The island known as England has a different colour from the European continent. The sea is extraordinary, for as an ocean, it is subject to the ebb and flow of the tides; the water of the Thames has another flavour, different from that of all the other rivers in the world. The horned animals, the fish and everything one eats taste different from the things we eat; the horses are of a different species, down to their very shape, and the men a peculiar character, common to the whole nation, which makes them feel superior to others. All nations share this illusion; each believes itself to be the best. And they are right.
– Giacomo Casanova, The Story of My Life, Chapter XX, p.355