After a much needed night of rest, we began the day without a plan. We have several options of things we could do and we purposely left today open because we weren’t sure how we would feel with the time difference and jet lag. R slept in a bit while I researched some of our options to share with him. We decided on Camden Market which is a massive indoor/outdoor collection of retail shops, pubs, restaurants, craft stalls, and food and drink stalls. It was a short tube ride from Oval to Camden Town on the Northern Line and a quick, five minute walk to get to the heart of Camden Market. 

Our first task was to remedy my ravenous stomach and that was an easy task given the number of food options. I chose Funky Chips because 1) I love potatoes, 2) they looked really good, and, 3) though I didn’t realize it immediately, there was a massive line for them which is usually an indicator that it is good. Funky Chips is located in one of the stalls and they had an employee with a tablet working through the line taking orders. Once we got to the front of the stall we confirmed our order number and watched as they made our chips. We ordered the small cheesy chips which consisted of about 3 pounds of fried potato slices covered in cheeses and seasonings. They were delicious and the two of us managed to eat nearly the whole thing.

Being fed, I was ready to explore the area so we walked through the shops and stalls, stopping whenever something interested us or caught our attention. It is often difficult to find halloumi cheese in my local grocery store and I rarely, if ever, see it on a restaurant menu, so when I spotted Oli Baba’s Halloumi Fries I had to stop and try them. Oli Baba did not disappoint! I was served 7 chunky slices (like fries) of golden, deep fried halloumi topped with za’atar yogurt, pomegranate molasses, pomegranate seeds, diced fresh mint, and a sprinkle of sumac. It reminded me of some of the food I had in the Middle East, mainly due to the za’atar and pomegranate. I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of the golden, cheesy goodness!

R and I stopped for a pint at The Farrier and chatted about our holiday so far. It was nice to sit down and enjoy a drink after being on our feet for the better part of the day. R requested fish and chips in a pub while we are in London so we looked up a pub for dinner. There are plenty of pubs to choose from but menus are changing rapidly to match the diversity of the UK population. Once a pub menu staple, some establishments no longer feature fish and chips. Other establishments are offering a more gastropub-like menu or going in a completely different direction like Thai food. I don’t think this is a good or bad thing but it is important to know if you are looking for the fish and chips option. 

We continued wandering around Camden Market and found an unexpected activity in miniature golf at Junkyard Golf Club. Crazy cocktails and even crazier golf, Junkyard Golf Club has three courses to chose from. Reclaimed items are used to create the three courses with themes of creepy clowns, tropical terrors, and disco UV.

After golf, we met our friends and took the tube to Kennington for dinner at the Black Prince Pub. It was a lovely evening and we took advantage of the warm weather and sat outside. R was very happy to get his fish and chips and I ordered poutine to munch on. I was still feeling quite full from the offerings at Camden Market and the poutine was a nice snack. We got back to  our AirBnB and had plenty of time to pack and relax a bit. 

I’m excited for a first time adventure … we are taking the Caledonian Sleeper train to Edinburgh tonight! We ordered a car to take us to London Euston Station to avoid taking our luggage on the tube. While the tube is the less expensive option, it would mean wrangling luggage up and down stairs, onto the tube, etc., so we opted for the easier option. We are booked in a Club Twin cabin which means we have our own cabin with an ensuite and twin-sized bunk beds. This cabin includes lounge access at the station. Arriving at the station at 9pm means that the lounge was open but with limited services which include light, prepackaged snacks, coffee, tea, and sodas. There are also spacious showers and plenty of toilets. The lounge is a comfortable place to sit and wait without being in the middle of the station. 

The lounge announced boarding commencement so we walked to the platform for check-in. We each have a checked size bag and we quickly discovered those bags do not fit in the cabin. We took the bags to the luggage car then went back to settle into our cabin. The cabins are small, only a backpack and (maybe) a carry-on size bag will fit under the beds. Plan on one small bag per person, effectively. The washbasin is in the cabin with the beds while the toilet and shower are in a separate area. Raise the bench-style lid to access the toilet. The shower is not an on/off setting and you have to continue to press the button for water. It isn’t terrible but it was a little annoying when trying to rinse off.

Caledonian Sleeper provides a small bottle of water, a chocolate bar, earplugs, and a sleep mask for each passenger. The bunk beds are reasonably comfortable though there is not much space above the beds so mind your head. I struggled to fall asleep but eventually managed to get at least some sleep. I didn’t rest especially well and the motion of the train didn’t help given that I am prone to motion sickness. Regardless, I am excited to wake up in Scotland!