If I am being completely honest, I would say one of the best parts of this trip has been getting exposed to so many new types of food and cultures! I was really scared coming into the trip because the only British foods I had heard of previously were beans and toast. Yeah, no, I didn’t think I’d be a big fan of that, so I didn’t know how much I would end up liking the food here, but my expectations have been exceeded! Although England itself might not have the absolute most delicious cuisine, the mix of cultural food types here is insane. Especially in markets we have been to, such as Borough, Spitalfields, and Seven Dials, you can literally find every type of food. From Indian to Asian, Italian, Turkish, and more- there has truly always been something for everybody.
For me, I will say that since being in London, I have absolutely found my love for Indian food in the markets. Don’t even get me started on how delicious curry is here. I think I’ve tried over 7 different Indian places, and every single one just gets better and better.
My favorite market we have been to so far is definitely the Spitalfields Market in East London. This market is absolutely huge, with more than 30 different food vendors from savory to sweet. When we went yesterday, I got a delicious Indian chicken and rice box with salad that was to-die-for. As well, Belle and I split a Mac-and-Cheese that melted perfectly in our mouths. While the food was absolutely amazing, that wasn’t the only part. Spitalfields also features many shops that span from vintage clothing, books, and jewelry to music and boutiques with the cutest stuff. Overall, this market had so much to offer that I could spend a whole day just walking through every shop.
I will definitely miss the atmosphere and handiness of these gorgeous markets back in the US and will always wish I could have indian food, mac-and-cheese, and a giant donut all at once.
I enjoyed a fringe show more than some of the most well-known, high budget, high demand West End shows that I’ve seen here. I was told it was funny but I wasn’t expecting how much I’d really I’d like this show.
An Ideal Husband, written by Oscar Wilde and performed at the Lyric Hammersmitch Theatre, was one of the funniest shows I’ve seen this trip. It focuses on themes of idealism in relationships, how power and money can control others, and how no one is perfect.
One of my favorite moments throughout the play was when the character Gertrude Chiltern explains how she put her husband, Robert Chiltern, on a pedestal, believing him to be the perfect man, the “ideal husband,” when the show is about him covering up the fraud he committed that made him rich. She tells him how perfect she sees him and he gets upset, frustrated that she would expect so much from him, disappointed that she thinks he’s a perfect person. Later, in Act II, Robert does the exact same thing! He knows that Gertrude is imperfect, but he idealizes her and hypocritcally views her as perfect because of her imperfection. They’re both beautiful mirrors of expectations in relationships and in people and how nothing is truly going to be perfect, but that is part of the relationship. A perfect relationship, a perfect partner, cannot exist. We’re all human, we make mistakes and are all different, and we have to not only acknowledge that but talk about it if anything can work.
The set was so beautiful as well! A black and white checkered floor with full walls flying in and out did an incredible job to help change the setting throughout the different scenes, making each scene feel unique in their own setting and when we returned to a previous location it felt unique enough that it was clear where we were. The actors all did an incredible job, too, with my favorite being the man who played Robert Chiltern. His deliveries always felt real and his physical comedy made his time on stage all the more enjoyable!
It was an amazing show and I’m so glad I was able to go see it!
The grocery section of Borough Market on a bustling Saturday morning
London is saturated with markets: Camden, Covent Garden, Leadenhall, Portobello, Brick Lane. Then of course there are the gastronomically oriented ones, like Seven Dials and Borough. Altogether, I’ve visited Seven Dials twice, Borough Market three times, and Spitalfields once, and I think it’s safe to say that Borough Market is my favorite.
The first time I visited was a sort of spontaneous morning trip with Professor Irish and a handful of other students on the program. We walked across the London Bridge for the first time (Southwark Bridge a few blocks over is much prettier), and there was a beautiful view of the Thames. It was a Saturday, which at Borough Market means you should probably stay away if you have claustrophobic tendencies. We entered through the sweets/bakery/beverage section, and my gosh, you’re immediately overwhelmed with choice. There were traditional pies, coffees, pretzels the size of my face, waffles with gelato, Italian chocolates and truffles, and so much more I could spend the word count just listing it all. We went through to the grocery and butchery section, and I wished we were staying long enough to warrant buying a nice cut of steak or some produce because it all looked quite delicious! The famous chocolate covered strawberries were there, and I tried someone else’s (shoutout Jocelyn), and I hate to say it but they were pretty delicious. I think the strawberries are really just a vehicle for the chococlate because, boy, it was stellar. Through this section, we finally reached the meal spots, and I was once again momentarily paralyzed by the abundance of options.
