Nobody could ever say that I take too many photos (ahem).

In just one short day, I managed to take about 100. This isn't odd by any stretch of the imagination; I'm sure most bloggers do this and I can certainly accumulate hundreds and hundreds in a single weekend. My problem is that I just can't narrow it down enough!

And so I present to you, pictures from one short day in London.. Part 1.


As I always fly from the London airports when I go to see Michele, I decided to make the most of travelling through the big smoke. Alice and I lived together during the first two years of uni but whilst I was eating pizza and generally lazing about for a year, she passed her final exams with flying colours and landed herself a place on a forensics course in London!

We hadn't seen each other in months so we decided to make a day of it. Naturally, this involved me making a list of all the things I wanted to do in London within the space of about 8 hours before inflicting it on poor, unsuspecting Alice. I'm a huge fan of London; living just a couple of hours away and with grandparents living on the outskirts, I spent many a weekend here as a child.

As a food addict, number one on my list was, of course, Borough Market.




My Dad used to work in an office just ten minutes walk from Borough Market. When we first visited as a family, mere months after he'd left the job, he confessed that he'd never come down to the market for lunch.

I am still uncertain as to whether he truly is my biological father.



After having a wander around the covered part of the market, we headed through the archway to where the stalls are in search of some lunch.

I saw huge Italian panini, freshly made pasta, giant balls of mozzarella... but it seemed wrong to eat these things when I was on my way to Italy itself.


So I tried something from a country I've never been too before: Egypt.


Not really the most attractive of eating pictures but hey, I enjoyed it!


It was a mixture of rich tomato sauce, vermicelli, chickpeas, crispy fried onions, a real winter warmer for a chilly December day.


Fran came along to meet us at the market and decided to treat herself to a giant German hot dog.


Fran was very happy that day as she had just been accepted onto a PhD for her dream project at her dream university! Congratulations Fran!

Alice sunk her teeth into a pie from Pie Minister (I am very happy to report that Exeter now has a Pie Minister on campus, which is reason enough to study there. It got to a point last term when I was having a weekly Heidi pie with all the trimmings; minted peas, mash, gravy, cheese, shallots... ahhhh....)




I hadn't realised that Hotel Chocolat's Rabot 1745 was so close to the market. I'd only seen pictures on the internet and dreamed about it before so as soon as I spotted it, we raced in.

I had a cup of their unsweetened cocoa which seemed to get richer as it went on and kept me full for a good long time.



I'm really excited to be going there in a couple of weeks when I return to London for my birthday woo! The table has been booked and the menu has been digested - let the countdown begin!

We headed back to the market in search of more food after that, believe it or not...



And found this rather lovely lady!


Gin, one of my old uni friends, was living in London for a short while before jetting off on her travels (the lucky thing!) Originally from Lithuania, she decided to just book a one-way ticket to the big smoke and figure it all out once she got here. Within days she found a job and a place to live! Some people...



There is nothing I appreciate more than friends who agree to be photographed.



I would love to go around Borough Market with a fork and just take what I pleased.

Now, being just before Christmas and all, we couldn't just walk past this rather nifty little Christmas pudding stand could we? Whilst the full puddings were a bit beyond our budget for the day, the mini puddings with brandy cream were right up our street.


And just look at that tub of brandy cream! Someone pass me a straw.


The stall owner expressed interest in us sending her some of our photos for promotional shots. I feel like once she has seen these she may change her mind...




Oh dear.

By now it was time to grab a glass of prosecco and head onwards to our next foodie destination!


Never underestimate just how much I can consume.

In fact, just the other day I went to a Lebanese restaurant in Exeter and ordered about six dishes to myself (next to my friends' three between them).
"All for you?" the waiter asked in bemusement.
"Yes."
"Are you sure? It's a lot!"
"Yes, I'm definitely sure!"
"Ok... because I don't like food waste, you must eat it all!"
And eat it all I did.



Alice took one of these absolutely gorgeous focaccia home (don't they just look like a work of art?)



And we said ciao for now to the wonderful market (through which we had wandered for at least two hours by now).

Meanwhile the sun began to descend over London.



In the dizziness of the food, prosecco and the glorious experience of being in my favourite city, I played tourist for a little while.




Next on the agenda was the legendary Hummingbird Bakery.

The black bottom cupcake is possibly the most divine creation to ever have graced a baker's oven. Not too heavy, not too light, I could probably devour at least five of these before drowning in dark chocolate and cheesecake batter.


The lovely Lidia met us for a quick cup of tea; she's one of Michele's friends from Milan currently studying in London. It was lovely having a catch up and introducing her to some of my friends too!


There's really nothing better than good friends, good cake and a good natter. Even if it's freezing cold in December and you're sitting outside like lunatics.



Sadly the sun began to go down on our day in London. Fran and Lidia had to head off, leaving Alice and Gin and I to move on to our next tourist hot spot and (believe it or not) more food!

Has anyone got any recommendations for places to go, things to eat in London next time I go?