With the jet-lag still strong and the overwhelming possibility of an entire new city to explore, Sam and I found ourselves spending our first day in London exploring the East End.
We headed towards Brick Lane and discovered an eccentric mix of people, shops and hidden laneways. The top end of the street reflected the area's strong Bangladeshi culture as we passed hundreds of restaurants each with a banner bigger than the next claiming awards for the best curry in Brick Lane/Britain/The World. If this and the heads popping out of every door promising special deals just for us wasn't enough to entice us inside, the overwhelming smell of spices and fresh garlic naan definitely was.
Back outside the tiny alleyways began to feel more like art galleries than dead ends with amazing street art and murals plastered across every wall. Everywhere we looked there was something weird and wonderful going on and while I've taken hundred's of photos in this last week, I'm currently traveling without my laptop so the few iphone photos that I have taken/stolen from Sam will have to do till I get back to London.
We ended the afternoon with a stop off in a cool little bar, drinking cider and still trying to comprehend the fact that this was all actually happening! If you're looking for something away from the crowds and a little off the beaten track then Brick Lane is for you. Probably not the most tourist friendly place but definitely one of London's hidden gems.
For a extra little bonus check out Sam's post on incredibly cool vinyl record store 'Rough Trade'!
We headed towards Brick Lane and discovered an eccentric mix of people, shops and hidden laneways. The top end of the street reflected the area's strong Bangladeshi culture as we passed hundreds of restaurants each with a banner bigger than the next claiming awards for the best curry in Brick Lane/Britain/The World. If this and the heads popping out of every door promising special deals just for us wasn't enough to entice us inside, the overwhelming smell of spices and fresh garlic naan definitely was.
We wandered a little further and soon found ourselves in the middle of a bizarre culture clash in what can only be described as hipster heaven. The vintage shops that sat on every corner were filled with treasures that I could have blown my entire budget on, 50's floral skirts with layers of tulle, silk scarves from every city in the world and entire rooms filled with a sea of denim jackets.
We ended the afternoon with a stop off in a cool little bar, drinking cider and still trying to comprehend the fact that this was all actually happening! If you're looking for something away from the crowds and a little off the beaten track then Brick Lane is for you. Probably not the most tourist friendly place but definitely one of London's hidden gems.
For a extra little bonus check out Sam's post on incredibly cool vinyl record store 'Rough Trade'!
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