Good Day In The Neigh(Borough Market)hood

In the days and months leading up to England, I made a list of places that I needed to see - no excuses. The three topping said list was: Harry Potter Studio Tour, tea at Kensington Palace, and Borough Market. Tea, we did the first weekend. Borough Market, we crossed off the weekend after that. And Harry Potter Studio Tour - we have our tickets booked for the end of the month! Harry, Kate, and food. I've certainly got my priorities straight.

Tea at Kensington Palace and Borough Market have thus far been my favorite memories in the UK (oh, and Wicked at West End - but hang tight on that one), so I'm happy to report that I know myself very well. Harry, it's all on you now.

When Lauren and I heard that our friends Victoria and Matt were going into London for the Borough Market, we had to tag along. I've heard about this place from bloggers for ages. Like always, it did not disappoint. Not even a smidge.

We had lattes at Monmouth (incredible) and grilled cheese sandwiches at Kappacasein (speechless), hot apple cider, and then picked up a "naughty brownie" for the train ride home. The guy selling the brownies would only sell me the brownie if I promised I was naughty (okay, this is way stranger of a conversation in hindsight...), and let's just say I gave up my spot on Santa's nice list to get my hands on this decadent slab of fudgey chocolate. 

This place is an absolute dream for all five senses. For your eyes, so many vibrant colors! For your nose, so many delicious smells that will lead you to numerous stalls for some finger-licking samples for your taste buds. For your ears, so many wonderful accents from all over the world! And for your fingers... I don't know. You'll find something.

It was still early after we ate our way through most of the market, so the four of us decided to take a leisurely stroll by the Globe Theater, to the Tate Modern, and then across the Millennium Bridge (pop quiz - can anyone tell me what Harry Potter scene it can be found in?!), towards St. Paul's church. We didn't make it inside, but it was simply stunning, even from the outside.

Finally, we made a special tube stop in South Kensington in the hopes of finding a gelato place. Upon discovering it closed for renovation, we instead ducked into Hummingbird Bakery for a very, very decent consolation prize - a red velvet cupcake. 

Lauren and I decided to save our treats for a night of The Mindy Project, New Girl, and Modern Family with a tall glass of milk each and some snuggly blankets. I've said it once and I'll say it over and over again - I'm a girl who loves a good adventure, especially if it's foreign and especially especially if it's in Europe. But if you insist I choose, I'd still pick an evening in my bed with my best friend and some sugar any day of the week.
*Travel tip: if you ever find yourself living in Oxford and wanting to head into London for the day - we usually take the Oxford Tube, which is counterintuitively a bus coach and not the metro tube, which is about 15 pounds for a round trip. HOWEVER. If you have three or more people in your group, I'd recommend taking the train - it's more of a walk for us, but it's in the center of town, takes you to Paddington Station and there's a group deal for 15 pounds per person for a round trip plus you get a free Underground day pass with it. Great deal!