Freedom!

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Recluse, hermit, boring, dull, all of these are things we could have been called the last few months due to our studies, but now we have both finished studying for a couple of months so we’re getting out and exploring.



WE HAVE OUR FREEDOM BACK!!!



First stop, Borough market.



Borough market isn’t like your usual London market, it is alive with atmosphere. A trip to this market isn’t just about shopping, it’s about the experience.



I’d heard it was best to go at the start or the end of the day as this was when it was least crowded. We woke up early so by the time we got there we were one of the first people there.



The actual market itself is situated not far from London Bridge train station, a lot of the stalls are actually under the arches of the railway lines. As you feel the vibration of the train overhead you hear the sound of the chugging on the tracks followed by a long screeching sound as it begins to slow on its approach to London Bridge station.



You’re then hit by the smell of mulled wine, herbs and spices from various stalls. We had only been at this market for a minute and already I feel like I’m exploring some foreign country, my moment of fantasy wasn’t long lived though as it began to rain and reminded me I’m still in miserable, cold London lol.



Someone had told Nikki that you don’t need to buy lunch when visiting borough market as a lot of stalls let you taste their food. Do you know what? They weren’t lying! Within minutes we had already been offered several different types of chorizo including a venison and herb chorizo, which we ended up buying.



You can buy pretty much anything at Borough market including wild boar and elk sausage sandwiches, hundreds of varieties of jams and chutneys, Christmas trees, cheese from every country you can think of, freshly caught fish & crustaceans and for those of you who are a little more adventurous you can even buy fillets of crocodile, springbok, wildebeest, ostrich and kangaroo & zebra burgers!



Having the market to ourselves didn’t last long, within an hour of us being there the hoards of Christmas shoppers and tourists arrived. In some respects the masses of people that go to these markets can sometimes be the thing that gives a market their atmosphere but when it’s the last Saturday before Christmas the people make it feel more like a meat market and we are all cattle being herded around.



When we left Borough market we went to Hyde park to visit Winter Wonderland, however, as we arrived at 2pm and it was the last Saturday before Christmas the queue was longer than we were willing to wait, Instead we finished off our day with a trip to the Wallace collection, a free museum which houses a collection of art from the 15^th to the 19^th century.



We have been to the Wallace collection several times before, most notably when we had our ‘England wedding reception/dinner’ (I’ve included some pictures). The restaurant in the Wallace collection is reasonably priced and because of its location, close to Oxford Street, it is the perfect stop off after a busy day exploring.

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