I am the kind of grocery shopper who could spend an hour roaming the aisles of Whole Foods, reading ingredients and looking at all the different choices. My roommates back in Seattle often have to look through the store to find and remind me that I’m just there to pick up a few essentials, not the entire organic supply of ingredients. Weird? Maybe, but I guess that’s just the culinary-obsessed chef side of me. 
Now, I really dislike the word ‘foodie’ – it seems like over the past five years, this word has become hip and trendy. People use it to sound like they know all the ins and outs of the food world. It’s become so mainstream of a word that it makes the concept of markets overproduced. So excuse me when I say, I visited absolute foodie heaven the other day. Two words – Borough Market. 
Only a twenty minute walk east of my new flat in southeast London, this massive market that spans across a few blocks is every food-lover’s dream. I thought I’d seen it all – after living in Seattle (home of Pike Place), visiting Chelsea Market and Union Square Market in New York, and countless others – but no, this by far tops the list. Fresh vegetables from nearby markets, loads of cheese and charcuterie shops, and gourmet prepared food carts with delicious smells emanating from them. Apart from the wonderful smells and sights inside the market, the walk there wasn’t too shabby either. Passing the Shard and walking through Southwark is a fun and easy walk to do on a Saturday afternoon. 
As we walked around, I heard the trains rumbling above the marketplace and it jostled me from my mindset of amazement. It seems like the last week has been a serious vacation.. walking around to a new neighborhood of London each day, exploring and meeting the people around my complex. I feel like I’ve been floating around all week, not really grasping on to the fact that I actually will be living here for the next fifteen weeks. The only thing I know for sure, I’ll be coming back to Borough Market to pick up my produce each week and maybe a fun artisan bread or cheese.
I’ve never been introduced to the delicious summery drink of Pimm’s – being that I’m not legal in the states just yet. It’s so delightful and light and was the perfect accompaniment to the group of American students meandering through the crowded market. It seemed like every person in the bustling center had a cup with them, so why not join in on the fun?!On Sunday morning, I found myself awake early and needing to do something. My morning run started off easy, thanks to a sore ankle, but became fantastic with the breathtaking sights I ended up at. I had a basic route of heading east in my mind and seeing how far I could get and after a wrong turn, I looked up and saw the beautiful Southwark Cathedral. The church bells went off at that moment and the magical feeling of being in such a historic setting was almost too much for me to handle. Only another ten minute run past the church, I wound up at Tower Bridge and the Sunday morning walkers were out and about. I had to pinch myself because being able to randomly end up there was definitely overwhelming. I took a mid-run break there to take in the post-card worthy site before I began the run back to the flat. So, week one has come to a close, but I’ve got so many more to look forward to in London and adventures waiting to be planned.
If you’re an avid food lover, you should book the ticket now to visit Borough Market, it’s well worth it. What’s your favorite culinary city? Tell me in the comments below!
The original Crispy Rice with spicy tuna at Katsuya. It really doesn’t get much better – as we sat there, the heat died down and the fountains began their show while the sun set. Absolute perfection!
The inevitable stop at Sprinkles Cupcakes for the heaven made Nutella cupcake was worth all the hype. From the bite I had, it was something that makes me reconsider not enjoying cake. Mmm mmm mmm delicious!
Now on to the main event of our trip – seeing the British boy band, One Direction, in all their glory at night one of their Rose Bowl stop. Being born in the 90’s, I totally was a fan of N*SYNC but was always too young to go and see them when they came around to Northern California. So some fifteen years later and a boy band that isn’t too young to make us stand out as old geezers, this opportunity had to be taken.
