Exploring Neighborhoods - Brixton

This past Sunday, our neighborhood destination was Brixton.

Brixton is located in south London and is known for the Brixton Market, Electric Avenue (the first market street to be lit by electricity), and, unfortunately, riots during the '80s and '90s,

Brixton Market is open everyday and has a bit of everything (meat, clothes, fish, records, etc.). The area is a combination of street market and the market arcade. Market arcades are the covered pedestrian areas where the interior shops are no bigger than a typical market stall. Housed within the market arcades are numerous cafes and restaurants serving a wide range of different cuisines. For our brunch spot, we selected Wild Caper, located in the Market Row Arcade. Our brunch  at Wild Caper didn't compete food-wise with our brunch in Notting Hill; however, the bang for your quid was amazing - a fraction of the cost (another thing that Brixton is known for) and still really good.

After brunch, we took to the streets of Brixton to explore some more. Brixton is the certainly not what you picture when you think of idyllic London...graffiti lines the streets...but it was a fun and different neighborhood to explore.

[Ritzy - the first purpose built cinema in London]

I don't think Shane and I are quite hipster enough to survive daily in this neighborhood but we more than enjoyed the markets and touring through the area while observing the street art.

Exploring Neighborhoods - Notting Hill

To make the most of our time in London, we have started a new Sunday tradition where we grab brunch in a new neighborhood and spend the afternoon exploring said neighborhood.

The first neighborhood on our Sunday tradition list: Notting Hill.

Notting Hill is a district in west London known for its Portobello Road Market, Victorian townhouses and, according to Shane, wealthy expats.

The Portobello Road Market isn't open on Sunday but we elected to head toward Notting Hill anyway as our brunch restaurant selection, Electric Diner, sounded too good to pass up. Even though the market technically isn't open on Sunday, there is a number of antique storefronts along Portobello Road that are open and set-up sidewalk booths. We went in a couple antique shops, and while I could have spent hours rummaging through the various antique stores, 'browsing' isn't exactly Shane's cup of tea. I'll return when Shane's working and when the market is in full swing!

Our brunch stop was top-notch. We were starving and definitely ordered more food than we needed. I added hash browns to our order last minute, but that didn't stop us from enjoying every last bite.

   
After brunch, we were in desperate need for a long walk. We strolled through the various streets of Notting Hill and meandered our way to Holland Park.

Within Holland Park are the Kyoto Gardens. The Kyoto Gardens are where various non-typical park creatures roam - there is a giant goldfish pond and peacocks. The peacocks are truly unique as they are completely un-phased by human observers. You can walk right up to them.

It was a fun Sunday!

Stonehenge and Bath, England

Last weekend, Shane and I took a day-trip tour with two other expat couples to Stonehenge and Bath. Stonehenge and Bath are located about two hours west of London.

Our first stop on the tour was Stonehenge. The drive to Stonehenge was very underwhelming. We were on the motorway (highway) the majority of the time. When we arrived in Stonehenge we were more than ready to get off the bus and start exploring. Stonehenge is believed to be constructed between 3000 BC and 2000 BC by a culture that left no written records. Many aspects of Stonehenge, including the purpose and use of the stones, are subject to debate and there are numerous theories that we heard on the tour. We thought that the construction of the structure, given the era of when it was built, is what was most impressive. The size of the stones and the precision of the placement without construction equipment and technology is mind boggling. See below for some pictures of the stones.

Our next stop on the tour was the city of Bath. Bath is located about 45 minutes from Stonehenge. The drive to Bath, through the English countryside with the sun out, was beautiful. Bath is known for its natural hot springs and Georgian architecture. The majority of the buildings in Bath are made from the local, golden-colored Bath stone, and thus the city got its nickname the Golden City. We had about three hours to explore Bath. We grabbed lunch at a local microbrewery and spent the rest of our time walking around the city and enjoying the architecture. See below for some pictures of Bath. 

We really enjoyed Bath and hope to make it back. Next time, we will plan to take a dip in the natural hot springs of the Roman baths. Also, we will plan to go on our own schedule, not as part of a tour.