Brick Lane Market

On Sunday, I put on my edgiest outfit, paired with my edgy-don’t-care attitude and got ready to storm Brick Lane…. Well, not really, (I’m about as far from ‘edgy’ as you can get,) but I did go find Alli (my hereby labelled ‘actually edgy friend’) and headed across to East London to see what we could discover.

Now, I work in this area Monday to Friday, where I spend my time suspended between tall shiny buildings. Never before however have I been at a weekend when, suddenly, a whole new kind of life stirs up a little closer to ground level.

Denim replaces suits as people crowd down the narrow lanes. We followed the tangle of people to a huge warehouse, stuffed full of stalls selling everything from clothes and sunglasses to musical instruments and, most importantly, food. 

After trying on a couple of pairs of these…

….and quite a few of these….

…. we decided we couldn’t resist these any longer!

We sat down on the curb to enjoy our cakey treats. (This was the first time I’d eaten red velvet, believe it or not! And I can report, it lived up to the hype!)

We spent the day wandering in and out of different markets, taking in the atmosphere and picking up the occasional goodie. I came out with a new dress, some little earrings and some amazing teacups (okay, okay I cheated, these were from a nearby Anthropologie, but they also happen to be my favourite purchase of the year. Look at the little legs - they’re straight out of Alice in Wonderland!) Alli found some rings to add to her ever growing collection, along with some rather funky sunglasses, while I sipped on a large tumbler of bubble tea that had made me far too excited.

Brick Lane and the surrounding markets are definitely worth a visit. We were surprised by how much original stuff we managed to find (whether it was handmade jewellery, interestingly designed t-shirts or home accessories!) and it was all relatively reasonably priced, despite being a popular place! If you haven’t already (and lets face it, most Londoners already have!) head down there one sunny Sunday – I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll love!

Brunch at Brawn on Columbia Road

Last Sunday, my sister and I went to see our godfather for brunch. Our godfather, Justin, is rather good at spoiling us and even better at finding good places for food, so we knew we were in for a fun day!

We walked to Columbia Road Flower Market and were set a challenge. We each had twenty pounds and had to purchase flowers to make an arrangement each- I knew I had a short rectangular vase to fill and Lu had a tall one, so we off we went!

I battled my way through the crowds and perused the stalls. It was peony season and so they were piled high with fluffy pink blooms, along with just about every type of flower you can imagine! I umm-ed and ahhh-ed over what to pick before I noticed a stall stuffed with sweet peas in beautiful pastel colours. After a little bit of bartering, I walked away with five bunches in pale purple and white. The smell of them drifted through the air as a I walked away in search of the next element of my bouquet!

Then, I came across some rather unusual thistles. Before long, they were wrapped up in brown paper and added to my bunch.

I met Lu at the end of the stalls and after a quick pose in an art instillation, armed with our flowers (she'd gone for roses, canna lilies and normal lilies), we met Justin in Brawn, a restaurant that just has one set menu.

One of the great things about Brawn was that the kitchen was totally open and we could see everything going on as the chefs prepared our food. Before long, (as Lu and I subtly bigged up our flower choices,) a number of dishes to share left the kitchen and arrived at the table.

Look how tasty they look!

We happily tucked in as we chatted away.

Then out came the mains.

Needless to say, it didn't last long!

Once all the food had vanished, it was back to the house for some very competitive flower arranging. Now, flower arranging is definitely not something I've ever spent much time doing before and it was surprising difficult to put our vases together. But, some time later, we stood back and admired our creations.

Justin said he couldn't pick between our two bouquets, but I secretly knew mine was definitely better..!

Eventually it was time for us to leave. We'd had a lovely day with our wonderful godfather who always knows the best way to occupy us. I mean, who could ever say no to food and flowers?!

New York: Lunch at Bergdorf's, Central Park, Gansevoort and Chelsea Market

The following day and a half in New York were a little more relaxed than the former. First up, after spending the morning in search of a good florist, we headed to lunch at BG in Bergdorf Goodman with one of Mum's best friends for her birthday. Here, we joined the ranks of 'ladies who lunch,' while gazing over Central Park, glasses of bubbly in hand. Mum and her friend caught up on over a year's worth of news while I concentrated on eating my food and settled down for some good old people watching. BG was obviously the place to be. There were groups of young ladies, chatting and gossiping away on one table, while at another, older ladies wrapped in their furs and botox sipped at their cups of tea. Even an impeccably dressed elderly couple shuffled in, both pushing along zimmer frames, entourage of helpers in tow! I happily nibbled on my oriental salad while playing a surprisingly entertaining game of 'spot the facelift' with myself. As it turned out, BG's food was good, but the people watching was just top notch!

After having spent our incredibly extended lunch gazing out over the leafy expanse of Central Park, we decided to go for a wander among the trees...

....and spotted some rather unusual wildlife along the way!

Lunch had turned into such a long affair that after a relaxed walk around the park, the evening drew in surprisingly fast. So before long, it was time to go back to our hotel, pack our cases in preparation for our flight home the next day and plan our last morning in New York!

The next morning we rose early. I wanted to show Mum The High Line, an old elevated train line which has been transformed into a long, thin and rather pretty public park.

We walked from its start, right the way down to the Meatpacking district, where we then visited Gansevoort Market and I got introduced to a 'bruffin,' a fabulous foody invention which essentially involves soaking deliciously savoury muffins in soup. Each muffin was themed, its ingredients reflecting a different country. I had a cheesy French muffin, soaked in French onion soup.  I have to say, initially I was a little skeptical, but it turned out to be simply delicious and something I may even try and recreate at home! (Watch this space for a recipe!)

After having eaten our fill, we wandered the area before ending up in Chelsea Market, a fascinatingly quirky arcade of shops. There seemed to be a number of sample sales being held, as well as lots of individual shops to poke our noses into, all which made for a rather entertaining shopping.

Suddenly we realised that it was getting perilously close to our departure time and so it was time to dash back to the hotel, pick up our bags and head to the airport! Almost before we knew it, we were sitting in an aeroplane and flying for home.

New York, as before, had been a whirlwind trip- we'd seen so many new things, revisited some old favourites and discovered places that I know I'll just have to go back to. Our whole trip, from Costa Rica to New York had been absolutely fabulous, a real once in a lifetime experience and one I won't be forgetting any time soon!

New York, New York!

After our adventures around Costa Rica, we thought it was about time we swapped one jungle for another (much more concrete) one. So we packed our bags one more time and headed off to the city that never sleeps!

We arrived mid afternoon and so headed for a relaxed wander downtown towards Union Square where we'd heard there was a lively food market. Not to be ones to shirk the idea of a tasty bite to eat, we were delighted to find the market in full swing!

The chilly contrast between New York and Costa Rica meant that we were simply forced to warm ourselves with cups of hot 'cider' (much more like what us Brits would call spiced apple juice!). I mean, it was a matter of survival! It also happened to be one of the nicest drinks I'd had in a long time!

Soon, the evening started to close in and so we headed back to the hotel for an early night but not before spotting an iconic New York building.

Thoroughly worn out from the day's travelling and our first glimpses of New York, we slipped into bed, eagerly awaiting the next day when our city exploits would start in earnest!