I woke up early excited that it was Saturday morning, I am in London and that only means one thing.... It is time for Borough Market!!!! Call me a man of routine, but actually I just can't help doing the things that I REALLY enjoy, and wandering around Borough Market early on a Saturday morning has to be one of the best places in the world. I dived in the shower, pulled on my jeans and shirt, rode down the elevator and ran across the road to the Tube Station. In no time at all, I was descending the steps to the Market. Already I could smell the aromas coming from the food stalls and hear the calls of the sellers selling their wares. I have just stumbled into my own little piece of heaven.
Everywhere you gaze, there are colourful signs, amazing displays of every kind of food that you could imagine. Some common and some rather obscure and crying out to be sampled. Rather than go on with the descriptions, I will let the photos speak for themselves.....
One of the most amazing stalls at Borough Market is the fishmongers. There are fish of all shapes, sizes and colours. I just couldn't resist capturing some pics of it. Sorry in advance to any readers that may be a bit squeamish!
Enough now of the fish! There were also many stalls of other kinds of produce, so artistically put together....
Well, I did spend a rather long time wandering around the market. If you want to see more photos from here, leave a comment below and I will post some more another time.
You will however be pleased to know that I did do more than just wander around Borough Market. I always get the train to Borough Market, as it is quite a long way. However, it is always nice to take a very long stroll back. The walk takes one along the embankment of the River Thames, and encapsulates some of the most recognisable sights of the beautiful city of London.
The first is Tower Bridge....
The bridge,named for its two impressive towers was completed in 1894, and is a fine landmark crossing the river.
As I continued down the side of the Thames, I soon came to the next famous landmark. This one is St Paul's Cathedral. The first photograph was taken whilst standing on the Millennium Bridge.
A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood on this site since 604AD, and throughout the Cathedral has remained a busy, working church where millions come to reflect and find peace.
St Paul’s is not only an iconic part of the London skyline but also a symbol of the hope, resilience and strength of the city and nation it serves. Above all, St Paul’s Cathedral is a lasting monument to the glory of God.
The current Cathedral – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by the court architect Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London.
Its architectural and artistic importance reflect the determination of the five monarchs who oversaw its building that London’s leading church should be as beautiful and imposing as their private palaces.
Since the first service was held here in 1697, Wren's masterpiece has been where people and events of overwhelming importance to the country have been celebrated, mourned and commemorated. Important services have included the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill; Jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria; peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars; the launch of the Festival of Britain; the Service of Remembrance and Commemoration for the 11th September 2001: the 80th and 100th birthdays of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, to Lady Diana Spencer and, most recently, the thanksgiving services for both the Golden Jubilee and 80th Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.
As I continued my journey along the embankment of the River Thames, the clouds arrived with rain soon to follow. However, before the heavens opened, I managed to capture this shot of a rainbow over the city. It was quite breathtaking.
Alas, this is where I will leave my report of day two for now. There is still much more of day two to come, so please visit again soon :o)
To be continued.....
13 comments:
Wonderful photo's Graham as always. It looks like you had a blast on your trip. The market looks very interesting indeed.
Funny we are on each others blogs at the same time again. I really like the way you look at the ending of your holiday. You are so right. Thank you for the tip, on my next travel adventure I will be thinking about this.
I love your market images, I would love to walk around, smell the smells, hear the sounds and watch the people and taste the food.
What is a BUTTY? I need to decide if I should try Bacon, sausage or mixed flavour or maybe non of the above, need your advice?
Wow, everything looked so fresh and colorful indeed! :-) Do you find the items are cheap or just as the same as normal price? It seems so interesting to explore around the market.
Michelle, I had a great time thank you. I just wish you all could have been there too! The Borough Market is simply one of the most amazing places on the planet!!!
Liss, aha! The famous English Butty. Butty is slang for a slice of bread with butter on it. However, it is often used to describe a yummy sandwich that has nothing else in it. In this case a bacon butty or sausage butty is a bacon or sausage between two slices of buttered bread (or if you are feeling really naughty, you would ask for a combie... ie. both bacon and sausage in the sandwhich!...lol!) The best butty in the world is a Chip butty!!!
Crystal, the prices here are getting more and more expensive. London prices are always a bit higher than else where in the country because it is a tourist attraction. It probably looks cheap to everybody else at the moment, because the strength of our pound is so poor at the moment :(
Impressed as always!
Love the market shots!
But for a few English specialties, it could be in France. And these fishes...!
An abundance of food! Gorgeous photos!
Great food shots. I must have been to London well over 20 times and have never been to any of the markets or seen any of the sights - guess I will have to spend a weekend exploring our great capital at some point!
Jojo, thank you :)
Zhu, the market is so cosmopolitan. It really could be anywhere. The setting of under the railway bridge really adds to the atmosphere. It always feels like you have stepped back in time. I love it there so much!
Lizz, thank you very much for your kind comment :)
Janette, you must absolutely go to Borough Market. You should also try the Portobelo Road Market in Notting Hill. They are both so magical!
Wonderful photo's Graham as always. It looks like you had a blast on your trip. The market looks very interesting indeed.
Wow! You've really covered your bases. Great post! This was both entertaining and informative at the same time. Good work on the pictures as well. I do hope you keep posting more of these. I'll definitely have a look regularly. Thanks ans more power to your blog! Cheers!
Kevin Akins - kevinrakins@nuhrd.com
Wow! Great post! You definitely gave me a lot of ideas for my next trip with my mom! Thanks for sharing!
-Natalie
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