This past weekend, Richard and I decided that we just had to get out and do something. Too often when we have a day together, we waste it by relaxing around the flat all day. Now, I say wasted loosely here, as a day spent sleeping in, eating brunch, and watching a movie on the sofa is not a wasted day per se. It’s just that we often look back at months at a time, and feel like we haven’t really done anything.

I always seem to take photos of Richard on trains – he hates it. I’m thinking of starting a series… or a coffee table book.

So we considered our options and settled on visiting the market at Brick Lane! We had both been to Brick Lane on different occasions, but never on the weekend, when their markets were open.

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. It was kind of small despite how much space there actually was. We’re both more into antiques than handmade stuff, and the market seemed full of screen-printed clothing, or similar items. Not quite what we were looking for.

What they didn’t have in terms of stuff to buy, however, they made up for in stuff to eat! Nowhere near the options at Camden or Borough Markets, but they had momos! After living in Nepal, Richard has quite the affinity for those little Tibetan dumplings… so to say that he was ‘chuffed’ to see that stall would be an understatement. And of course, we had to share a sampling! We tried all the varieties except for vegetarian and enjoyed them all. The spicy dip had quite the kick!

Now, sharing a few dumplings isn’t quite enough for a full meal. There were some other amazing options available in the Brick Lane market, but we had another lunch in mind… salt beef bagels!

I had heard about the bagels here at Beigel Bake, as being the best salt beef in London. I’m a huge fan of spicy mustard and pickles… so these seemed right up my alley! But, if I’m being honest, I think the ones at Borough Market are better (controversial, I know). Maybe it’s the better pickles, but a lot of it is probably due to the fact that Beigel Bake cranks out a bazillion of them each day, and they sort of just slap them together. Seriously, the lines there for bagels are mental. I like a bit more care with my food.

So after our salty lunch, we wanted to find a good place to sit down and have a coffee. And not only did we find great coffee… but cats as well!

that sign suited this sleepy kitty purrfectly…

I’d heard a while back that there were a couple of cat cafes in London, but we hadn’t checked them out yet. Richard and I both love cats (and dogs) and wish we could have one. However, Richard’s job, traveling, and our possibility of moving in the next couple of years have kept us away from the adoption centers. We’re both such suckers that if we ever went, we’d 100% come back with a cat. Or two.

So for a couple of cat-starved crazies, the idea of getting to spend an hour stroking a bunch of furry companions was the ultimate draw! We checked out the website for This Is a Coffee Shop (with cats) and thought that the food/drinks looked good enough to be a draw even without the cats.

As with the Brick Lane market, there was a bit of a letdown in terms of our expectations vs. reality. The coffee shop had undertaken a transformation from a cat café, to a coffee shop (with cats), and one of the biggest changes was that you couldn’t touch the cats unless they came up to you. It makes complete sense, as the cats can get quite stressed from constantly being picked up and stroked by strangers all day.

We knew this going in (as they explicitly mention it on their website), and both support the idea as it’s kinder to the cats. However, we ended up being sat next to a couple of cats who after saying hello, promptly fell asleep ha.

The saving grace of the experience was the food and drinks. I had looked on their website and Instagram before we decided to go and thought that the menu was worth going. My perspective was that the coffee options, food, and atmosphere, would have been enough to draw me in – the cats are just a bonus!

I ended up having their flower latte with hibiscus and rose (yum!) and Richard got out of his comfort zone with the turmeric latte. Both were nice and flavorful and oh-so-pretty! We shared a berry cake (very sweet) and just sat there trying to mentally encourage the various sleeping cats around us to come and say hi. If only they knew how much love and attention we would have provided!

the sole curious cat who came to say hello

I’d be tempted to go back another day, perhaps during a weekday when it’s quieter, and see if I can’t get some cat time. Who knows? But if not, then I’m perfectly content to enjoy another pink latte and read a book… it might not be my favorite color, but it tastes awesome!

