Saturday, July 26, 2014

Climb for a view followed by food and souvenirs at the Stables!



A walk up a hill that is 256 feet the day after walking 528 steps up St. Paul’s Cathedral was a lot harder than one would think it should have been but the view was amazing!

To see London central from the outside was definetly different point of view than the one the day before at St. paul’s Cathedral. That view keeps you within London but jut above most buildings to see around it. Both views are remarkable but give you a different persepective. Primrose Hill shows you the skyline of London central. I loved that there was an inscription from Willam Blake, “I have conversed with the spiritual sun. I saw him on Primrose Hill.” I could only imagine what it would look like to see the sunrise or even a sunset from that spot. To watch the sun take it’s first breath of day and glide over the city and then as it sets to rest for the night, must be a coversation. To greet and say goodnight to the spiritual sun must be a glorious feeling and moment. In the middle of the area was a marker for Iolo Morganwg, radical Unitarian poet and antiquarian, who in 1792 founded the Gorsedd, a community of Welsh bards, at a ceremony on 21 June at Primrose Hill.

Valerie had started talking to a local, Hazel, who then walked us to Camden Lock. That was amazing little tour and information on the town and then the lock area. I thought one of the interesing stories was when she talked about the pub The Engineer that had been owned by Tamsin Olivier, famous actors Laurence Olivier daughter. That she didn’t own it but ran it and when the owners saw that there was so much money being made let her go and wanted the money for themselves, which didn’t happen because people came because she owned it. (Article about it from 2011: http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/celebs_show_their_support_for_engineer_pub_1_916710)

When we arrived to Camden Lock you could already hear the hustle and bustle of the market. When you entered the area there were stalls and stalls of food. 


As Kaycee and I walked through we kept getting handed samples, which were delicious. This did slightly help our decision that we were going to eat there and what to choose. We continued to explore the food part but then ended up in what used to be the horse stalls. These were the historic Pickfords stables that use to house the horses that helped get the vans and barges back up the canals. When walking through the stables it was what I would expect old stalls and stables that would house horses and now just being used as a store.There were statues everywhere of horses and even a Farrier (person who shod a horse, uh laymen, put their shoes on). 

The Farrier working the metal of the shoe


Farrier putting on the shoe


  
One thought that ran through my head while walking around was that “it was nice that they kept the stalls just this way. If it had been America we would have demolished the buildings and built something like a strip mall over it. These small little stalls selling clothing would be non-existent.” With research later finding that they had to petition that some of the stalls not be demolished and that they were afraid it would turn into a strip mall if the council did not listen to those who already owned stores/stalls. They considered what they said and made changes and compromises. The stalls still stand today.
Camden Lock is amazing. It’s beautiful and has so many different stalls that appeal to all types of people. The shopping looked amazing, even though I didn’t buy any clothing items. The food is amazing. Kaycee and I bought vegetarian flatbread from an Italian food stall that was to die for. It was one of the free samples that we got in the beginning. I would highly recommend and have done so to several flat-mates that they should go and see Camden Lock for both a nice day out, buying of souvenirs and stopping for some freshly made lunch!
Vegetarian Flat bread



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