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!

Our home base in the city was the Fairmont Norfolk Hotel. Not as fancy or luxurious as the Fairmont in Mt. Kenya, but it was in a good location, right beside one of the markets that we were planning to visit. As we had dropped off our vehicle when we arrived in Nairobi, we hired a driver for the time that we were in Nairobi. It was a great call, as he knew all the best ways around town, as well as some places to eat along the way.

Our first stop was the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, to see the orphaned elephants. I had been picturing some sort of romantic scenario, where I get to hand-feed baby elephants, but the result was a biiiit different. The crowd at this place was massive, which meant that we ended up at the back of a group of school children, unable to get very close to the elephants. It was a bit of a letdown, as those people in front were taking photo after photo and not letting anyone else have a turn up close. If you decide to go yourself, get there early in order to beat the tour groups.

However, the elephants were exceptionally cute, and it did feel good to spend money to help a group of orphaned elephants, rather than pay some zoo. Although why they are orphaned in the first place (ivory) is so sad. By the time I have kids, elephants might be something you only see in zoos.

After the elephants, we had lunch before venturing to the Giraffe Centre. Now, if you have Pinterest, you’ll probably be familiar with Giraffe Manor.

It’s a fancy old house-turned-hotel where the giraffes come right up to your window and stick their heads in (you often see photos on Pinterest in “best hotel” lists). Well, these Giraffe don’t live on the Manor grounds but are part of the Giraffe Centre which is right next door. If you don’t have the money to stay in the Manor ($$$) or it’s booked solid (like it was when we checked) then you’ll want to visit the nearby Centre.

Here, you can get real up close and personal with the giraffes! Just watch that you don’t turn your back on them, as they like to head-butt you for more food. And as you can see in the photos, their heads are big!! The Centre started out as a breeding program for a variety of Giraffe that were going extinct, and now also serves to educate young Kenyan school groups on conservation and animal protection.

But the best part is how much you get to interact with the giraffe!!

At the end of our first day, we had a bit of time before dinner and opted to visit the Nairobi Animal Orphanage program at the National Park. It was a bit of a letdown, in that you find out so few of the animals get rehabilitated into the wild (they had lots of large cats). Kind of sad seeing large lions knowing they will spend their lives in captivity.

But you can bet I got to pet more cheetahs! Never tell me that I am allowed to touch cool animals because it will become my new mission in life… oh and I got a monkey to climb all over my shoulders. And can only find a crappy iPhone photo of it.

On our second day in Nairobi, we opted to spend it perusing the markets. I had read online that there were two Maasai markets on certain days, and that one was more geared towards locals, and the other towards tourists. Our driver opted to take us to the touristy one first, and it was a bit of a letdown.

Sure, there were tons of the styles of bowls and spoons that I liked, but so many sandals and purses and other “non-traditional” items. I had really been wanting to find things like masks, baskets, and carved gourds. This market had none. Although you can bet I still bought more bone inlay bowls…

So it was with some uncertainty that we approached the second market. And boy, it did not disappoint. It was huge! Just a big field-type space where the people all set up their little stands, and it can be a bit overwhelming walking through. Everyone wants you to stop and look at their stuff, and the odd trader can be a bit aggressive in following you.

But they had gourds! And baskets! And masks! And you can bet we came home with all three. We even went back to the market later, as we had been rushing through the first time, and it was only a short walk from our hotel.

I can definitely suggest picking the markets not located in malls if you are visiting on a day with two locations. The market might be a bit chaotic, and the sellers more pushy, but you’re more likely to find something unique. I even went home with a bunch of porcupine quills! This woman just had a box of them beside her necklaces and I spent like £1 on a handful. It was almost my favorite purchase because it was unexpected.

And so, after two days in Nairobi, we packed our bags for the final time and headed to the airport. 10 days went by so quickly, but it was an experience I doubt we will ever forget.

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.