Ah---if they were oily, that probably was the oil they were cooked in. I've only had boiled eggs in London, so I can't say for sure.

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Did anyone else notice that eggs taste a bit different in London? Or could it be the oil they are cooked in?
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most fried eggs in the UK are more deep fried rather than just pan fried with a very light coating of butter or oil (as done in most places). this may account for some of the difference in taste and texture. personally, i find deep fried eggs revolting as the oil is usually not fresh and the result is a greasy mess.

I do think it sounds like a case(s) of bad grease, rather than the eggs themselves.

My favorite breakfasts are usually at those places which are really restaurants with a few rooms or those with accompanying farms. Ones that come immediately to mind are:

Auberge L'Eridan, Talloires, France: Run by Michelin chef Marc Veyrat--each room is given a "picnic basket" to enjoy out on the deck overlooking the lake. The basket contains several kinds of fresh squeezed juices (blueberry, raspberry, etc.), yougurts, pastries, eggs, etc.

Masseria San Domenico, Puglia, Italy: The "masseria" is a working farm--loads of fruit trees, etc. Great breakfast buffet with homemade pastries, lots of fresh fruit, local cheeses, eggs, salumi, yougurts, etc.

L'Esperance, Vezelay, France: Another chef-place, Marc Meneau (Michelin rated as well)--probably some of the best eggs I've had in my life!

Most of the German/Switerland buffets--a great variety of breads, cheese, meats, youghurts. I really like the Quark!

Worst breakfasts: Anything in Britain. On my Feb trip to the UK, I swear they even fried the toast!

The breakfasts in Israel are really amazing....at hotels with buffet breakfasts they have the most wonderful selection of tomatoes and cheeses and cucumbers, and on and on. But for juice alone, my vote goes to the bood oranges in Italy in the late winter. Our California ones are a different variety and not nearly as good.

Then there were the breakfasts on my Danube cruise last December...at least a dozen different breads (including stollen),'croissants, pastries, made-to-order omelets, sausages, cold and hot ham, seven different fruit juices, big bowls of fresh fruit, bowls of dried fruit in orange juice, assorted yogurts, james, honey, scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, boiled eggs--I can't possibly remember everything. So those were the breakfast days of my life (although the army doesn't do a bad job either).

It could be the oil, but I also noticed that the yolks themselves are a slightly orange-r color...way more intense than the eggs here in California.

One of my favorite breakfasts ever was actually in Las Vegas---I had the most incredible smoked salmon eggs.....soooooo good!!!

IloveToTravel29,

I find that if you tell grits haters that they are eating polenta they say its wonderful. Call it mãmãligã (a Romanian dish) and it suddenly becomes a gourmet experience.

Rillifane- Ha! You are sooo true! Alton Brown did a show on grits and had the same exact plot....those a little less...uhm...down to earth turned their noses up at grits and those down to earth turned their noses up at polenta...but each of them loved both dishes!!

I think grits is a lot like oatmeal.....oatmeal without sugar or butter or milk or raisins can be a little plain...grits without being salted adequately and a little pat of butter can be very dull and without taste.

One of my best breakfasts from childhood was grits with a very thin and dark and flavored gravy. Yum!

Best breakfast abroad that I have ever had:
When I was young, in Paris, at a Maison des Etudiants: A FRESH baguette made that morning and still warm with real butter, real fruit jam and cafe au lait. Simple but delicious.

llamalady I am with you on the Greek yoghurt and honey or fresh preserves. I just got back from Greece last October and I brought back honey that I got from a roadside place up in the mountains. I am lucky I live in Tarpon Springs, FL a huge Greek community and the Greek store has fresh homemade yoghurt just like the kind I got in Greece only it's very pricey....but worth it !!! yummmmm

Ilovetotravel29

"One of my best breakfasts from childhood was grits with a very thin and dark and flavored gravy."

Do you mean red eye gravy? (That's the stuff made by pouring coffee into the pan that you fried some country ham in) Its good stuff although I prefer a milk based sausage gravy on my grits (or biscuits).

TheVagabondLady...what a small world! I was born in Tarpon Springs, and now live in Holiday!

Also, so I keep my post in tune with the thread...Greek Honey is the best, breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Fresh chocolate croissants from a bakery anywhere in France.

Those Scandinavian breakfast buffets are something else. The First Hotel chain has great breakfast buffets, but the absolute best breakfast buffet is at the Gripsholm Vårdshus in Mariefred, Sweden, on Lake Malarnen about 30 km west of Stockholm. The Gripsholm Vårdshus is Sweden's oldest continuously operating inn, dating back to 1609, but along the way they've found the time to upgrade very tastefully. The breakfast buffet is awash with meats, cheeses, breads, and pastries. However, the made to order waffles, topped with cloudberry preserves, are divine. Just watch out for thoise plastic tubes that look like they're providing honey for your flatbread...it's fish paste!!

I use to cringe when I heard the phrase 'fish taco' but in La Paz, Mexico that all changed - seafood tacos: smoked marlin, pescado, langosta, oysters in chipotle, deep fried camarones - with various type of salsa slaws.

speaking of bacon (touched with a bit of syrup - the sweet, the salt, the fat) I was just reading about a dish in Prague - plums wrapped in bacon then deep fried.

there were these wonderful stuffed anchovies on Hvar that were really good - and a crumbly salty feta like cheese

for me nothing has yet to beat nova, capers, a slice of red onion and cream cheese on a toasted everything bagel (from Murray's NYC)

Rillifane-- no, did not mean red eye gravy....I had a nice, dark, semi-thin gravy that my dad made right in front of me......we didn't really eat ham with breakfast hardly ever, so it was not the red-eye gravy. Just a super well seasoned dark gravy. Yum! Very southern and traditional....

I love the fresh-baked pretzels in Schwabish Germany. Sliced in half and spread with butter and jam....yummy!

tartine au beurre, cafe au lait.

But, my goodness, breakfast is an individual thing - who knew?

And, in regards yummy, well cooked bacon with maple syrup on it, that syrup is far better on sausages! Take any French person (or Greek or Turkish or anyone) to an IHOP to see what they would make of some of those very sweet offerings...

Ewww... bacon with syrup! :(

I (an American) prefer my bacon to be soft and not overcooked. I prefer canadian bacon, or the type of bacon you get in the British Isles (more like ham).

I dislike grits intensely, though I enjoyed cream of wheat with sugar, butter and cocoa as a child. Go figure. My DH only likes grits with butter, salt, and a huge piece of fried catfish on it.

My favorite breakfast is likely the Irish breakfast -- complete with black pudding, irish soda bread, eggs, bacon, mushrooms. Keep the fried tomato, though... oh, and lots of good tea!