I was impressed by the wide variety of cuisines present there. It seems the perfect place to bring a large, culinarily disparate group of people, or that one friend that eats a ham and cheese for every meal, because there is basically something for everyone. Japanese, Indian, Spanish, Asian fusion, American (as close as they can get, anyway), traditional British, and others, just kind of a reflection of various influences within London more broadly. I opted for Japanese and ordered the peanut sesame gyoza; five for five pounds, a pretty good deal for London prices! Their portable kitchen was neat, and they had a lot of pots and pans cooking at once, full of rice, vegetables, and meat. It makes me more interested in the design of mobile kitchens in things like markets or food trucks; I’d like to better understand how they’re organized to be maximally efficient and easy to clean and transport. But anyway, I received my gyoza with a little pick to eat with that was about the length of my pinkie and no sauce. They looked quite plain, just like steamed dumplings, but the flavor was quite delicious, and five was just enough. Unfortunately, I did not get any photos of them.
I did, however, go back to I brought my roommates on my return trip to Borough Market, which was even more enjoyable because that meant I could split things with them and get closer to satisfying my eagerness to try every single food item I laid my eyes on. But at the same time, I noticed even more options the second time around—dates, nut butters, Swedish candies (meh), specialty chips, tapas, etc.,—so was I any closer to solving my food FOMO problem? I guess not. Still, it was wonderful to try even more new foods, especially the Sandwich of All Sandwiches: the Best One from Black Pig BBQ. It had pork, some sort of slaw, sauces, and of course that addiction-activating parmesan cheese. Again, another trendy item, but it met and probably even exceeded expectations. We also ordered some mac and cheese with jalapeño and pork, and a creme brulee donut for dessert; it’s impossible to go to Borough Market and order just one thing.
The Best One (look at that parmesan)
Overall, this and all my other market experiences have been incredibly positive, and I’m grateful to be able to try so many new flavors and styles of cooking!
Culinarily,
Reese
P.S. Also next door to the market was Southwark Cathedral, a stunning work of architecture that looked different each time I peered through the trees at it. I wish I had gone in, but oh well, next time!
I remember hearing over and over that British food is bad, bland, and less than special. Those people must not have visited the London markets. In all seriousness, I know that the UK has particular dishes that are unique to them, and that these markets have a huge variety of different cuisines and dishes that aren’t all British, yet I will continue to defend the argument that there is great food here, as there is great and bad food anywhere you go; you just have to be open to trying different cuisines!
One of the most famous London Markets is the iconic Borough Market. I had heard people in my life speak wonders about this market, and now I can understand why. The second I stepped into the market, I was surrounded by what seemed to be over 100 stalls of food, drinks, and trinkets. Not that I was complaining, of course, but I wanted to try every stand I came across, though I knew my bank account wouldn’t appreciate that.
Every stand of food seemed vastly different from the next, some offering food I had never even heard of. Before visiting the market, I had heard of a food stand there called The Black Pig and the famous sandwich that both locals and tourists alike adore, so I obviously had to see what the hype was about. Reese and I shared the “best one” sandwich, and I can confirm that it was, indeed, the best one. While I’ve had many sandwiches in my lifetime, this one was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. Before I even tasted it, I could tell it wasn’t going to be your basic sandwich with strictly meat and cheese, but instead a combination of many different unique flavors that somehow all work together. Even as I looked at the menu, I realized that not everything on the sandwich I particularly liked or would’ve chosen, but this sandwich convinced me. So, basically, give me good food, and you can change my mind on pretty much anything. I will definitely be dreaming about that sandwich, especially the layer of cheese on top….Wow I love cheese. Borough Market, I will be back.
On this trip we have had the distinct privilege of seeing two shows at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. This theatre is so wonderfully unique and magical to experience. With it being an exact replica of the theatre from Shakespeare’s time, the section nearest the stage is for groundlings (people who stand for the duration of the show), and then surrounding the perimeter are three levels of seats in a circular arrangement. I had an understanding of what the theatre looked like going into the show, but I was curious to see what being a groundling was really like. Our group got there early enough to position ourselves right up against the stage for both shows, and being a groundling ended up making for such a special theatre experience. I really didn’t get tired from standing up for that long, and being so close to the actors was an experience like no other. I love the history of groundlings from Shakespeare’s time. The groundling pit was for common folk, and the ticket came with an incredibly cheap ticket price. This option made theatre much more accessible, and I also love that the groundlings get to be the closest to the stage. The experience made me think about theatre at that time, and the rich history that theatre as an artform has.
