Day 12 - London

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So here we are, waking up this morning living in London for a couple of weeks in our first home exchange of our travels. We're in a three bedroom home in a row house in East Hackney. Really cute home, very comfortably and quite eclectic, hardwood throughout, nice enclosed backyard courtyard, two cats (Ed and Miss Kika). Ed is a short-hair ginger and white cat who loves attention but sleeps most of the day. Miss Kika is missing in action and we are hoping she appears before much longer. They have a magnetic collar activated cat door so are free to come and go so I guess Miss Kika is off on her own little vacation.

Our hosts left us great notes and advice which we read over last night and again today, comparing with our earlier research and planning our sightseeing. So we ate breakfast in, then set off wandering the neighbourhood. We found the deli that our host owns and the (quilting business?) that his wife owns, all within walking distance in a very trendy shopping area. We window shopped the streets checking out all the little shops, restaurants, coffee places and pubs, walked along the canal to Victoria Park and then on to G. Kelly Eel & Pie shop, an icon in this area. Sue was thrilled to have her favourite dish there, Pie & Mash, and so we tried it too, but OMG never again I think. At least they no longer make the green sauce out of eels!

We bought a few more food supplies to get properly set up in our new temporary home then enjoyed a relaxing afternoon at home. This evening we headed out to The Cat & Mutton (our nearest local pub) for their Monday night specials, recommended by our hosts, Stef & Leanne. Just two blocks from home and situated on a great people-watching corner by London Fields Park, we found the pub to offer incredible food at very reasonable prices. Not much for atmosphere inside but the service and food certainly made up for that.

We took a walk through the park after, stopped off at a corner store to check out Oyster Cards (prepaid discount cards for subway and bus) and then home for tea, relaxing and reading up on our sightseeing plans for tomorrow.

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Photos

Regent's Canal
The sidewalks along the canal are filled with walkers, joggers and bicycles.