The main street is the kind of place to head if you’re in the market for a cheap pair of sunglasses or a phone case. But it’s the market itself that draws me in! Part food market, with open-air stalls, and part handmade/antique sellers hawking scarves, jewellery, and the like. In the fall, it’s the perfect place to find a new scarf or toque, and in the summer it’s a great place to find a new pair of sunnies or a new bag! But in my case, it was the perfect excuse to try a fancy hot chocolate I had heard about.

I first visited Camden Market waaay back in August 2015 when I came over for a few days to see Richard. It was a quick whirlwind trip, where he tried to show me London as much as the limited days allowed, Camden included. He knew I would enjoy wandering the indoor market full of antique clothing and accessories, but my favourite thing had to be Chin Chin Labs. They are an ice cream shop that specializes in liquid nitrogen frozen ice cream! They make it to order, and it looks all sciency and cool! But this time of the year, and especially the recent weather, meant that even a diehard ice cream fan like myself was tempted by something a little warmer. (But honestly, ice cream is always a good idea, no matter the temperature!)

The hot chocolate at Chin Chin comes either plain or with a toasted marshmallow topping. I decided to try it with the topping, despite not being that into marshmallow frosting, as it was voted the best hot chocolate in London. They gave me my cup in a bowl, which I thought was confusing until I tried to actually drink it! That marshmallow doesn’t come off easily! Anytime I tried to scoop some off, it ended up spilling cocoa all over the bowl. Quite a messy drink!

The hot chocolate itself was nice and rich, but I found the frosting too sweet (and too much). It kind of feels like you don’t get enough of the hot chocolate to make room for aaaaall that sugar. If I had it again, I would definitely forgo the frosting in favour of more of what I came there for – the drink itself. Or maybe I’ll just get ice cream instead

After that sugar intake, I wandered the antique stalls for a bit and considered trying on some hats, before realizing that I had to run for the subway, as they were closing Camden station early that day. Much as I enjoy the market, I didn’t want to get stuck there or have to walk to the nearest tube station to get home.

So if you’re in the neighbourhood, or find yourself on the Northern line, why not visit Camden Market? I’d especially recommend it on a sunny day when you can enjoy ice cream outside, or eat along the side of Camden Lock… but then again, those days are the busiest!!

So if you’re in the market for antiques, go on Thursdays, but the other days are interesting too! Spitalfields has a number of food trucks and stalls, and even just completed a new food hub, dubbed the Kitchens, in the middle of the market. If you’re in the neighbourhood, it’s a great place to grab lunch! When Richard and I stopped by recently, we were on our way to another part of London for dinner and just wanted a snack. He had some prawn dumplings from Dumpling Shack, and I got a lamb shawarma from Berber and Q. As he put it “I won” the afternoon snack competition, because my food was way better value for the money, and looked awesome!

I had seen someone else receive their shawarma and thought, that looked good! Nothing beats melt-in-your-mouth meat, tahini, chilli sauce, and pickled jalapenos!

But food isn’t all Spitalfields Market has on offer! Around their new kitchen hub, the market has begun constructing scandi style stalls for their traders. It used to be more fold-out tables and white fabric, but now each vendor gets a little wooden booth.

During the Trader’s Market, you can find plenty of handmade and local clothing, accessories, and jewellery. I got a lovely necklace from Richard last year, from trader Littlesmith – a custom bar pendant with the GPS coordinates of where we met. (I know – he’s a keeper!) I would say that more than half the stalls cater to women, with scarves, purses, dresses, and jewellery taking up more than their fair share. However, you can find leather jackets, funny silk-screened shirts, antique maps, and artwork. A little something for everyone.

Not only is the market a pretty great place to stop by, but the surrounding shops are pretty great too. Anthropologie, All Saints, Lululemon, Dr. Martens, Jigsaw, etc. etc. If you’re in the area, you really should stop by!

