A Sunday in Shoreditch

Oh my! I finally went to London.  And how fun it was!  So much so that I’m trying to plan a return ASAP.

You see I didn’t do much, but wander through markets and meet my friends for brunch. In neighbourhoods where the shops were small and the cafes independent.  Just the way I like, allowing me to get a true feel for a place!

And when I was planning my trip I did flip through a guidebook, but the best advise came from my local friends.  In fact, the Pocket London Lonely Planet guide didn’t even include Shoreditch/Brick Lane!  And since it was right up my street, I had to share!

Fuel

Start you day with brunch.  And the fare at Andina is delicious. Oh, and the servers are adorable. (We probably could’ve stayed here all day drinking lattes, but there were other cute servers in town so we had to cafe hop!)

Les 3 Garcons and Kahaila were also great stops for cafe lattes!

London, UK, Copyright Mandy Sinclair

Pretty

Head to the Columbia Road Flower Market, the place to be on Sundays.  And with no pressure to buy, you can wander freely enjoying the magnificent smells and colourful sights.  Especially for two “travelling gypsies”, as we felt obliged to tell the stallholders. (Sometimes it’s nothing short of a miracle that I’m allowed out in public.)

Street performers, street-side cafes, and little food wagons made for a pleasant ambiance when we needed a little break.  We loved the music of Springtime for Hitler, a one-man jazz show!  So much so that I bought his indie album.  After all, I love supporting up-and-coming artists.

London, UK, Copyright Mandy Sinclair

And when the rain hits, the shops behind the stalls are perfect for wandering through, finding little treasures, and emptying one’s bank account.  Something I’m super good at!

London, UK, Copyright Mandy Sinclair

Admire

With street art galore, this area is a fabulous open-air art museum.

London, UK, Copyright Mandy Sinclair

London, UK, Copyright Mandy Sinclair

London, UK, Copyright Mandy Sinclair

London, UK, Copyright Mandy Sinclair

London, UK, Copyright Mandy Sinclair

London, UK, Copyright Mandy Sinclair

London, UK, Copyright Mandy Sinclair

Wander

Head to Brick Lane for the weekend market when the streets are alive with food stalls selling all kinds of food from around the world, and vintage shops.  Oh my! If my bags weren’t already several kilos over the luggage limits, I would’ve gone mental here.

Good friends, good coffee, cool shopping, colourful sights and wicked vibes. What more could you want?!