Thought we had our market cased. Open six days but closed Sunday. Then we see expanded version on Sunday. So seven days then, and we’ll pick up some more grapes and cherry tomatoes. But today open our door to find no market stalls at all. So occurs every day except Monday. Third guess lucky.
Camden High Street. Not the funky market end but the slightly seedy business end between Camden and Mornington Crescent tube stations. Small changes here as everywhere. There used to be a Lidl store where we sometimes bought a dense German rye bread but seems it closed back in April. Wine was often a good deal here too but the queues were insanely long so not always worth going in for one or two items. On the other side of the street a small Aldi has opened (the Germans have done wonders for British food prices, seemingly unaffected by Brexit. Here wine would again be the best choice - some pretty modestly priced Aldi wines have won international prizes and sell for about £5 - but hard even to see the wine peering between customers at the shelves behind the queue which extends nearly to the back of the store.
The best part of the visit to Camden Town, though, is finding that my new(ish) HSBC card does in fact work at the bank’s cash point. Accounts have become almost impossible for non-residents to open in this country, so we’re hanging on to ours, though it’s of value mainly for avoiding having to change currencies at the end of a trip as well as for the debit card that goes with it. Definitely not income generating. But with the pandemic it’s been over two and a half years since the account was actually used other than a couple of token £1 top ups with Doug’s assistance. Pleased to find a balance of about £650 remaining.
Regular supermarkets a source of all kinds of treats. Recognise that our semi wilderness existence is showing and suspect that city dwellers would simply roll their eyes at our pleasure in finding a nice tapenade or a jar of ajvar. Also buy a jar of Branston pickle, reminding me as it always does of my annoyance at leaving a large jar of same on a bus in Turkey some twenty years ago. And pleased to finally acquire a new box of Waitrose Earl Grey tea. It’s a supermarket brand but streets better than anything we can get in Canada for much higher prices. Have no idea why; not like either country is anywhere near the tea plantations.
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