Wanderings

Since classes haven't started yet, I've been wandering round the city enjoying London, the sites, and the food. I was off to get my phone sorted, when I passed this awesome sushi place and had to come back for lunch.

There's just something fascinating about watching tiny plates of food proceed along a conveyor belt!

I just liked this building. I'm not sure I could find it again without a lot of wandering, though!

Later that evening I wandered around Leicester Square and Chinatown, enjoying the lights and the sights. There are still oodles of people out after dark, but that might have been a result of the numerous theaters around the area.

Found a Bubba Gump in the middle of London!

Chinatown has these big, beautiful lanterns strung up over one of the streets.

And tiny ones everywhere else!

I've spent a good bit of time on the tube lately... but I shall soon have to switch to buses when my travel pass runs out!

The next afternoon I took a wander through Camden Town, which has a bunch of interestingly decorated buildings.

Owls, yay!

It took me up until I walked past it to realize that the Camden Lock Market is called that... because there's an actual lock right next to it. Imagine that!

This dude was sculpted above the entrance to a Shaka Zulu restaurant. 

So these markets are actually -huuuuge-. There must be thousands of vendors with little shops in this tangle of markets. Some of them like those in here are in the actual old stables, with the doors and everything. This complex was originally built way back when in order to facilitate trade through the lock. A railroad was eventually built, too, and it became a bustling hub of goods going in and out of London. At one point there were some 450 horses stabled here, including all the necessary facilities - a farrier, iron-smith to make shoes, veterinarians, and so forth. Horses were the muscle power for dragging ships through the lock and once the railroad arrived there were extensive underground tunnels built to allow them to be moved without being injured or spooked by the trains.

Statues scattered about commemorate the original purposes of different parts of the market.

Except maybe this one. I think this one's just art. ^^

Some of the shops are quite elaborately decorated inside the market area, too.

I saw a post about this cafe - where they literally just serve cereal and milk, but cereals of all sorts of hard to find types - on the internet at one point. And it was exciting to stumble upon it in real life!

And of course food. Tom and I went out to find tasty Korean food one evening, and Bibimbap delivered! This lovely rice dish in a hot stone bowl was beautifully colored and most delicious!

So it's upside down... but I'll fix it!

And after that a bit more exploring the city!

The fanciest barber shop that ever did exist...

St. Pancras Hotel by night!

All in all it's been quite fun, and I am sure the beginning of classes will be a startling introduction back into the land of hard work and schedules that don't involve wandering around (sometimes literally in circles).