'Things to Do' Your Trip to London is Incomplete Without (Part 2)
This post is Part 2 of a series of entries I am doing on must do's in London.
Thing No.2
Exploring London's markets
What I love most about London is that it has a mix of all
these diverse localities within one city; it’s almost like multiple cities
within a city because of how different each area is from the other! One of the ways of experiencing the different
localities/areas in London is by visiting their markets!
There are probably a hundred markets in London and if you
have the time you should certainly visit them all, but my post will focus on
making a day out of visiting the following ones, because they are in very close
proximity to one another: Columbia Road Flower Market, Brick Lane Market, and Old Spitalfields Market.
If you're on holiday and have only a few days in the city, you'll probably want to get an early start to the day and for that I recommend starting out with Columbia Road Flower Market, since it's the only one that opens at 8 AM. If you're imagining it to be some large meadow filled with flowers, please don't - the market sets up in a very quaint, little road with flower stalls on either side but it is really interesting to see.
There are shops all along the road as well, where you can find things for your garden and even one-of-a-kind jewelry and garment pieces. Get ready to knock elbows with other flower enthusiasts (is that thing?) because the market is almost always filled with people. The market is great for buying fresh flowers but even if you're not in the mood to buy anything, it's wonderful to see so many colourful flowers and plants in one place!
Please note that this market is only open on Sundays, so plan accordingly :)
When you're done exploring the charming flower market, make your way on foot to Old Spitalfields Market. It's a 15-minute walk away and you can easily find the route using GoogleMaps. This market has a a lot of stalls and shops and best of all, there are even food and drink stalls. On one of my trips here with my mom, we found this amazing little courtyard with food stalls from around the world. We ate from a Greek food stall, I'm putting a photo of it below (and of our yummy meal too!)
For those of you who are not foodies, don't worry, the Market has a lot more to offer ranging from paintings to clothes to antiques to hair accessories. You can find out about all the stalls and shops from the official website which I've linked above - that should pacify the shop-a-holic in you! There are occasionally events going on in the market as well, you can keep a look for those on the website.
So now that you've shopped and eaten, time to walk off those calories and go to Bricklane Market. Point to note here is that you can do either one first after the Flower Market; Bricklane Market or Old Spitalfields Market. They are so close to each other that the order does not matter.
Bricklane Market is less glamorous and has a more authentic feel. There's many different areas to this Market, some covered and others that are out in the open, so take your time and wander around. As with the previous market, there are a lot of options to eat as well! There is also a vintage market within this area. I personally really enjoy just browsing through the stalls, looking at hand-made jewelry and shopping for that fun, unique outfit for my wardrobe - there is honestly something for everyone's interest here. One of the other fun things about Bricklane is all the graffiti on the walls!
So after exploring these three markets, you would probably be pretty tired. If you are not, you can also check out Petticoat Lane Market, which is a short distance away - that is good for discount shopping, cheap souvenirs, bags and shoes, etc.
Just for reference and to help you plan, I'm listing the opening and closing timings of each of the markets (these can also be found on the official websites that I've linked above)
Columbia Road Flower Market: 8 AM - 3 PM
Bricklane Market: 9 AM - 5 PM
Petticoat Lane Market: 9 AM - 3 PM
Old Spitalfields Market: 10 AM (11 AM on Saturdays) - 5 PM
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and have fun embarking on this market exploring adventure - it makes for a great day. If you do, leave a comment here!
Happy wandering :)
If you're on holiday and have only a few days in the city, you'll probably want to get an early start to the day and for that I recommend starting out with Columbia Road Flower Market, since it's the only one that opens at 8 AM. If you're imagining it to be some large meadow filled with flowers, please don't - the market sets up in a very quaint, little road with flower stalls on either side but it is really interesting to see.
There are shops all along the road as well, where you can find things for your garden and even one-of-a-kind jewelry and garment pieces. Get ready to knock elbows with other flower enthusiasts (is that thing?) because the market is almost always filled with people. The market is great for buying fresh flowers but even if you're not in the mood to buy anything, it's wonderful to see so many colourful flowers and plants in one place!
Please note that this market is only open on Sundays, so plan accordingly :)
When you're done exploring the charming flower market, make your way on foot to Old Spitalfields Market. It's a 15-minute walk away and you can easily find the route using GoogleMaps. This market has a a lot of stalls and shops and best of all, there are even food and drink stalls. On one of my trips here with my mom, we found this amazing little courtyard with food stalls from around the world. We ate from a Greek food stall, I'm putting a photo of it below (and of our yummy meal too!)
.JPG) |
| I still have dreams about that grilled Halloumi cheese! |
 |
| This place made me a fan of Greek food. |
So now that you've shopped and eaten, time to walk off those calories and go to Bricklane Market. Point to note here is that you can do either one first after the Flower Market; Bricklane Market or Old Spitalfields Market. They are so close to each other that the order does not matter.
Bricklane Market is less glamorous and has a more authentic feel. There's many different areas to this Market, some covered and others that are out in the open, so take your time and wander around. As with the previous market, there are a lot of options to eat as well! There is also a vintage market within this area. I personally really enjoy just browsing through the stalls, looking at hand-made jewelry and shopping for that fun, unique outfit for my wardrobe - there is honestly something for everyone's interest here. One of the other fun things about Bricklane is all the graffiti on the walls!
So after exploring these three markets, you would probably be pretty tired. If you are not, you can also check out Petticoat Lane Market, which is a short distance away - that is good for discount shopping, cheap souvenirs, bags and shoes, etc.
Just for reference and to help you plan, I'm listing the opening and closing timings of each of the markets (these can also be found on the official websites that I've linked above)
Columbia Road Flower Market: 8 AM - 3 PM
Bricklane Market: 9 AM - 5 PM
Petticoat Lane Market: 9 AM - 3 PM
Old Spitalfields Market: 10 AM (11 AM on Saturdays) - 5 PM
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and have fun embarking on this market exploring adventure - it makes for a great day. If you do, leave a comment here!
Happy wandering :)
