Columbia Road flower market

As soon as we arrived to London, Mark scheduled a trip back to the States to go to a conference. I tried to focus on not feeling abandoned and rather hey - I'm here in this new place with new things to see everywhere! It worked about half of the week, but then Henry and I both came down with monster head colds, wherein the only thing that alleviates our grumpiness is croissants, Cars, and the playground. Luckily, there is a playground around the corner, a great bakery around the other corner, and Cars on the ready on my laptop. I'm not ashamed to admit we watched it 2 1/2 times today. Hey, man, whatever keeps us happy, right?

Anyway, before we came down with these stupid colds, we had a grand old time exploring our new city! Last Sunday we walked about a half hour to the Columbia Road flower market in Shoreditch (or Hackney? not sure). I'd heard from a new neighbor that it was "not to be missed". Oh boy am I glad I listened to her! Beautiful fragrant cut flowers and planted flower pots, ornamental trees, ferns, ivy, you name it - it was there! It was suuuper crowded and I had a stroller, so it was sort of like swimming upstream, but we made it out with a perfect bunch of happy pink peonies. And besides the flower market, Columbia Road is awesome! The best shops - vintage, handmade, local, high-end, low-end all kinds of anything, and so much good food. Henry ate a croissant the size of his head, so you know he was happy (and he has a big head, so!) and we sat down a watched an adorable East-Londony band perform their fun music. Henry was dancing in the middle of the street, it was so good.

You'd better believe I'm dragging Mark back there next time we get a free Sunday. Officially in my top 3 things I've done in London!