Here’s yesterday’s post–I worked last night, and when I finished, I started to write it but ended up dozing over my computer.

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My time in London is again drawing to a close.  I’m already yearning to return.  I feel as though I can’t see enough of British Character’s world, and I don’t have time to do a full immersion.  Perhaps Fate will be kind to me soon.

Today, I took a giant detour from research and went to Camden Market, which is a huge maze of stalls and sections with every conceivable bit of bric-a-brac, souvenirs, cheap clothing, masses of ethnic foods, and weird stuff you could think of.

Photographs by Elizabeth West unless otherwise specified

Think a giant flea market that has no end.

I bought some scarves, a pair of sunglasses (I left mine at home), and a pretty bracelet with a chant in Nepalese on it from an Indian market that looked like a jewel box.  So many colors and sparkles!  The shopkeeper said they were donating 20% of each sale to earthquake relief in Nepal.  I would have bought the bracelet anyway, but that’s nice.

Mousequerade in Stables Market sells ethically sourced taxidermy mice and bunnies in teapots. They had these charming little guys celebrating the upcoming US boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

They were too cute to be creepy.

Much to my chagrin, the food stalls smelled like heaven.  I had stupidly (and yet not) eaten at Poppies of Spitalfields and Camden, a retro 1940s–1950s diner with huge chips and delicious haddock.  I mean snow-white, crispy battered, delicious haddock.  I ate every damn bite, plus a large portion of chips and sticky toffee pudding.  With ice cream.

Go here; your stomach will not regret it.  Your trousers might–plates are huge.

But leave room for the food stalls.  I’d have lunch at the market and dinner at Poppies, if you can manage both in one day.

My English friend who advised me to go to Camden Market got a Facebook post from me, which I closed by saying, “I don’t want to come home.”  And I don’t.  With diversions like these, I will yearn further until I come back.  Hopefully, that will happen soon.