It's so interesting how the different areas of London all have such unique vibes. The past two days, we've been all over the place, taking the tube and popping up in one location after another before diving underground to the next stop. Each one is just so different from the others.
Yesterday we took a walking tour in Maryleborne. I don't think we'd ever been to this part of the city. This particular tour was on The Beatles, and it was one of the London Walks options. Our tour guide was a true Beatles expert having even written a book about them. He was filled with fascinating stories as he guided us around showing us where some of the Beatles were married and where they lived. He also showed us some of the locations that were used in the films they produced. It was a fun tour plus it gave us a chance to see this area which I'd describe as more residential and more modern than some of the other areas we've seen.
Here's the flat where Ringo and his wife lived for a while. Then they sublet it to Jimi Hendrix for a few months! Then John and Ono moved in. Quite a history. The blue plaque is for John Lennon as a memorial and states that he lived there in 1968. In order to have a plaque like that on a home, you have to be dead for 20 years. Our guide said someday they will add another one for Ringo.

Next we went to Chelsea. It's an area not far from where we're staying but it is very upscale and filled with very high-end shops. Because it was Saturday and the weather was perfect, people were out in the parks listening to performers or eating on terraces next to fancy restaurants. We also found yet another food market here. This one is call a "fine food" market, and it was a step up from many of the others. It's at Duke of York Square, and the market is just held on Saturdays. People were eating oysters and drinking champagne. Or standing in line for Argentine steak sandwiches. And every kind of ethnic food was also represented. I tried to take photos but there were just too many people to actually see what the area looked like.
This morning we were off to another part if town, Shoreditch. We'd been there before when we went to the Spitafields Market, but this time we had another plan. When we were here before, we had the famous bacon-egg naan sandwiches at Dishoom, a local London Indian chain. They are amazing, so our goal was to go to the location in Shoreditch for breakfast. The restaurant is kind of hidden but our trusy app got us there.
The sandwich is served with some kind of sweet omato jam that we both love! (Thought of you, DG)
Shoreditch is the opposite of Chelsea. It's a little gritty, and even the shops don't look at all inviting. We didn't feel unsafe but it just wasn't a place we'd want to stay when choosing which part of the city to "live in" while we're here.
After breakfast we walked up to the Columbia Road Flower Market, a Sunday morning event. We would have loved to shop for flowers while there - we have a bunch of empty pots at home that need to be filled! But like many others there, we just enjoyed looking and taking photos. They sell bouquets as well as potted plants and even small trees. How about those hydrangae, BG?




And then our last stop today was Richmond. It required a ridiculously long tube ride to go from one side of London to the other, but we wanted to see Richmond and thought this might be our best chance to do so. It's a picturesque village with beautiful homes, lovely little shops, and the Thames River to make it all complete. Richmond is where the Ted Lasso series filmed some of their ourdoor scenes, and they also fimed in one of the local pubs. We were not at all hungry after our big breakfast so even though there were great looking restaurants, we just walked around exploring the town. Again, it was a beautiful day so we were not the only ones taking advantage of the weather. When we return to London (and I think we will), we'd like to go back to Richmond on a weekday and schedule a lunch at one of the restaurants that overlook the river.
The weather continues to be perfect. We've said several times that this would be a different kind of trip in the rain.