Columbia Road Flower Market-London's Not So Secret Gem

Columbia Road Flower Market was the one thing on my list I was dying to do for months and hadn't come around to doing yet in my quest for London Zest. Which is strange considering I love markets and I love flowers, and lately I have come to love Hoxton and Shoreditch. Yesterday, I broke the spell once more and ventured out to East London, camera in hand, huge empty grocery bags on each arm, an empty stomach dying to be fed, and a big smile on my face. Apparently that was enough to prepare me for my colourful little adventure on Columbia Road.

And colourful it truly was. I was surprised at how many different types of flowers could actually be sold at flower market and how many of those I had never seen before or didn't know the name of. I picked out a few bunches of tropical and local bouquets and filled my Sainsbury's bags enough to make me keel over from the weight. I kept walking and noticing the variety of corners and angles that would catch my camera-ready eye. Some little spots made me think I was in the midst of some tropical open market, and all I needed was a cool and icy guava juice to quench my thirst and tide me over til lunch. Others were just plain London: funky, colorful and unique.

 

 

There is something quite cute and cozy about the fact that Columbia Road is actually a regular road on regular days without flowers everywhere and that normal people actually live in this adorable street dotted with cute stores and bakeries.

And each little store, each little corner, each little food joint has something quite quirky about it, sells God knows what, but still manages to attract a couple tourists and curious eyes, like this trinket/junk store below.

 

That's the magic of open markets I guess.