Borough Market at Christmastime

Borough Market around Christmastime is just the best.

If you're not familiar with Borough Market, it's not only just a foodies' paradise, it's also London's oldest food market, established on the south bank of the Thames River when the Romans built the first London Bridge. For the past 250 or so years, it's on Borough High Street, conveniently close to my flat.

So last weekend, there I went. It's so quintessentially British. People are always banging on about how "Bridget Jones's Diary" and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" were filmed there, but I like to picture a way more Dickensian time.

Some highlights!




I'm not entirely comfortable with this butcher's showy display, and I certainly don't envy the parents who have to explain to screaming children why they can't pet these pretty birds, but in any event, I thought it was worth a shot.




Brits just love their mulled wine. It's been at every Christmas party I've been to this year, and when it's cooking on a hot stove, it makes the whole room just smell incredible. I don't particularly enjoy it, though, much to my hosts' dismay. (Red wine gives me an insta-migraine.)



Look at all of these mushrooms! All I see are $$$, since every time I've bought a few exotic-looking mushrooms, I've been at least $10 poorer. But how strangely gorgeous are these?




Mmmm! This Mediterranean food stand reminds me of being in Turkey this past summer. The people behind it are pretty friendly, and they always insist on giving you samples of their yummy olives. Here I bought a tub of freshly made pesto sauce, as it's my beau's favorite. Trust me, the pesto likely smells and tastes better than any other pesto you've ever tried. You just need the tiniest smidgen to get the aroma and flavors going.




These people here are waiting for coffee. Seriously. Next!




At the end of my little trip around Borough Market, I met my friend L. at this place, Black & Blue, which has become one of our favorite meeting spots. It's a steakhouse, but we don't really eat there much. No, there we drink white wine at the restaurant's sturdy marble bar, sit in comfy, supportive cushion-y leather chairs, eat olives and cover a wide range of topics. It's heaven.