A bit of research suggested that the Sunday upmarket in Spitalfields was the go. More quirky home made style gear rather than mass produced trash found at many markets around the world.
We caught the tube from Gloucester to Liverpool street and took the lovely stroll to the markets. Was rather impressed with myself for mastering the tube without "The Navigator", but more about his navigation skills later....
We chose to wander through the Petticoat Lane markets on our way to Upmarket and picked up some really cute English teddies for the cousins (the same ones were at Hamleys the next day at more than 2.5 times the price... bargain!) before finding ourselves at the upmarket. Our noses were greeted by a million scents from around the world. Soon after our eyes were greeted with the feast of colour from the stalls presenting food from around the world. We forgot knick knacks for a while as we sampled some of the best authentic market food I have ever encountered. It was only 11am so we restricted ourselves to some duck gyoza, pork bun (check the size of it in the pic of Kenz below) and a few other lovely morsels. I imagine Londoners head down here for Sunday lunch feast whilst shopping on a regular basis. It would be impossible to be left wanting. Further into the markets one can find lovely home made scarves, cards, t-shirts and loads more.
Whilst we were at the markets Ken and Fin went on what turned out to be a VIP tour of Chelsea FC. The photos say it all. Fin has been a walking advertise,net for Chealsea FC Club ever since. It has made him very popular with the locals.
By the afternoon the jet lag was kicking in so our catch up with my old school buddy Jackie and her family was just the tonic. We spent a leisurely afternoon in Kew Gardens (near Ealing).
This is without doubt the most beautiful gardens I have ever been to. It is a huge place (we spent several hours there and only saw parts of it) and there are enough activities for the family to take up several days. The gardens are delightfully manicured and there are massive green houses with plant life from all over the world. Activities include: playgrounds, treetop walks, canoeing on the lake, and much more. Some of the buildings are just breathtaking and had me pining for a bygone era.
Highlight of the day: knowing I navigated the tube without a hitch whilst Finley and "the navigator" hopped on theirs in the wrong direction... It's the little things as they say.
See pics below of our trip to the markets, Fins adventures at Chelsea, and a couple of snaps at Kew gardens. Xoxo
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