Things to do in London - Borough Market

If you're a food lover and your close to London Bridge then the famous Borough Market really is a must. It's perhaps the most renowned of London's food based markets and really does sell a little bit of everything. 

Ad and I are very fortunate in that we travel into London Bridge every morning for our commute, that makes the Market only a short 20 minute train ride from home and a super short walk from London Bridge station.

Borough Market has been an epicentre for chefs, restaurateurs and food lovers since as long ago as the 13th century. It's a had revamp fairly recently and is now home to over 100 traders.

As well as the more traditional fruit and vegetable stalls, you can also find bakers, butchers, fishmongers and of course specialist wine and beer stalls.

One of Ads favourite spots to visit is Utobeer who stock a wide range of craft products from all over the world including ale, beer, larger and even wheat beer. The people at this stall are incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about their products which is handy if you find their selection to be overwhelming. 

If you have a good idea of what you're after, they'll be able to point you in the right direction. If it's hops you're after then Ads favourites of Brew Dogs Punk IPA, anything by London brewers The Kernel or Red Mistress by Siren Craft Brew should see you right.

In fact, most of the traders here are very passionate about what they do, they're super passionate about food and some will even grow, rear or produce the products on offer themselves.

This is reassuring for me as a consumer because it means that I know exactly where my produce has come from.

You'll find that all of the produce here is of an extremely high standard having been tried and tested by a food quality panel before it can even earn itself a spot within the Market. After all, Borough is one of London's oldest fruit and vegetable markets and it's therefore important to ensure that these high standards of taste and quality are maintained. 

Again, this is what keeps me coming back to Borough on such a frequent basis! The desire to try something new, something that I know will taste good, and something that I know I'm not being ripped off for. It's always such a worry at markets that you don't really know what you're buying, but that's really not so here.

If you fancy a visit yourself, the Borough Market is open for lunch on Monday and Tuesday between 10-5 and a full market is available on Wednesday through to Saturday, albeit the opening times do vary so be sure to check online.

Friday afternoons are incredibly hectic as is a Saturday so if these are the only days you have free, please do ensure that you brace yourself for a battle with the crowds. Below I've popped some more photos from over the weekend to give you a flavour of the other produce available and the general vibe.

If all of this is making you hungry, then Borough Market also has a ton of street food vendors from you to choose from including Pie Minister (they sell pie if you weren't sure,) the German Deli, salt beef bagels, curry of all varieties and paella which is cooked up in a huge dish!

The central area is always packed full of baked goods and sweet treats.

 Delicious hand made fudge

 More scrummy sweet treats

 Grabbing some gluten free brownies

 Enormous cheesecake slices

 Clearly I was feeling the sweet treats

 There is always a ton of street food to choose from if you get peckish!

Have you been to the Borough Market? When do you find it's best to visit? Who's your favourite trader?

Our Croatian Adventure - Things to do in Dubrovnik

Today marks the last of my Croatian travel posts, I've really enjoyed doing these little recaps and I'm especially proud of the fact that they'll serve as a travel diary full of hints and inspiration for any would be Croatian travellers.

As I only really explored Old Town Dubrovnik, this post will focus on bits and pieces to do in and around this area. What I would say as my first handy tip is that the water fountains all have drinkable water so be sure to keep a water bottle on you and keep refilling whenever you get the chance. You can no doubt spot a chap to the right of the frame doing just this!

One of the great things about Dubrovnik is that it's a great city to just waddle around at your own pace. Most of the pathways on the main strip are paved with limestone which has become so polished over the years that it almost looks like glass.

The main street is called Placa or Stradun and is full of cute little shops and boutiques including a pirate sweet shop (yes I ventured in, yes it was awesome) which sold giant gummy bears, enormous cola bottles and humongous fried eggs which would bring joy to any person. There were also pharmacies complete with all of my favourite brands such as Avene, Vichy and Ren so a great place for beauty lovers as well.

Of course, there are many side streets which are also worth your time as they sell a variety of wares ranging from olive oil, chutneys and brandies to Game of Thrones memorabilia and art work by local artists. Be warned however, many streets do involve steps!

I believe that during the week the square situated by the Rectors Palace also plays host to a farmers market making Dubrovnik quite the destination for foodies. Here you can purchase many local delights including candied orange peel for which every family has their own recipe, no two bags will be alike.

Aside from general wandering, there are plenty of places to visit in Dubrovnik including the Cathedral above, the Rectors Palace as previously mentioned and several gardens which are tucked away.

If that doesn't take your fancy, then I would highly suggest a walk around the City Walls which offers some amazing views of the Old Town.

If however, the City Walls aren't quite high enough for you, then perhaps a trip up the Dubrovnik cable car will be more to your liking?

