WANDERING LONDON

Given it was probably my favourite day in London, I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get this post up! Determined to put my last Sunday there to good use, I spent the day venturing around the Eastern neighbourhoods. First stop: Columbia Road flower market! A lane packed full of florals of all kinds, and an assortment of cafes and homeware stores on either side. And when you got to the end, an indie-jazz duo playing just the perfect tunes for the uber chilled atmosphere. If only I had an imaginary apartment to scatter little floral bundles around..

Following that I headed down to Brick Lane and Old Spitafields Market, stopping at every single indie store and handwritten food sign along the way. Think the Camberwell Market spread out over at least 3 suburbs. I was absolutely enthralled by the sheer amount and mix of vintage goodness, boutiques and food around me. Everything from lamb koftas and filled bagels (or beigels, as the above sign reads) from street stalls at the Brick Road Food Market, to this warehouse-like space called Boiler House that had just about every cuisine you could think of. As busy as it was, it made for a leisurely Sunday wander, and my only lament was that I couldn't try every single delicious looking thing I saw.. Definitely showed me a different, more colourful and laidback side to London, which I loved and am so glad I discovered. It's not all about the palaces and bridges, folks!

So that was a quick summary to officially end my globetrotting for awhile now.. and I can't wait to tick off more places on my travel list! What's on your's?

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LONDON --> BRIGHTON

There's a beautiful sense of familiarity being back in Melbourne, and having internet on-the-go is something I've come to appreciate very much. Uni's slowly but steadily heading back into full swing and the ridiculous chill (isn't it meant to be easing up already?!) finds me indoors flicking through travel pics, wishing I were still discovering new sights for myself and soaking up the atmosphere at the London Olympics! 

I was eager and ready to do some exploring after being quite sick and miserable for 3 days, so I hopped on a train to visit the seaside town of Brighton, UK. It was a lively, colourful and bustling place; much bigger than I'd expected. The pier, packed full of arcade games, amusement park rides, lolly stores made it quite a kids paradise. Walk along the pebble beach and you'll see stands selling fresh seafood. Head further inland and you'll find The Lanes, where you can easily get lost in a myriad of cafes and vintage stores. Excuse the over-enthusiastic cheesy grin up there, I literally let out an audible gasp when I saw those white shoes, only to realise they were about 5 sizes too small..

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Londontown: Signs and Salads

So I haven't really managed to figure out a coherent way of putting together my pictures from London, but here are some places/food/things that really stood out to me!

I've taken a strange liking to handwritten food signs. I would have gladly gobbled up some 'fluffy caramel nougat' if not for the fact that I was quite sick at the time. This was at Borough Market - foodie heaven located right next to London Bridge!  There was lots to see, from stinky cheese to seasalt caramel ice cream to spanish cured meats. Take a friend along!

I had heard heaps about the Portabello Markets, and being one of the first markets I'd visited I was expecting heaps of stalls/stores, lots of vintage goodies, and lots of people.  To be honest I found it rather underwhelming, but perhaps that's because I wasn't there on a weekend?

Ottolenghi came highly recommended by a food-loving couple friend of mine - 'BEST SALADS EVER,' they raved. Named after Iserali chef Yotan Ottolenghi (yes, I did my research), this little space in Notting Hill has in its display window an enticing spread of delicate cakes and pretty blueberry cupcakes. Step in and you are greeted with generous mounds of salads - I wasn't entirely sold by the look of the ready-made salads, and at the 13£ I paid for a compact takeaway box, it seemed just a little pricey. But, the roasted eggplant was literally melt-in-your-mouth; the dressing on the seared tuna packed a punch, and I don't know what magic combination of herbs and spices went into that couscous salad but it was ridiculously delicious! Worth. Every. Penny. I now regret not purchasing his autographed cookbook..

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