SUNDAY, SEPT. 3
CAMDEN MARKET
We decided to go to Camden Market, and soon were navigating a new metro system and new city. Even though the metro stopped a short distance from the market, we managed to get turned around. We’ll call the misdirection a consequence of jet lag. But truth be told, I am notorious for my ability to go in the wrong direction, perhaps in more ways than navigation, but that’s another story. In my twenties, I worked as an associate producer on documentaries, and the crews used to refer to me as Wrongway Watson. I get lost a lot, but now, I kind of like it.
The market totally overwhelmed us. A bit like San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square or Vancouver’s Granville Island, it is chock full of specialty shops, from a large Doc Martin, to vintage clothing and antique stores, jewelry stands, record stores, a tea shop and every kind of ethnic food on offer imaginable. It feels post-industrial and for good reason, it is…formerly the home of distilleries, primarily gin. The market bustled with people – some tourists but mostly local lunch seekers. We wondered why the hell we decided to throw ourselves into a busy market. We spent about an hour there, and then feeling a bit guilty that we couldn’t take it, we left.
REGENTS PARK
We stopped at a “3” store to buy a sim card for Chloe, then followed the signs for Regents Park. The park is a city treasure, and proved to be just what we needed — air, space, green and art. We walked through various gardens, stopped for a very dry scone and coffee at a tiny, park restaurant, and followed a wide path, canopied by large trees, to a trail of contemporary sculptures. It was so nice to be surrounded by random acts of culture again. We recognized a Kiki Smith near a park exit.
Outside the park, we walked through dominating, curved buildings toward Oxford Circle where we visited a contemporary art gallery and eventually made our way to a metro stop.
The ride to Golders Green was about 30-minutes. It was rush hour — particularly intense for us! We found a small, outdoor Persian restaurant in Golders Green for dinner.
Our year of exploration and wonder had begun. Maybe it was no coincidence that we bumped into the giant sculpture of Alice in Wonderland in the park.
