Bro weekend- St. Paul's

My older brother, Allen, recently visited us in London. He stayed with us in London for 10 days, which fell over two weekends. This way we were able to still spend a lot of time with him on the weekends and during the evenings, however didn't have to take off work!

Friday Night:
On the first Friday he was in town, we headed to a local pub in Clapham for some delicious cask ales and the traditional fish & chips. The local pub we visited was The Sun, in Clapham Old Town.

Saturday:
Apparently our favourite things about London include the food, because on Saturday morning we enjoyed a proper English breakfast while sitting outside in Clapham. The proper English breakfast includes fried eggs, rashers (English bacon), sausage, roasted tomatoes, baked beans and toast. Pretty much a guaranteed hangover cure. Clapham has lots of great breakfast options, however one place that is the best bang for our buck (quid) is Fantasia Cafe in Old Town.

After breakfast we headed to one of the more popular markets, Borough Market to enjoy lots of delicious free samples and a few pints of proper cider. After Borough Market we decided to go to St. Paul's and climb to the 350-some meters to the top of the dome, to the whispering gallery. From Borough market, walk down the South side of the river, which takes you by the William Shakespeare Globe Theater and the Tate Modern Museum. Then cross the pedestrian bridge across the Thames, and St. Paul's will be right there. It is a very lovely walk and one that I recommend our visitors to do.

It costs £16.50 to enter St. Paul's, which included access the whispering gallery, the top of the dome and the crypt. The exterior of the dome allows for a 360 degree view of the city, perfect for a photo opportunity.

The walk to the top is not for the faint of heights, nor is it for clumsy people... Mom- you are not allowed to the top.  Brett is deathly afraid of heights, and even the walk up the metal stairs scared him. . Like for example, when we were in Florence, he didn't make it to the top of the Duomo, he turned around halfway and left me to fend for myself. Therefore, St. Paul's was very reminiscent of our Italy experience.  See below how he is practically reaching for the wall.


Tomorrow I'll post on the Chelsea football game we attended. Sorry for the lack of posts! I'll try to make them shorter and more frequent going forward. Especially with all our travel coming up, it's going to be hard to keep up!

Cheers! Mary

London Markets

London is very well know for it's multitude of markets that are open year round. Everything from art to flowers to organic foods, there is a market for each one. As expats and newcomers to London, our weekends often include visiting a new market.

For this post, I have detailed the different markets around the city that we have visited. I am hoping to do one on the various museums as well.

MARKETS

Noting Hill : This is by far the most popular tourist market in the city. Most well known for the movie that was named after it with Hugh Grant, it is a very large market with various shops, tons of street food and often times live music and street performers. It's everything you could want out of a market. Definitely a must see, be aware of serious crowds.

Borough Market : This is a fancy and very touristy market with artisanal cheeses, high quality cured meats such as iberico pate negra and fresh pastries.  Located off the London Bridge stop, this market is a perfect way to start a day of touring the city, just be sure to bring your umbrella as it will most likely rain at some point during the day. Borough Market is close to the Tower and London Bridges, St. Paul's Cathedral and many museums. Start your day off here and make your way through town.

Camden Stables Market : This market is in the birthplace of rock and roll and by the looks of it probably the hipster movement as well. Bands such as Pink Floyd and Jimmy hendrix have played in this area of London, the center of London's music scene. The market was old horse stables that were converted into various shops. You can buy anything from a high quality English wool blanket or a new S&M toy, and on your way back to the tube you would have a selection of 100 tattoo parlors to choose from to commemorate your time in London.

Columbia Road Flower Market:  This is a really fun market for a casual weekend in London. It is off the Shoreditch stop on the tube, which is a short trip outside the city center. The market is pretty self explanatory, it is a flower market with around 50 vendors selling all kind of flowers, from tropical to tulips to house plants. We went home with three small blue/green succulents and a flowering cactus to decorate our flat. A lot of tourist books suggests this market to visit, but I wouldn't recommend this market unless you have ample amount of time in London, as it is not very big and there isn't a lot of other things around.

Brixton Market : This is the posh market in Brixton, where you can shop for unique items and grab a proper breakfast or an afternoon drink with friends. This cute market is about a 30 minute tube ride from the city center but is definitely a locals area as the market is tucked away off the beaten path. This is definitely one of my favorite markets, but that might be swayed by the lack of crowds.

Electric Avenue : So this is the gritty area in Brixton, only one block separated by the market I discussed above. This is where many locals go to purchase fresh produce and meats. It is mainly Asian and African cuisine butcher and produce shops. Brett and I frequent this market for the cheap produce, chicken and fresh fish. However, you have to know what you are in the market for as not all the items are of the highest quality, and this market is not for the faint of heart as there are a lot of things we wouldn't see in our everyday grocery stores- whole eel...

If you are looking to visit any of these markets, please let me know if you have any questions! I'd be happy to help you plan your visit in London.

Or if you have any other recommendations on markets in London, I would love to hear them.

Cheers!
Mary