I know it's Tuesday already, but ... how was your weekend? On Saturday, John and I woke up early to go to Spitalfields Market because we wanted to browse the market for art and homeware ... as well as a new wedding ring for John, since he lost his last weekend! Has that ever happened to you?
So, funny story: when we were shopping for wedding bands, John tried on bands from various places, but felt uneasy wearing an expensive ring since he knew he'd take it on and off a lot (and he has a penchant for losing things!). We ended up buying one from a market stall in Spitalfields instead! It was sterling silver and just a simple, silver band, but we always enjoyed re-telling the tale of how it was sold to us, because I asked the owner which rings were men's rings and he began to pick up several different rings while repeating, "A man could wear this ... a man could wear this ... a man could wear THIS ..." After a while, we got the picture.
Sadly, the same man and his stall were gone (as were any stalls selling silver rings for that matter, so do let me know if you know a good one!), but we did duck into Bishopsgate Kitchen for a quick breakfast.
Have you been to this restaurant before? It was surprisingly quiet on a Saturday morning, which I was thankful for. Retro toasters line a long communal table in the middle and the rest of the seats are decked out in vintage leather and reclaimed wood. The space is bright and airy because of the enormous windows - I could have stayed for longer if we hadn't wanted to beat the crowd!
I ordered a flat white and some delicious toast with preserves, but John went for the smashed avocado and poached eggs on toast, which looked amazing. Definitely a little heartier than your typical smashed avo on toast!
From there, we stopped off to buy a bike helmet for me (we later bought a bike so that I could go with John for off-road cycling adventures in Epping Forest ... me + off-road = not friends, but I'm trying to keep an open mind!) and made our way towards Shoreditch, passing The Commercial Tavern, which we used to frequent when we lived in Whitechapel.
It definitely looks different today! The whole area is so gentrified now compared to what it was 8 years ago ... dozens of people were walking around with cameras, snapping photos of street art and Pinterest-worthy cafés ... we were stopped by a man with a Scouse accent, asking if indie record label and store Sister Ray was nearby (nope, in Soho!).
After picking out a few things for our wishlist at SCP and walking away with a glugglefish pitcher (which I'll share with you soon!), we stopped off for a glass of overpriced Moroccan tea and very dry cake at a nearby market that was just setting up.
I tried out second-hand bikes at Wood Street station when we got back and finally settled on one which I felt comfortable on ... I haven't been on a bike since I was about 14! Do you own one?
It was the first Saturday we had that didn't revolve around putting together furniture or manic trips to IKEA (although we were back in Homebase the next day - ha!) and I really, really enjoyed it. There's something about getting up early and beating the crowds, before retiring home around lunchtime for a siesta that really makes the weekend a weekend, you know?
I'm all about the naps, people.
I love it when you've been so busy and then you finally get a free weekend to potter around and do what you fancy! The smashed avocado looks epic too!
ReplyDeleteLots of love,
Angie
SilverSpoon London
Totally agree, Angie - I often lie awake on Monday morning when my alarm goes off, thinking, "where did my weekend go?!" I really feel like we had the perfect mix this past weekend, and that we made the most of it :) xx
DeleteYou're very brave to start biking again with some off road adventures... :-) I'm strictly a road biker. Although with drivers in the UK behaving the way they do, maybe off roading is safer?
ReplyDeleteHaha! When I saw "off-road" I mean trails/grass, etc. - nothing like leaping off rocks, ha! I am way more scared of cars than trees ... then again, the last time I was on a bike, i went straight into a tree. Yeah. Don't try to figure that one out.
DeleteLooks like you had a lovely day! I'm absolutely awful on a bike - I can cycle in a straight line...until I have to! Cue me cycling into bollards, parked cars, bushes.... You name it! Andy always seems to find this rather amusing! As I'm not married I can't say I've ever lost a wedding ring, but my mum did lose her engagement ring once!! We found it 3/4 years later in between two slats in our wicker washing basket!
ReplyDeleteLauren xx | The Lifestyle Diaries
OMG, that is such an amazing story about your mum's engagement ring! And what did she do in the meantime? Did she wear a different one or just wear her wedding band?
DeleteAlso ... you're going to have to cycle a lot in Amsterdam ;) xx
I don't think I've been on a bicycle since I was maybe 11 or 12. Riding through a forest sounds like so much fun :) John's breakfast looks incredibly hearty and delicious! I can't wait until I can move about the city freely again and make some new discoveries. Glad you were able to take a small break from getting set up to enjoy the city!
ReplyDeleteSame here, Gianni. I did surprisingly well, I think, for my first bike ride back, and John was patient and nice about it i.e. he didn't zoom off and leave me in the (literal) dust. :D :D
DeleteForest riding will be great fun! Road cycling scares me way more - I think you have to be far braver for that!
ReplyDeleteYES! We definitely walked our bikes all the way up to the Forest (about 5 mins or so) because I was too scared of cycling in the road! Also, there's a huge roundabout and I would NOT go around that on a bike. I think the forest riding was actually fun. It was quiet enough and people would notice my wobbly-bike approaching and kindly step out of the way for me - ha!
DeleteI bike everywhere! And, ha, I can talk about it at great length, but won't unless invited. I really love it. I don't have experience off-roading, though, just roads and trails for the most part.
ReplyDeleteThat's great, Marjorie. What kind of bike do you have? I would never cycle on London roads ... death wish for sure! But the trails and even the grassy/off-the-trail bits were admittedly fun.
DeleteIt's a...Schwinn? It's green. It's actually a hand-me-down from my mom (she got a nicer bike and my old one was falling apart) so I didn't do a lot of comparison shopping for it or anything. I like it, though; it's a good all-purpose city bike, tires are thin enough to be speedy but not so thin they can't absorb some bumps in the road. Which is very important, since there's been a ton of construction here this summer, and I've been riding over some ripped-up pavement. I am more familiar with the state of the roads near me than I ever really wanted to be. The construction has also forced a lot of cars off the freeways onto the roads I bike on, so I'm looking forward to that being over with--nearly every day I pass a line of cars halted behind a person trying to turn left at the no-left-turn sign...
DeleteWhat a lovely saturday you had. :)
ReplyDeleteEverytime I read "Bishopsgate", I end up with the Beatles' "Being For The Benefits of Mr. Kite" stuck in my head.
"The celebrated Mr. K.
Performs his feat on Saturday at Bishopsgate.
The Hendersons will dance and sing
As Mr. Kite flies through the ring, don't be late!"
:D :D :D
DeleteSounds like the perfect Saturday morning to me, Jaime! John's breakfast looks DIVINE. Like seriously amazing. I will need to head over myself before we move house! Good luck on that bike ;) Lots of love, Andrea xxx
ReplyDeleteAndrea's Passions
Haha! He's a pretty good cook ... when he's home to cook! Bishopsgate Kitchen a great place for breakfast/brunch - we can meet there sometime! xxx
DeleteI can't wait for your Epping forest adventures - we'll need to start calling you Boudicea!
ReplyDelete