Archives for October 9th, 2006

I wish a time machine could take me back to London, 1989.

Number of restaurants in London: 6,128
Number of Taco Bells: 0

I’m in London this week. Yes, London.

Whereas other people travel to the EU’s biggest city to enjoy its metropolitan atmosphere and cultural opportunities, I was just hoping to satisfy my vulgar American urges for junk food, especially the diarrhealicious Taco Bell, which I haven’t had in half a decade now.

From what I’ve gathered from many disappointed ex-pats, the Taco Bells of the U.K. were all flushed away a few years ago. Some sprouted up in other parts of Europe, but none of them have ever managed to get a lasting foothold.

The official Taco Bell page mentions that they have 278 feed stations abroad, including an unspecified number in “Europe” — but this is misleading. The only Taco Bells in Europe are on U.S. military bases. In other words, Kosovo boasts at least one thing that cannot be found in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome or any of the other European capitals. Funny that.

But nevermind that because it’s all nonsense now. This will be my first trip to London, and I’m eager to see what it’s like and how it is. I’ll be back by the end of this week and can perhaps say something then.

Until then,

I remain most faithfully yours,

Michael M.