In The Market

This past Saturday morning we went to the Borough Market. This is an open air market located just south of London Bridge, which has food stalls featuring delights from around Europe. Our goal was to pick up various foodstuffs for dinner, and we made out like bandits. We started with prosciutto di Parma, which was actually di Parma! We also got a nice rustic loaf of bread, a beautifully creamy fresh mozzarella, a decent tomato (considering the season), some apricots, and some great olives from Turkey. We picked up wine on the way home and had dinner sorted.

This is the second time that we've gone, and both times it has been very crowded. It seems to have a mix of brits and foreigners, but I am not sure how often Londoners themselves go there. The fancier fare was priced high, though the produce stalls that fringe it are more reasonable. There are many smaller markets around the city as well, so as we are setting into our new neighborhood we'll have to seek some out.

In the afternoon, we made our way to Ikea for a very different experience. We were testing out and pricing beds, primarily. Since ours is over 15 years old, we thought we may take the move as a chance to get a new one. Sizes are all different here, of course, and I suspect that I will miss the three inches in length. We also took a look at some options for closets (our place has no built-in ones which is not uncommon here) and kitchen work stations/islands. Our kitchen is nice and open, but lacking a bit of counter space so this would give us a touch more storage and prep space.

While there, I also picked up a small knife set. Our good knives are on the boat and the ones at the temp place are so dull they cut by erosion. So dull, in fact, that a one pound fifty knife set is noticeably better. There were signs posted that you need to be 21 to buy knives at this store, presumably due to UK rules. Drink at 16, chop at 21. Whatever, UK.