Borough Market and Muswell Hill

"When each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises." - Paulo Coelho

Saturday morning, Emma, Kaytee (both roommates), Sam (Em's boyfriend), Rich (friend) and I hopped the tube down to London Bridge for the Borough Market. The Market runs Thursday through Satuday every week and hosts an amazing assortment of food and drink vendors. Delicious food and drinks included frsesh cheese, cheese, and did I mention CHEESE, meats (exotic meat, too!), jams, vegetables, fruit, chocolates, pastries, mushrooms, olives, fish, shell fish, breads, BEER (including Rouge from Oregon and Tusker from Tanzania), wines, pate, pasta, smoothies.............the list goes on forever.

The market was packed with people and spread out in three main market areas. Each little section of the market had its own feel and there was somewhat of a theme in vendors in each area...somewhat! The Jubilee market was under this huge glass covering,though the sides were open. The metal structure of the canopy was green and looked awesome with all the red and yellow tent covers of the vendors beneath. The Middle Market was inside in the same way Pike Place is. Finally the Green Market was pretty well open, but partly fell under thundering train tracks. Bordering the market is the Southwark Cathedral which was closed, but whose grounds served as an excellent and very beautiful spot to eat the snacks you just bought. Not that you really had to buy snacks as vendors offered an assortment of delicious samples. Grazing on samples acted as breakfast and lunch for us, in fact.

Emma, Kaytee, Sam and I had plans in the evening to cook dinner together and spent time at Sam's house in Muswell Hill (near Crouch End where I live). Throughout the day we picked up little goodies for our meal. On the list of our purchases: goat cheese, drunk cheese (cheese soaked in wine), MORE goat cheese, mushroom pate, hummus, salami, chorizo, and a mystery purchase by Sam. Highlights in the tasting area included: a hot chocolate drink (super thick, rich, melted chocolate...not at all like anything I had had before), flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars, too many cheeses to count, wine, foie gras, sangria, and salsa.

After a few hours at the market, Kaytee, Em, Sam and I rushed back to Muswell Hill in time to feed Sam's chickens (yes, Sam has chickens!) before they went to bed at dusk. Once the chickens were full, Sam reveal to us his mystery contribution to our meal.....stuffed duck wrapped in Bacon. Since the duck had to cook a while the four of us popped our first bottle of wine and played Clue, which they call Cluedo here. Weird.

Dinner was aaaaaaamaaaaazing. Each bite was totally worth all the hard work that went into it. By hard work, I mean walking around the market all day being forced to accept delicious free samples. Dinner was not only delicious but rather hilarious as Sam graced us with a multitude of really excellent impersonations the highlight probably being Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.

This morning, after all crashing at Sam's, we had a small tour of Muswell Hill before heading back home to Crouch End, only a five minute bus ride south.