Borough Market and a Football Match

Before coming to England, I made this sort-of bucket list. It began last spring and continued to grow through the summer. I added to it every time I learned something in a guide book, or read something in a magazine, or saw something in a movie, or was given a recommendation. By August, it was full of events and experiences I felt I couldn't miss out on in London. 


I'm surprised, looking back over the last four weeks, at how much I've crossed off that list that once seemed so extensive. In fact, the last two bulleted points on the list below were crossed off this weekend. 

• See Shakespeare performed at the Globe
• Attend a proper afternoon tea
• Tour Buckingham Palace
• London Fashion Weekend
• Explore the markets and clubs
• See a show in the West End
• Attend an English football match

On Friday night, Kristina and I saw The 39 Steps at the Criterion Theater in Piccadilly Circus. It was wonderful. I was laughing the entire time. I think imdb sums up the plot concisely and accurately: 

"A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent. But when the agent is killed and he stands accused, he must go on the run to both save himself and also stop a spy ring trying to steal top secret information." 

The top secret information is the nature of the mysterious "39 steps," revealed at the very end. What makes the play so fantastically funny and playful is the fact that only 4 actors play all 139 roles! At times, they may only switch their hat and their accent to become a new character. The plot moves quickly along as a result and the play is only 100 minutes total. Kris and I were seated next to a polite Welsh couple who were enjoying a holiday weekend in London to celebrate their anniversary. They said that the film version directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935 is considered to be one of the greatest British films of all time. I may have to add "watch Hitchcock's 39 Steps" to my to-do list.

The next day, all of the CAPA students were excited to attend our first football match. CAPA had given us tickets to see Millwall v Burnley at the Den in South Bermondsey. It didn't take us long to sort out why the tickets were free, but I'll come to that later.

touristy photo op!

Jill, Amy, Kristina and I decided to grab a pint near Borough Market before the match because there is usually a pretty lively crowd there on Saturday mornings. Borough Market is one of the largest food markets in London, selling not just fresh produce, but also artisan baked goods, fish, game, cheese, tea, jams, olive oil, honey, chocolate, and more. It was bustling with tourists and Londoners on Saturday morning. It seems to be a fashionable place to buy food. I want to go back again soon and visit the Southwark Cathedral: a large white church near the center of the marketplace, which gives the market a European atmosphere and feel. 

sampling an Indian chutney

We drifted into the Old King's Head Pub across the street around 1 o'clock. I opted for a Kronenbourg 1664 and the other girls chose cider. We stood outside to drink our pints, enjoying the warm weather and discussing movies (Amy is a film major). It was probably a good thing that we only had time for one drink before navigating to the stadium in the 85 degree heat. On the overground train from nearby London Bridge station, it was only a 5 minute ride, plus a 10 minute walk from station to stadium. 

"The Den"

The Millwall stadium looked run down, and the fans were rowdy but disappointingly unimaginative with their jeers and swearing. I had expected better from football fans nicknamed "hooligans" who are known for chanting "No one likes us, we don't care!" At least I can say I attended a football match in England! I wish I could go to a real game - like Manchester, Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal - but tickets to games at the Premier League level are over £100. Perhaps the next time I'm in England... when the pound isn't 1.5 times as strong as the US dollar... :)

London Markets and Clubs for Beginners

9 of 12 roommates! All lovely [at the Blues Room]

The 12th! Arrived late, but was quickly forgiven :)

All right, so the title is slightly misleading - I can’t recall any of the clubs I visited on Thursday or Saturday night as vividly as the markets today. So instead of telling you about the Zoo or the Blues Room in Leicester Square, or others in Soho near Oxford Circus, I want to tell you about the various markets I explored today with my roommate Amy.

Primrose Hill, located just north of Regent’s Park, was the starting point for our CAPA tour towards the Camden Town Market. The walk from Swiss Cottage tube station to the park took our group past rows of bright, neatly kept houses.  I made new friends along the way from Mizzou and Michigan State.The first thing that struck me about Primrose Hill was the number of dogs in the park; I hadn’t realized before, but I haven’t seen more than one or two dogs in the city since my arrival. [Quick kisses to my pug and my two English springer spaniels back home.] Connecting the park and the market was Regent's Park Road: It was very picturesque and I felt drawn towards every inviting café (though, sadly, did not enter). Surprisingly, just across a bridge at the end of the road lay funky Camden Town (a distinctive neighborhood within Camden Borough, where Primrose Hill is also located).

At the top or Primrose Hill, experiencing our first London rain!

The stalls at the Camden Town Market were hit or miss, but although there were several generic punky booths, there were also plenty of truly original vendors offering idiosyncratic and unexpected treasures. The smell of fragrant Chinese, Indian, Mexican, and Italian food… the sight of burlesque, goth, 50s style, punk, and hippy/ethnic clothing… the pierced and tattooed youth. That's Camden Town. Several things caught my eye, and yet I couldn’t commit to buying anything in the drizzle and with limited funds. After three hours of weaving through crowds, being beckoned to by vendors, alternately enthused and puzzled by their wares, we found Chalk Road tube station and left for Shoreditch.

 Which one is my roommate, Amy?

 So many colors... (or should I say, colours...)

With my trusty London Fog umbrella 

Old Spitalfields Sunday Market is amazing. We exited Liverpool Station in the heart of the City and followed the streams of people headed towards the Victorian market hall. I still have a natural high from my delicious lunch and the amazing jewelry and clothing I saw this afternoon. I have five new Spitalfield Market obsessions:

1. My new bracelet by Gia London 
2. The Hungover Cookbook by Milton Crawford 
3. Crepeaffaire 
4. Traffic People 
5. A leather bracelet/necklace with a gold flying pig charm

In the late afternoon, I felt genuinely British when I began to crave afternoon tea. Too fatigued to even consider brewing the tea myself, but too poor to seriously consider afternoon tea at a café, I decided to buy my first box of Earl Grey at a Marks & Spencer in Liverpool Station. Now, lounging in my bed with my computer and a cuppa (cup of tea), I need to research the company where I will be an intern. I need to be brilliant at my interview tomorrow morning. Wish me luck!

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Oh! And before I sign off, a quick shout out to Cirque Nova, who performed a piece called "Finding Epiphany" outside the National Theater on the South Bank at the Liberty Festival: London's annual disability arts festival. They were inspiring!

Markets & Macaroons

Ladurée is opening their first stand alone London tea salon in Covent Garden, and it just looks gorgeous. They can expect me in September! Click here to see the article.