Spitalfields Market is just a quick walk from Liverpool Street Station, Shoreditch Street Station, and Moorgate Station. Why not visit the next time you’re in the area?

Every Monday the Apple and Jubilee markets at Covent Garden make way for antiques! Once home to fruit and vegetable sellers back in the day, these markets are usually home to stalls selling handmade wares and lots of touristy kitsch. The antiques you find on Mondays are a refreshing reprieve from what you find the rest of the week. They tend to set up a bit later than most markets, so if you end up there too early, just wait until closer to 11 or 12. I thought that being there around 10:30 would be late, but half the sellers were still setting up their wares.

Most of the sellers are peddling jewellery, silver cutlery and other tableware. You can find the odd stall with some artwork, or other housewares, but it’s almost all the same stuff. I almost bought some vintage Kuba cloth fabrics but was unable to get a hold of Richard before heading home. Maybe they’ll still be there next time? £20 (asking price, which means there’s room to reduce) for Kuba cloth isn’t too bad! Now I just need to find someone selling mali indigo fabrics and I’ll be sorted!

So if you happen to find yourself in the heart of London on a Monday, and wish to look at something other than brand names, why not stop by? Even if you’re not too into antiques, you can still peruse the fancy perfume and tea shops located in the market, or listen to the music! There’s always a musical quartet or some such, playing in the East Collonade of the market. When I first arrived a woman was singing opera! She was amazing!

I’ve been wanting to do a blog post highlighting the market for a while, but don’t exactly take my camera with me to work. This was the perfect opportunity for me to play the tourist, and get a couple snaps of the market stalls. I wish I had taken more photos showing all the great stuff… but my hands were too busy eating!

The Borough Market is London’s oldest food market; in one form or another has been around for about 1,000 years. Given how long it’s been here for, you can assume it’s going to be good. And you wouldn’t be wrong! It’s located just near the base of the shard and is open 6 days a week (Monday to Saturday). It’s basically the food hub of London. If you want to sample interesting cheese, produce, bakery products, etc. from all over, then this is the place to go. If I had lots of money, I would pretty much do all of my grocery shopping there.

Make sure you never visit just after you’ve eaten, or you’ll deeply regret it! There is so much amazing stuff to try, and many vendors sell hot food, which is why this place is such a favorite for all the businesses nearby. Personally, I am a huge fan of the salt beef bagels with spicy mustard and pickles! Yum!!

We ended up wandering around the market for a while, constantly losing my dad because he was three stalls back, sampling something. That guy can’t pass up the opportunity to try stinky cheeses and spicy spreads. He was pretty much a kid in a candy store, trying all of the weird cheeses and meats. I, on the other hand, always find myself fascinated by all the unusual produce available.

Turnips is my favorite place to find all manner of weird vegetables. They carry everything from stripy green tomatoes and purple carrots, to jerusalem artichokes or fancy mushrooms. I’ve often stopped by here to find something I need for a recipe, that I can’t find in a normal grocery store. I may even stock up on a few things in the future, to harvest seeds from produce I plan to grow next year in the ol’ allotment. Some of the seeds might not work, but it’s cheaper than buying like 5 seeds from a specialty place.

So if you’re visiting London, allot some time to check out the Borough Market! Make sure you don’t try to stop by on a Sunday (it’s closed) and arrive outside of lunch hours. This place can get pretty busy around noon, so it’s best to come a little before or after. Once you’ve had your fill, there are plenty of nearby pubs to mosy on over to and wash down all that good food with a couple pints of beer. A perfect afternoon out in London!

Afternoon tea at Sketch London | Hello VictoriaBefore moving to London, I started following a couple bloggers, to see where the good places to eat, shop, and visit were. One of those bloggers is Rosie at The Londoner, and she’s pretty much a go-to resource for places to eat around London, as well as other cities around the world (she travels A LOT!) A place she’s mentioned a few times, and that I have been dying to visit, is Sketch in Mayfair, and especially their afternoon tea in the gallery.

