Two Days in London

I could stay home looking for a job while hubby goes to London for business meetings. Or I could get on a train and explore one of the greatest cities on earth for a couple days. Guess which option I took?

Slim had to head out on an early train, but I went later for the lower fare (and more relaxed morning). It's a two-hour trip, so just enough time to plod through a decor magazine (a rare treat I allow myself on special occasions). My plan: one day at the Camden Town markets and one day at the British Library. Forecast was for sun Thursday and rain Friday. Perfect - I would head to Camden Town first. (Forecast turned out to be 180 degrees wrong, but no matter).

What an amazing place, Camden Town. There are actually three (or four?) markets, one of which I never even got to. A lot of the stuff seems to be the same, but I still had a blast. Every food stall tries to ply you with samples - I fell for it the first few times but learned quickly. I did decide a piece of pizza was in order for me to keep up my strength until lunch. Best slice I've had in years! The seating area was fun too - rows of Vespas minus front tires and bolted to the ground.

Next I meandered down to the Stables Market. This was my favourite area. You need bread crumbs to get out - there were so many little lanes and alleys and buildings. This area developed as the beginning/end point of the main road to the British midlands. The canals were built to move foreign goods up the Thames then out to the rest of the country. At this point the goods had to be transfered from the canal boats to carts, so stables were built to house the horses. As trade grew, more stables were built then eventually even a horse hospital. The stables have been left in one part of the building as stalls for the market vendors - very cool.

Next the big decision - Mexican, Chinese, Japanes, Indonesian, Greek. I still haven't gotten used to being in a big city again, so I felt like a kid in a candy store when it came to lunch. I opted for Mexican - it may not sound exotic to you, but for us it is! Very good - the bean salad on the side was actually my favourity part.

Senses overloaded, I took a little back door out of the market to look out over the canal again. A towpath led up from the market, and I thought it looked like a nice place to walk. So I started walking. Camden canal soon led to Regents canal. Then I was walking through the London Zoo where you can see a couple of the animals from the canal. Then I started thinking it was time to get to the hotel, but I was trapped! I could not find an exit off the canal. By that time, turning around would have been another several miles, so I kept walking. Finally I came to an exit and found my way to a tube station, then even found the hotel (we have stayed there once before but the closest tube station was closed at that time so we came from a different angle). Now time for a much needed lie down!

For the evening I had found a musical act appearing near by. She is a singer from Manchester(!) named Kyla Brox. She was performing at a gastro pub and they had a dinner and gig deal, so I signed us up. They served very nice beer as well. The appie was not great - the weakest link. But the mains were delicous - risotto for me and pork with mushroom cream sauce for Slimmie. Slimmie finished off with a rhubarb crumble. I was too full for dessert - yes, surprising, but remember I did technically eat two lunches!

The singer was excellent. She performed mostly her own songs with a couple covers thrown in. She has a beautiful voice - very soulful. And plays the flute which she incorporates into some songs. Her hubby accompanies on guitar. Great evening was had by all!

Friday was beautiful. Skies were not perfectly blue, but pretty close. My first stop was a little French pastry shop that we had frequented on our last visit to London. I had a staggneringly good cup of coffee and pain au chocolate - I'm drooling just thinking of it.

I then headed for the British Library. I had wanted to go to the library since our last visit to London. We didn't go that time because we spent the entire day at the Tower of London (a two or three hour visit for most people but I guess we are slow!). I almost skipped my way into the courtyard in front of the building.

All this excitement was mostly for one room! The library of course houses pretty much all of the historic works in the country. However, the average person cannot look at those; they are for real research. They have set up a 'Treasures' room displaying some of the more famous works on a rotating basis.

Highlights of the museum: maps from 1250, the oldest complete Bible in existence, the Gutenberg Bible, the Magna Carta (okay, there really isn't one Magna Carta but you'll have to go see the exhibit to see what I mean), the only existing medieval manuscript of Beowulf, illuminated manuscripts from all over the world and Leonardo da Vinci's notebook.

But the display case that stopped me in my tracks and made the hair on my neck stand on end: Jane Austen's journal. It is from when she was 13, written in her own hand and has quotes she copied and little stories she wrote. There was also a writing box that her dad gave her. Incredible.

After several hours, I was just too overloaded with information to take in anything else. I headed to the train station (conveniently located just a couple blocks from the British Libary for easy access on my next visit - care to join me?) for some lunch and to meet up with hubby for the train home.

I love London - it is a terrific city. However, I can honestly say I'm glad that we live in Manchester. London is incredible to visit but I am truly a North West girl!