london markets Archives - A Life Exotic

The sad time has finally come, folks. It’s my last London post.

I know, I’ve been dragging this out. I’ve been back in the US for a few weeks and have New York, California, and Outer Banks travels from the past month to catch up on (I’m currently in the DC airport which is the woooorst place). Guess I should get a move on.

As I dig through and organize my thousands of photos from the past year, I may find inspiration for a few new Brit blog posts… but for a while, at least, this is it.

One of my last London adventures was a full day out with this lady right here. Jen is my first (okay, technically only) blog friend turned real-life friend!

(her photo!)

As she’s a fellow American expat in London and a pretty hilarious writer, her blog was quite a treat to stumble upon. Back in June, we finally stopped being awkward and decided to meet up and enjoy brunch at New Toms in Notting Hill – which, just like it sounds, is the new establishment that used to be just plain Toms, the place Amity and I ate on our very first day in London. Sadly, it took us ‘til August to get together again!

We both used to be west Londoners but Jen had recently moved up north and offered to show me around her new ‘hood. We spent a beautiful sunny Saturday wandering amidst the stalls of Broadway Market in Hackney and walked all the way to her new neighborhood of Angel. But hold up. First, a question for Londoners, or otherwise knowledgeable parties: what are these round things?!

Amity and I used the one down the street from us in Fulham as a landmark all year, and I spotted this pair in Hackney. I think I also saw one in Battersea. Do they have something to do with gasworks? Please write back.

Anyway. I was late to the market because BUSES UGH, but eventually I met Jen and we spent the morning exploring the stalls of fresh produce, street food, and flowers.

There was simply too much on offer to decide, so we did a lot of mini orders and sampling while we observed the quirky (this may be putting it mildly) locals and funky London street art.

We saved the majority of our appetites for this nearly-hidden courtyard that houses a bunch of international cuisine booths, including Mexican, Creole, Thai, and Mediterranean.

This guy was the real deal. His tacos were to die for and he was pretty fun to chat to, too.

The “Let’s Taco ‘Bout It” was the main reason for taking this photo, yet I somehow cut it off. So lame.

We went to walk off our tacos in the green of London Fields, where I watched on jealously as heaps of little kids frolicked through the fields of tall grass and wildflowers without a care in the world and no fear of ticks. That’s just not an option in the Northeast.

We took our time moseying along and catching up on our previous couple of months in London before eventually making our way back to the market and checking out the other end of the main street. Lucky we did, for ‘twas then that we happened upon our favorite shop in the joint:

How I’d survived nearly a full year in London without finding a reliable live eel importer to source my hot jellied eels, I’ll never know. Crisis averted.

After a few more nibbles, our feet took us out of the market and along Regent’s Canal, which was a gorgeous reflection of the blue sky above.

There was plenty to see along the canal, including a handful of people who actually get to call it home.

(I love that little bit of art along the embankment – it reflects “Shoreditch” onto the water when the surface is glassy enough!)

As much as I hankered after some of the houseboats, this was the place I was really anxious to put down my money for:

How perfect is that front door?!

The weather only got lovelier as we walked and talked, watching the water people go about their days. We saw people cutting hair, walking dogs, and locking up bicycles – all on their boats.

Our journey came to an end when the canal dove under a dark bridge and the footpath disappeared, so we trekked up the hill and in to the fun and bustling neighborhood of Angel.

Jen and I stopped for coffee and did a little browsing through stationery stores and market alleys. It was such a fun afternoon and I loved getting shown around a new part of London by my blog buddy (go visit her at Lady, Relocated – she tends to me more diligent and definitely more succinct than I am, and I will admit it – she’s just as funny).

It’s always exciting when you befriend a person and almost immediately realize you can let the crazy out around them. I’d tell you we ended by searching for a gift for a dog’s birthday barbeque, but you’d never believe me.

Sometimes I can’t believe how much of London I still have to explore.

I’ll start feeling like I know it really well, and then all of a sudden I get off at a new tube stop and I have no idea where I am. I’ve said it before – I feel like a person could live here for years and years and still barely see the half of it.

