The Borough Market, or should I say, Food Heaven

Ok, I didn’t plan this, but one of the oldest open air food markets was in our hotel’s back yard. I did plan on going to several food markets, but I had no idea that the second I walked in that I would feel like I was entering a food dream come true.

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Imagine if your local farmer’s market tripled in size and almost every vendor was cooking AND selling fresh local foods. My pictures can’t convey the wonder of it all…especially the fabulous smells. Everyone was stirring, frying, cutting, tasting…I was overwhelmed with happy plate-ness and cooking bliss.

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Hand-tied homemade sausages. The ties were not just knots, but bows.

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I was on a mission for a meringue.

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I didn’t eat all of these, but I could have. I got a brownie chocolate meringue. Holy Queen Elizabeth was that a good idea. We also had cheesy bread twists, lavender-mint earl grey tea, and cheese onion pasty.

We ended up in food markets in Shoreditch, Spitalfields, and an Asian market outside the Southbank Center.

I took a Soundpic of the Southbank market so you could hear the moment! Just press play to listen.

 

And everyday we walked by this giant frying pan of wonderful at an outside restaurant.

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John said I smiled every time I saw it. Yes, yes indeed, I did.

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London Pride

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Guess what? We went to London (again)! You know that means– John and I had to have our standard veggie fish and chips with mushy peas at The Anchor. This pub is “our” pub when we’re in Londontown and this trip we decided to be week long Londoners who live Southbank (making The Anchor our legitimate pub).

I always sample the local ale and this time London Pride was on tap. It lived up to it’s name. Man I love pints!

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It was also hard apple cider season. the weather was in the lower 60’s temperature wise so it kind of made sense for June. I tried Rosie’s Pig. It actually tasted like lemonade…which might be why the bartender was hesitant to just let me order it. But I’m a high adventurer!

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“Yeah, but how were the veggie fish and chips?” you ask…

They were was so good…

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(warm, barely melted insides…perfect)

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…and then so gone!

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A cup and mug state of mind

I own a lot of teacups and mugs- that’s a fact. Do I have to stack them to shut the cabinet door? Yes, yes I do. Does this stop me from buying a teacup or mug as a souvenir from anywhere I go?
Only slightly.

Each morning the first thing I do is make a pot of tea and pick out my cuppa for the day (I average a daily 3-4 cups of tea a day). With so many to choose from I realized recently that I was picking my tea mug based on what I wished my day to be like or representing my mood when I woke up.

So here are my choices for this week
(Read into them what you like)

Sunday with Yorkshire Gold Tea

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This has been my Sunday teacup for the past few years. Nothing like a little good luck for the week ahead.

Monday with P&G Tea

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When I woke up I realized I had been dreaming about explaining the plot of “Alls Well That Ends Well” to co-workers in a dream and decided I might need a little London at my waking work that day.

Tuesday with P&G

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Tuesday is the hardest day to get up. This morning I needed a little help from Tall Paul and the Gemini Giant, old roadside attractions we saw during a road trip to Chicago during March. Nothing like vacation longing on a weekday.

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Wednesday with P&G (apparently my go-to-weekday tea).

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I picked my bluebird mug because I woke up feeling hopeful and calm (plus all the snow is supposed to melt today).

Thursday with P&G

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Woke up trying to decide if I was going to try and visit my grandparents and Aunt this weekend in Boonville. If I read the mug signs right, they seem to point to yes.

Friday with P&g

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Friday felt like a good day for a little happy ever after.

Saturday with Yorkshire Gold.

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On my way to Grandmother’s house with a Time Lord by my side!