I already wrote a blogpost on Mother Courage and her children, so in this post I will mainly be focusing on the production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that we saw. This production was one of my favorite pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen. It was so incredibly joyous, and had a certain magic to it that I have rarely experienced before. First off, the show started with the mechanicals coming out on stage and conducting “auditions” for their troupe. They brought audience members up on stage to act and dance, and then they led groups in song. I ended up getting to learn the dance combo, and officially made my Globe debut! This preshow immediately dropped me into the world of the show, and then it just continued. One of my favorite moments was when Puck accidentally got the magic flower in his eye. The first person he saw was an audience member named Simon, and this became a recurring bit throughout the rest of the show. Because Shakespeare is in the public domain, theatres can change the script and add bits in like this as they like. Another moment was when Belle got chosen to be a hole in the wall that Pyramus and Thisbe talked through. This was a fun moment because they engaged the entire audience by having them link arms and become the wall. This connection between audience members created a fun dynamic, and got everyone to be more comfortable with each other. They did it in the first act, and I ended up talking to the guy that I linked arms with during intermission. The sense of community that the show built was amazing. My absolute favorite moment of the show though was when Belle was finally used in the show. She was still on the ground and Bottom was leaning down from the stage and talking through her fingers. He asked if she could get her hand higher and I ended up having to lift her up.
The last thing I want to talk about is the difference between seeing a show in the afternoon and seeing a show at night. Because it is outside, during the day the lights don’t really do anything, but at night the lights are needed. It made me think about the difference in lighting between Shakespeare’s time and ours. They obviously didn’t have electrical lighting back then, so I am curious as to how they did it with just lamps.
I really enjoyed getting to go to the Globe and highly recommend it to anyone going to London!
Throughout our time in London, we’ve been to a bunch of different markets, walking past stands selling anything from food to silverware to vintage jackets. They were always full of customers and people walking through them.
One market that we visited more than once was the Borough Markets, where I ate what was some of the best mac and cheese of my entire life. The image above of a separate bowl, because the other one that I got had pork in it and it was absolutely delicious. I’m a huge mac and cheese fan so I had my hopes high, and they delivered! I also got some of their chocolate covered strawberries, and me not being a huge strawberry person had me wondering if I’d enjoy them. But where I’m not a strawberry fan, I’m a chocolate fan, and it’s safe to say that the chocolate covered strawberries were delicious! The chocolate was rich and the strawberries tasted fresh, they were amazing! While I didn’t get a picture of it, I did also try a creme brulee donut… it was okay. It wasn’t my favorite but I’m also not a creme brulee person so I’m not shocked.
Some other food that I’ve enjoyed eating here is this one bowl of yogurt that I got the first week or so we were here. I LOVE yogurt and it had granola and fig in it with nuts around it, it was so good. I also got a calzone from an Italian place and I don’t know what kind of cheese and ham they put inside it, but I wolfed that thing down so fast. There was also this one Indian place where I got chicken covered in this spicy sauce with cheese and garlic naan and I wish I took a picture of it because there was so much flavor and kick in the spice that I had to keep eating it so that the spice didn’t hit until the end, which was good, because the sauce was delicious!
People were right, though. British food can sometimes be bland.
We have been to so many markets. The very first one we went to was Seven Dials Market. There were a crazy amount of options. I had a hard time choosing what I wanted to eat. There were some places that I thought would be one thing, but it ended up being another. There was one booth that had loaded hashbrowns. My first thought was that these hashbrowns were covered in cheese and bacon and stuff like that. The only thing on these hashbrowns were different sauces. Severely disappointed in that. But not disappointed in the market. That was so neat! It was two stories of basically a food court. But good food, and not mall food. I spent so long walking around trying to figure out what I wanted. I eventually landed on a pulled pork bagel sandwich. Was I completely happy with my choice? Not really. I am not a huge BBQ fan. Also, why did I choose something so American when I first got to London? Not sure. They also had people going around just picking up your trash when you were done. I was not expecting this because it was such a huge place consisting of a bajillion different food places. So that was neat.
Another market I went to was clothing and accessories. It was on brick lane. I don’t know if it’s an official pop-up market. But I’m going to call that. Brick lane is known for it’s vintage shopping. I now know it for its insane fashion. I felt severely underdressed. Everyone’s outfits were so extravagant and incredible. I did get a watch ring! I did have to dance for a discount. But I must do what I must for a discount.
