killjoy.

one of the highlights of big cities are their various markets. my passion are ones with young aspiring designers – in london there's been camden, parts of portobello and spitalfields, but all seem lacking these days and i haven't been able to find a location to replace them. i actually decided this year was the last one i venture to spitalfields because it has lost the last bits of its interesting charm.

not that there was any in the past five years or so anyways.

old habits die hard.

sigh.

since antiques are not a thing this minimalist cherishes, my choice are food markets. and there isn't one to surpass the borough market south of london bridge. surrounded by restaurants, cafes and small specialty stores, the market still serves local foodies in search of the best bits from local producers in addition to selections from all over europe.

at this point i'll just let the pics speak for themselves.

cabot chocolatiere.

getting some mulled wine.

glorious juice stand. was too freezing for any of their offerings, though.

delicacies.

got myself some pebrots de padron from brindisa shop. sweetie admired the ham and chilis.

cheese... i love cheese.

brindisa chorizo rolls are simple: chorizo, peppers, rocket, bun. the line to the little booth is long all day.

olives to die for.

heavenly halloumi burger for me from the veggie table .

the problem this particular market – and presumably also spitalfields and camden before it – suffers from, are the tourists. for markets that sell creative little pieces of clothing or accessories, tourists are beneficial to a certain degree. but at some point they overwhelm the buying crowd because their main interest is enjoying the vibe of the market. slowly but surely the small retailers are replaced by insignificant market crap which is cheaper and more likely to sell, the little food carts shoved into a corner from under bigger chains and after a while the market is a tourist attraction with very little to offer.

for food markets the results of increasing popularity are devastating: tourists want to nibble and bite into everything, but they hardly ever buy a single piece of cheese or jar of olives. a big pack of foreigners with cameras capturing the ambiance blocks locals who feel frustrated and leave without following through with their purchase.

caught in action.

unfortunately, in this issue i cannot disavow myself from the merry little crowd of people who just come to the market to inhale it. when it comes to groceries, i am definitely a tourist just visiting no matter how much i'd love to see myself behaving like the locals.

needless to say, i hate being part of the problem. i loathe myself for trying to snatch yet another little piece of cheese and not paying the vendor the courtesy of even pretending an interest to buy. every ooh and exclamation that leaves my lips feels like a curse that's suffocating the exact thing it is trying to elevate.

many vendors are already deserting the market and opening little stores along the side streets and alleys close to the actual market space. they want to serve their regular customers who find tourists a nuisance.

i want to recommend the food market although i probably should not. if i lived in london, i'd go every weekend to buy my groceries. it is such an overwhelming experience both visually and aromatically that the three hours that passed just walking around went hardly noticed.

vanilla custard danish. like creme brulée in fluffy pastry. yummy.

go visit, but please, buy plenty to support the people who make the market the amazing place it is.