I’m definitely not a girly, girl… but there’s something quite awesome about this room. Almost every surface is pale pink, including the plush velvet booths, and even the barware (in rose gold). It’s pretty much like Instagram heaven for the social media generation, no? I like the dichotomy of the decor – it’s all pale pink and girly, but then has these strange mordant sketches lining the walls, with matching ceramic serving ware.

the drawings on the wall are unusual, to say the least – we found a few that made us laugh while we enjoyed our tea

So this past Easter weekend, we finally managed to book a table (thanks Richard!!!), and it was definitely worth it! I mean, afternoon tea is quite pricey no matter where you go (and I mean priceeey), but it’s an experience – and we made sure to milk it. And I mean that literally, as we’re both huge fans of the ol’ ‘builder’s tea’, with plenty of milk and sugar…

The afternoon tea we picked started with an introduction by one of their staff, as to how the afternoon would unfold. It began with someone explaining all the teas to us (four pages of options) and we would each pick a pot of tea. As the stuff is unlimited we tried to make a dent in all the options. I think by the end of our time there we had tried a combined 7-8 teas, but we could definitely have tried more. If only our bellies could have handled more of the hot liquid…

After the tea arrived, we were served our little “eggy soldiers”, which weren’t actually eggs at all! Well, they had 68° egg yolks, but the ‘whites’ were actually a sort of cheese fondue! I only wish they had given us more bread to dip in it…

Shortly after the eggs arrived, we were greeted by the caviar man! I kind of wish I had taken a photo of him, as he’s the dapper waiter I ever seen. The pale pink suit, Panama hat, and all. His job is basically to come around and give everyone a small spoon of caviar! No joke.

I’ll be honest, I don’t understand the appeal of caviar, and doubt I ever will. So many other things I would rather eat for less money…

I ordered a pink tea made of hibiscus because it seemed appropriate! (apparently, this is what ghosts look like?)

After our caviar and eggs were removed, it was time for our wee tower of treats! And not just a tower of treats, but one where we could ask for more of anything we desired. Which, of course, we did! The coronation chicken sandwiches were delightful, as were the little rhubarb cheesecake pots. However, my favorite item of both myself and Richard had to be the little pistachio choux! Most pistachio flavoring out there contains a hefty dose of almond flavor, and can taste quite artificial… but not these! Oh no, these were almost savory, like peanut butter, in how true the pistachio taste was.

We definitely ordered a second batch of those!

And then, after you’ve had a few rounds of desserts from the tower, there are the scones. Complete, of course, with clotted cream and jam! I still need to get a fail-safe scone recipe, so that I can greet Richard with them as he arrives home. Or I can just take inspiration from the little tea cups and buy them instead…

Finally, when you are fit to burst with tea, they offer you a selection of desserts from the cart, this day including Victoria’s sponge cake, and banana loaf. As though you need any more to eat… or drink for that matter! All that tea meant that I found myself often needing to use the washroom… but maybe that was just because of how unusual it was?

Now, you might be thinking that the gallery at Sketch is probably the coolest room there (with all that pink, on pink, on pink), but it’s not! Weirdly enough, the best room in the house is the toilet!

Up those curving stairs, you will find the most unique little cubicle toilets you ever seen. Ask anyone who’s been to Sketch, and they will agree, the toilets are awesome. Each room at Sketch is conceived by a different designer, so no two really go together.

Today these little egg spaceship toilets were decorated with living nests of daffodils and hyacinths for Easter! And just in case you ever visit for afternoon tea, the left side of the room is for the gents, and the right is for the ladies. Not well labeled, but the lights up the stairs on either side are blue or pink. I got told off for trying to enter a man’s egg…

How was I supposed to know? It’s a crazy unisex futuristic bathroom!

All in all, it was a lovely three-ish hour of afternoon tea, spent trying to see how much delicious cake and treats I could fit in my belly. And let me tell you, it’s quite a lot!

