London: Market, Tea and Boat Tour

To Market For A Tea Party
And a few other non-royal photos of our week in London

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Borough Market is located under the elevated approaches to the London Bridge railway station, adjacent to Southwark Cathedral near the South Bank of the Thames. Bob was on the lookout for a public market, because he's addicted to them thanks to Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market.

Borough Market made Bob feel right at home. That's because Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market is built under the shed roof of what was once a bustling commuter hub. A train coming out of London Bridge Station passes along the elevated right-of-way over the market.

Pork, both freshly butchered piggies, as here, or various smoked varieties predominates, though good beef could also be obtained. Not much fish, however. Other than fish 'n chips, most residents England and Wales overwhelmingly prefer protein on the hoof, even those located in seaside towns. Bob tried, and failed, to find fresh local shellfish during our stay on the Isle of Anglesey, though it's reputed to have excellent shellfish beds.

In addition to bread bakers, Borough Market also hosts purveyors of wine and beer and a few sellers of condiments.

The courtyard next to Southwark Cathedral is filled with bakers, including many selling sweet tarts, pies, cakes and pastries. No trinkets allowed.

Jean Sue's cousins Annie (left) and Sonja trekked into central London to join us for tea at our flat. Annie, a school teacher, lives near Peckham in southeast London; Sonja, who works for one of London's governing boroughs, resides in the eastern part of London. We had a lovely afternoon and caught up on Jean Sue's cousins, great aunts and uncles, most of them still in Norway.

One non-Jubilee activity for us was a boat trip down the Thames on one of the few days during our visit when the sun and blue skies occasionally appeared amid the clouds. No, not on this boat, the Cutty Sark, dry-docked at the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. But the Cutty Sark was one of the sites we saw during our cruise from Westminster to Greenwich.

We spent about an hour at Greenwich, just barely enough time to tour Inigo Jones's The Queen's House, the first wholly classical building in Britain. Here, Jean Sue poses by the building's imposing external staircases. Inside was a vibrant exhibition of paintings of British sailors, seamen and officers alike.

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