Weekend in London

This weekend I took the train down to London to spend some time with some girlfriends. 

It was the weekend before Halloween, so we donned obligatory mad costumes (not pictured) and spent Friday night dancing and boozing until 4am at The Coronet Theatre.

As you would expect, Saturday was a bit of write off, and we spent it bumbling around eating as many carbs as we could get our hands on. By the time Sunday rolled around we were feeling a little more energetic and decided to check out the Columbia Road flower market.

Already bustling with people by 10am, it's a real sensory experience. There were musicians playing street music, vendors yelling out deals and hundreds of bright blooms on display that came in every shade imaginable. 

Columbia road also hosts a number of sweet little shops selling trinkets, and although I didn't buy anything besides flowers this time, it would be a great place to pick up a few Christmas stocking fillers. Think quirky knitted hats, shoes with fluffy pom-poms and brightly coloured jewellery.

Undeterred by the amount of people, we entered the fray and set about choosing our flowers. This enormous bunch of lavender smelled incredible, the photo in no way does it justice. 

This little chap wasn't so sure about the crowds though and opted to be carried...sensible.

In the end, I chose a traditional bunch of stargazer lilies and cream roses to take to Alex's mum for Sunday lunch. Maria and Claire however, had far more adventurous tastes, see them here pondering over a flower that looks like a tiny pink pineapple. I think it matches delightfully with Claire's pink hair!

By the time we had purchased our flowers, we had worked up quite an appetite, and decided it was time for breakfast. We headed to Luma in Wimbledon, which specialises in vegetarian and vegan food. Whilst I am normally an avid fan of all things bacon, it's always good to try new things and I was pleasantly surprised.

We started off with shakes, I went for mixed berry which contained spinach, chia, berries and almond milk, while Claire opted for banana and cacoa flavour. Followed by a selection of delicious breakfast delights...

Avocado on toast topped with a runny poached egg.

Coconut porridge with berry coulis, toasted seeds and mixed fruit.

And a stack of indulgent pancakes served with banana, fresh fruit, peanut butter and a liberal drizzle of maple syrup. In the true spirit of breakfast, we all grabbed a fork and shared all of it.

As I hopped on the train feeling very full of delicious food and with an armful of flowers, it was hard to think of a more satisfactory way to have spent a chilled weekend with the girls.