Shopping the Sunbury Antiques Market | Hello Victoria

One of the things that Richard and I looked forward to doing after coming back from Greece (while we still were on holiday), was to visit the Sunbury Antiques Market. It’s a twice-weekly market located at the Kempton Park Racecourse and features over 700 vendors both inside and outside.

We’re both huge fans of eclectic spaces, filled with a mixture of antique and new pieces, and were hoping to find some furniture or accessories for our flat. One of the best and worst things about this flat is that the woman who sold it left a few pieces of furniture behind; it’s great since we can take our time finding the right pieces (and the money to pay for them), but it’s also kind of frustrating as the furniture is bland and boring. We pretty much need everything for the flat – sofa, coffee table, rugs, dining table, chairs, bedside tables… you name it, we need it.

With over 700 stalls, we were hoping to at least find something to take home.

Alas, we found only a few small items, no furniture. But despite our lack of finds, we still had a good day out in the rare English sunshine. There was so much to see – we didn’t quite realize just how big the market was until it just kept going, and going… and going! There was a huge selection of everything from antique jewelry to old farm tools, with a lot in between. I found an amazing little antique painting (like tiny), only to find out that it cost £250!?! I thought maybe it would be £50 but never imagined so much!

Aren’t some of those taxidermy guys hilarious-looking? I also found this Canada Dry box on one of the outside stalls, and couldn’t help taking a photo of it (although, the woman who owned the stall was none too pleased about that). I am still learning that you have to ask before taking photos of people’s stuff, or petting their dog…

In the end, we bought some old wall hooks,  as well as silver teaspoons and dessert spoons for our burgeoning collection.

A while back, Richard and I were discussing how it’s such a shame that people have these “good” cutlery sets that almost never get used – it’s such a waste of craftsmanship. So we’re collecting mismatched silver cutlery in patterns/styles that we like, instead of purchasing a whole set. I was a bit unsure about having it not match, but a quick Google search showed that Anthropologie used to actually sell mismatched silver, and it looks quite nice together (not to mention being cheaper this way).

We’ll have to come back again, on another nice day, to see if we can’t find a nice dining table or chairs to take home. Lucky for us, it takes place every other week.

Living in London | Hello Victoria

… well technically, Sidcup, Kent – but hey! – given that it only takes about 30 minutes to get to London Bridge, it’s basically London.

I moved from Victoria, BC about 7 months ago, as my boyfriend Richard lives and works here. Most days I still feel a bit like a tourist, but I’m starting to get my bearings. Sure, I constantly find myself fascinated by buildings that are older than Canada itself, but I shall soon become a jaded Londoner, walking past Shakespearean architecture without a second glance. (At least, I hope I don’t…)

Early last year, I went back to school to become a pastry chef, and it’s taken me this long to find a job with a good work-life balance. In the meantime, I’ve been trying to hone those skills in my own kitchen, with one small problem. I had heard that kitchens in the UK were small, but had no idea just how small they could be! The size of the fridge we have here is the same as the little beer fridge in my parent’s house! Not ideal when you have grandiose aspirations to make amazing layered cakes or dinner parties.

The lovely old building we call home

Although it is small, this flat has some great character, which is why Richard bought it in the first place. In the quest to make this space the best it can be, it’ll be a challenge to add storage and functionality, while highlighting the character that the building already has. Oh, and did I mention that we have no money to do any of this?! Oh yes… in addition to the small kitchens, UK flats tend to be very expensive, leaving next to no money to update them.

Some of the lovely architectural details on the outside of the flat

I’m hoping that this blog will be the impetus for me to tackle the myriad of DIY projects that I have in my head, bake all the recipes I have saved on Pinterest (yeah – right), and get out more into London. Who doesn’t love feeling accountable to the anonymous masses of the interweb?

Oh yeah, and hopefully this blog will force me to get more comfortable taking and being in more photos because at the moment, most of my faces look like this ^^