A round trip costs around 108 Kuna per person and the views from the top are spectacular. It takes around 4 minutes to ride to the top which is situated 405 metres above sea level. 

From the top you have a wonderful view of the Old Town, the island of Lokrum and far beyond. We were lucky enough to have visited on a clear day so we could see for miles.

 Another view from the top

The newer side of Dubrovnik

Sorry, I couldn't help sharing so many photographs from the top. It really was beautiful up there. If you're so inclined there is a cafe serving food and drinks, a gift shop and of course, there's a toilet so don't panic about being caught short.

Once you're back on the ground, then be sure to take some time to explore a little outside of the city walls. If nothing else, it offers a break from plethora of tourists.

When all is said and done I'd recommend heading home via ferry as it lets you see the city in a new light. We took the ferry to and from Dubrovnik via Cavtat which took about 45 minutes each way at a cost of 9 Kuna each return if I remember rightly.

Our Croatian Adventure - The Game of Thrones Tour

One of the things Ad and I were most keen to do during our stay in Croatia was to visit Dubrovnik and go on the Game of Thrones Tour. This is basically a 3 hour tour which takes in some of the most famous filming sites throughout the city with a little bit of history thrown in for good measure.

Our tour left at 10:30am and started by taking in the famous Lovrijenac Fortress which forms the setting for several scenes throughout the series.

Some might know it as the Red Keep but our guide had several screen shots which showed that this also formed the setting for scenes from the purple wedding, the famous scene where Tyrion slapped a certain someone around a little and also where the Hound saved Sansa.

The heat throughout the day was certainly unrelenting, but the view from the very top of the fortress made it all worthwhile.

From the top, you could see the city walls and the setting for the battle of Blackwater Bay.

It was also an ample spot to take in the island of Lokrum which was used as the setting for scenes based in Qarth. We didn't have time to visit Lokrum this time around but if we venture back to Croatia, this'll be on our hit list.

The Game of Thrones production team only used Dubrovnik Old Town during filming and it was certainly easy to see why as we wandered through the streets. Most of the buildings have retained their charm and original features including the unmistakable red mismatched clay tile roofs.

If you're interested, it's possible to do tours by kayak or boat which take in some of the local islands and give you a glimpse of the walls from a distance.

From the top of the fortress you can also view the primary setting for the Purple Wedding. Our guide told us that it was not unusual for tourists to come and lay flowers at the final resting place for the fallen King Joffrey.

Our guide also informed us that the filming of the Blackwater Bay scenes was not easy owing to the fact that Dubrovnik has a rather dated sewage system which has a tendency to run into the ocean during bad weather.

She assured us that the extras well compensated if they were affected!

From the Red Keep, the tour progressed throughout the city taking in various locations such as this one from Season 5 (think of the sparrows if you're struggling to place it) the Pile Gate where the peasants revolted against King Joeffry, which you can see below, and the setting for Little Fingers brothel.

We also took in the Walk of Shame which you can see below and were told that this particular area of Dubrovnik is actually based on the Spanish Steps in Rome. Having been to both I can certainly see the resemblance. Ad and I did our own tongue in cheek version of the walk of shame which involved me hitting Ad repeatedly over the head with his camera bag shouting "shame" as Ad filmed. Life is for having fun people!

Shortly after this we headed to the Rectors Palace where Dany asks for ships to take her army across the Narrow Sea before heading on over to the City Walls to conclude our tour.

The views from the top of the walls were amazing and on a clear day, it felt as though you could see for miles and miles.

As a word of warning I would say that there is a lot of going up and down stairs, so if you struggle, then a walk around the walls may not be for you.

In addition, there aren't very many shady spots so if you can, avoid going mid-day as this is obviously when the sun is at its hottest. If you can't avoid the mid-day sun and you're on a tour, then do make sure you have plenty of water with you and a hat.

The views from up here are unparalleled and well worth your time. If you're not on a tour, the entrance fee to the City Walls is 100 Kuna (£10) and I would say it's worth every penny.

Our tour took us onto the City Walls to take in the setting for the House of the Undying, or Minceta Tower as it's known in Dubrovnik. This is the highest point on the wall (which stretches for around 2km) and is the best place for taking a few panoramic snaps of the Old Town.

Overall, I really enjoyed our tour, at around £40ish I had questioned whether it would be worth the money but given it included all of our entrance fees and so many location spots (which I doubt we would have found on our own) I felt it was worth every penny. As the tour finished around lunch time, it meant we still had an entire afternoon to explore Dubrovnik before heading back to Cavtat.

Have you done the Game of Thrones tour? Would you be indulging your inner geek if you ventured to Dubrovnik?