Sunday 23 June 2013

Market day

London - Sunday

 

  • Markets
  • Lock
  • Voices
  • Sweet lil nuts

 

 

 

After a slow start, we began the day (and pretty much ended the day), with a trip to Camden markets.

There was a little hiccup with some minor subway closures aka the entire black line. Chaos did not ensue as the London public service loves a good opportunity to get some queues happening, get a lot of extra geezers out to give directions and put on a lot of extra busses to cover the train routes. This for us was EASY because all the notes and extra instructions were in ENGLISH. So simple when we compared with what it would have been like for us in Italy or Spain.

 

First cab off the rank was to use our new app called "London's Best Coffee App" which knows where you are and can give you directions to coffee shops who make damn fine coffees as voted by the masses. Superb! Thanks to John who put us on to it.

We got off at Camden Chalk Farm stop and pretty rapidly followed our App map up the street to the Tower 47 coffee shop.

 

 

And its got a top hygiene rating

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caffeine at its tastiest

 

 

 

The app was a success with a damn fine flat white had by both satisfied parents.

 

 

 

The Markets

The Camben markets are huge. Essentially started in one area and now the entire suburb has become a market. It takes over 2 subway stops to get from one end to the other - winding, narrow paths. Regions best for clothing, food, artsy stuff, trinkets etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yups - Massei world is here.....forget that Mara region

 

 

 

Drew was in little obsessive boy heaven in this store. He found a big box of buttons, clasps, clips, badge pins etc. Spent a VERY long time going through the box and putting the "best ones" in his little plastic bag which he then bought for 2 pounds. Happy little vegemite.

 

 

 

 

 

Little plastic bag for 2 pounds

 

 

 

What £2 buys you. Drew is ecstatic - cannot believe his win.

 

 

 

A scuplptor of obsession makes the anal sphincter as perfect as possible

 

 

 

Occasionally seen in the same photo

 

 

 

A horse's sneeze

 

 

 

What I loved about this next two pictures is how the two dudes with the super fashion sense watch teh long haired guy walk past in really pretty normal clothes and then once he passes, give him a look as if to say "wah?".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Folding bicycle

 

 

 

Instead of a closed sign

 

 

 

 

We had fun.

Walked to the bus past the old Camden Lock which I assume is still in use today. Hopefully you can see in the picture that on one side the water is high and on the other it is low. We went through a lock yesterday on the way back from the palace just before the Richmond boat stop near Paula and John's house.

 

 

This is a bridge not a Lock, but it's near the lock and it's quite cool.

 

 

 

Camden Lock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They were really good

 

 

 

 

I remember how excited Drew was to catch a subway in Greece. The kids seem a tad more blasé now than all those months ago.

 

 

Mr. Cool (not the old guy)

 

 

 

Subway shmubway

 

 

 

 

We got off our subway a few stops early and walked through Hyde park after a few minutes at Speakers Corner. Not much to write home about really - no quality speakers, almost all fundamentalist religious types with a majority of spectators Muslims. Interestingly, there was one Muslim guy shouting at a another group saying "Its England, speak English, not Arabic". At least he had a few watching him, the Jesus is The Lord guy next door may as well have been at home talking to his mirror.

 

 

Drew watches the speaker intently, seemingly fascinated - but then suddenly gasps, turns to us and says "I just saw an icecream van!!"

 

 

 

Some guy feeding the cute little squirrels - Hyde Park

 

 

 

Squirrel vs Pigeon - peanut standoff

 

 

 

All in all a pretty easy, museum free, ride free day. A good unwind after the Disney madness.

 

Tomorrow should be a cracker - Tower of London and then to the theatre for the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which is currently the hottest show in town (bit of luck and a lot of dish later). Only just out of preview season and from what I hear, sold out past November already.

 

 

Enough

 

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