Fruhstuck

Breakfast options and what to expect travelling bears research. The reality will be far different I am sure but it would be good to not display the ignorant face pull and 'What is that?' when faced with the fare.

Austria sounds like a lovely place to have breakfast. "Fruhstuck" is important - the most important meal of the day. Cold cuts, bread, cheese, eggs, bread, butter, jams, bread, Semmel roll, Kipferl (like a croissant) and dark grainy breads. Give us today our daily bread - Austria is an answer to prayer.

Czech breakfasts appear to favour rye bread, rohlik, spreads, cheese, salami, ham, sardines, chicken liver, garlic or cottage cheese, yoghurt, tea, coffee (hot chocolate for the kids) or cake. An alternate authentic country breakfast is kale soup and bread with lard soaked in chickory, milk or buttermilk. A rohliking good time to be had with kale and lard  mmmmmmm.

Poland offers eggs, pancakes, jam or fish paste sandwiches, sliced pickles, black pudding, tea, coffee or soured milk. The curd cheese with herbs or milk soup is the dairy option. So.....eggs and pancakes or black pudding and soured milk.....I curdle at the thought.

Lithuania has more cold cuts, cheese and bread and maybe cold smoked fish and vegetables. Smoked salmon and a light Jarlsberg may be the choice.

Latvia likes fish sandwiches, eggs, cheese, curds, sour milk, salty, sour curds or light oatmeal. Gruel is good.

Estonia sounds much the same with pickles and bread, cheese, tea, coffee and milk. Estonia appears to be a bit neglected. Not Haute cuisine methinks?

Hot oatmeal in Russia, eggs, sausage, rye breads. Hearty food for cold climes.

Paris - the place for food - but breakfast is single minded - coffee and bread. All sweet, no savoury. No pickled products proffered Madam.

English full cooked breakfasts; bacon, eggs, baked beans, lots of baked beans, must have the baked beans, sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, fat, red, brown, not a pickled kale soup shred to be found. Crumpets and jam and butter and tea. Comfort food. A meal to trek over the moors on....alone.

Scottish breakfast - porridge, black pudding, oatcakes. Porridge was fed to kings at banquets. For dinner. With meat if they were really important kings. One was killed after his dinner, a long time ago.....

Irish breakfasts - Irish bangers, mash, black pudding (goody goody yum yum), white pudding (black pudding without the blood) , eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, Irish beans, boxty (Irish potato pancake) and Irish soda bread. In Northern Ireland you can have an Ulster Fry........

A bowl of cereal in front of the tele and dash off to work is half a world away and flickers dimly. Other-culture breakfasts all princely fare and fascinating. Shall I practise the pickles and pudding?