With that insurmountable challenge in mind, I set off last weekend to meet my friend Nausheen in Camden Town.

(Cristina’s photo)

She had a couple of friends in town from back home (which is Sydney for her) so she thought we could multitask by showing the Aussies around while seeing a new part of London ourselves.

Camden is home to a huge sprawling network of street markets that weave through its streets and buildings, so we decided to take a wander through. It was brilliantly sunny and we took our time strolling down the high street.

Our first stop was into Camden Lock Market, one of the biggest and most well-known markets, right along the canal.

(I’m thinking of running for mayor. One of my Front Porch customers once told me, “You’re ridiculous when it comes to Christmas.” I wear that hat proudly.)

We helplessly followed our noses into the food stalls, where you could order everything from Greek gyros to Philly cheesesteaks to Asian fusion sushi & stir fry. Our standout favorite was this dessert stand called Batch Bakery, which specializes in brownies and all things miniature. It reminded me a lot of Abby’s style!

We tried white chocolate brownie Rice Krispies treats, Oreo peanut butter brownies, and brownie banoffee pie – and it was all mouthwateringly amazing. Nausheen and I have already started plans to follow their pop-up around London like groupies.

We wove our way through the pathways of Camden Lock Market and then checked out The Stables, which is another big market complex that’s actually built half-underground and half-aboveground in old horse stables.

The look of this place is really cool, and they even have an old-timey town crier (see him in red in the photo below?) ringing a big brass handbell and shouting, “Hear ye, hear ye!”

They’re quite proud of their horsey heritage, too.

(Nausheen’s photo)

If you wade through the shops vending hoodies and keychains and “I <3 London” t-shirts above, you get to the underground part of the market, which is more like a cross between a thrift shop and someone’s really old country house.

It’s a bit of a mess, but if you have the patience to sift through everything, you’re sure to find some gems!

These were 100+ year old pen sketches of cities and locations around the world. I even found a few of Saratoga, NY!

And of course I wanted all the maps, all the maps.

Further in, come further in. (Just a little stealth Narnia reference for you)

This, my friends, was just about the coolest little coffee shop I have ever seen. And I have a high standard for that.

I couldn’t decide what I liked best: the authentic old paintings, the scrap lumber walls, the vintage tufted furniture, the mismatched china…

Heading back out into the sunshine, we wandered back through the high street markets.

We left the crowds behind us and followed the sidewalk along the canal again, where a delightful old man was singing Bob Marley under the bridge.

We found a great new pub, which I wish I’d taken my dad to when he was here!

Compared to the markets, the outskirts of Camden are a quiet little part of London, with pretty architecture, wide streets, and plenty of greenery.

They even have their own little version of Rainbow Row!

Our last destination was Primrose Hill, which our friend Leo had told Nausheen & I was his all-time favorite view of the city. A credible recommendation, coming from a native Londoner.

It’s set in the corner of Regent’s Park, and although the hill itself isn’t actually very steep or high, you still get an incredible vantage point on to the city in the distance.

(Nausheen’s photo)

You can see for miiiiles and miiiiles and miiiiles!

It’s quite a popular spot when the sun is shining!

This couple came along just after we got there, and stood directly in everybody’s line of sight (and photos), for the next twenty minutes. It was kind of irritating at the time, but they look rather sweet in retrospect, like this could be a movie poster for a romcom set in London. Aw.

The sun was getting lower while we perched on the hill, so the light kept getting more dramatic.

“Primrose Hill” fits easily into the lyrics of “Solsbury Hill,” so Peter Gabriel was the soundtrack of the afternoon.

We trotted down the other side of the hill as the sun sank below the treeline, said our goodbyes, and split up to wander off in search of our respective tube lines.

I just barely beat the sunset home.

Now I’m torn on plans for next weekend – it’s hard to venture on to other London landmarks when this one was so lovely that it’s just begging me to return! So much to see, so little time.

A Life Exotic

The story of a girl with too many homes

london markets

Broadway Market to Angel

Camden Markets & Primrose Hill