sometimes served at breakfast, but coffee and tea are, of course, readily available. The term ‘Le Bed & Breakfast is commonly used, rather than ‘Chambre d’Hote’.
Bed & Breakfast in Germany
Look for the sign “Zimmer Frei”(rooms free) . A red sign reading “Besetzt” means no vacancies. Sausage is on the breakfast menu but don’t expect sizzling porkers like you get at home. Here it’s cold sausage - i.e. cold meats,. salami, smoked ham, etc. You’ll also be offered boiled eggs, various types of bread and cheeses and jam.