So overall, London markets are super fun and such a great experience. You may not like the fried cheese sandwich thingy, but you’ll end up getting a bag of delicious blueberries and eating them all in one sitting.
The two markets that stood out to me this trip were the Seven Dials Market, which we went to early on, and the Borough Market. This is maybe because they are the only two I can remember going to! I wish that I had more photos of these places, but I spent my time there just wandering around and trying to soak up what I could. Specifically at Borough Market, I spent most of my time just outside of the market area near a pub, where I could hear people’s conversations or watch people walk by.
Inside the market, coffee was abundant; it almost felt like a competition among all the coffee places. I’m sure the croissant and pastry places also have their own type of drama. There were a lot of different Asian foods at the markets we’ve been to, and I’m picking up on the fact that Indian food is very popular.
The other area of London that I felt provided a much more culturally exciting experience than any market was Banglatown. Not to mention, I have plenty of photos of Banglatown. When we first walked through the big arch, I knew that it was immediately my favorite part of the city.
Banglatown had some of the most diverse and beautiful cultures I’ve seen so far. The graffiti covered every single wall, and it was tasteful too. Not just meaningless tags for the sake of rebellion, but beautiful art pieces.
The food selection at small markets and corner stores was primarily Indian cuisine. I wasn’t able to get any but we were able to appreciate one thing heavily: the fashion.
OH MY GOODNESS, the fashion was amazing. I’ve noticed that the part of London we stay in, around the Financial District, is very classy and reserved when it comes to fashion. In Banglatown, however, it felt like walking through a high-fashion hub. Everyone was dressed in such unique ways that we felt underdressed when we got there. We went to this amazing thrift store and saw some of the coolest clothes we have ever seen.
Westminster Abbey, I hate you. I HATED IT OH MY GOODNESS. I hate to sound so negative, but I could not bring myself to stay in there long enough to get enough information for this blog post.
I did hear a lot about Jane Austen on the guided tour, she has a memorial in the Poet’s Corner, which I’m sure would’ve been a cool area to sit and look at, but I really just got out of there as fast as possible so I didn’t spend much time. Because I didn’t spend much time looking at each individual area, I’ll look some stuff up so that I at least have some stuff to talk about.
Did you know that THE Sir Isaac Newton is buried in Westminster Abbey? It’s true! We were walking all over that dude! He also has a statue made out of marble to go with his grave, what a big shot. His grave is located in the nave, which rhymes! Wow, Westminster Abbey is the best.
Not to mention, Elizabeth Gaskell is there! Now she only has a window, which is congruent with her status, apparently, because I have no idea who that lady is, but apparently she was a writer and novelist and wrote a book called North and South. Newsflash, lady, we already know what those are. That’s why you only got a window. Anyways, her window is in the Poet’s Corner, and I do in fact remember seeing it and thinking, “wow, I wonder who’s on that window.”
Ok, so I’m sure Westminster Abbey is a great place, but holy moly, that was the most overstimulating place I’ve ever been in. It had some very cool areas, and I tried to listen to the guided tour as best as I could, just when it came to dead people or whatever. Oh my gosh, I can’t even think about it for too long, I will get furious.
Ok let’s go. Globe Theater. Not necessarily shaped like a globe, but who am I to judge? Very pretty space! It’s initially very stunning. I will saw the groundling section was a smaller area than what I was expecting. Maybe that’s just because I had never been there before, and wasn’t aware of the dimensions of the groundling area.
It did exceed my expectations. I remember my parents told me about seeing Midsummer at the Globe on their honeymoon to London, but they didn’t have any pictures of the place or the set, and somehow I went my life without looking up images.
I think the area provides really interesting opportunities for set design. The two shows that we saw there, Mother Courage and Her Children, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, had two completely different stages, not just different sets. The building’s architecture is also beautiful. The space at the back of the stage, where we can see beautiful beams and columns, creates a very beautiful and original space. My favorite part of the Globe Theater is not connected to the architecture or the productions that we saw there. The top of the building is open, but the roof slightly angles inwards and in the warmer season is covered with green moss or pollen. On both days we went, little bits of green were floating throughout the building.
As an audience member, I felt very engaged with the performance. Because you are standing and the actors get so close to you, you feel connected to what is happening. Especially in Midsummer, the cast chose to heavily enforce audience interactions. This created a lot of connection between the audience and the performers. I also think the building of the area is built to connect the audience. Because it’s rounded, people on one side of the audience can see the faces of people on the other side.
Overall, super pretty, it’s too bad the original one exploded or something.
