Shakespeare's Globe in London

This week I was lucky enough to attend a showing of Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare's Globe in London.   This was an amazing chance to see some of the best Shakespearean actors in the world in an extremely cool location. Despite living in London for a year, I hadn't managed to make it to the Globe, despite hearing about the excellent tours the Globe offers.

When I first moved here, I thought the Globe was original back to Shakespeare's time, but soon learned that it's actually a reproduction. Last year I read an excellent book called Shakespeare written by Bill Bryson, which had some interesting stuff to say about the Globe reproduction. One of the most interesting points of the book is how little we actually know about Shakespeare - we don't even know how he spelled or pronounced his own name (there are only a few known instances of his signature, and he spells his name differently in each one...), or even what he looked like.

Portobello Road Market & Notting Hill

Portobello Market is one of the most famous and vibrant markets in London. As you would expect, the market runs up the length of Portobello Road, covering a good few miles. 

The market runs 7 days a week, but the best day to visit is on Friday. On the weekend it is insanely packed, with hardly any space to move. Conversely, during the week there is not a lot of foot traffic so the best stalls are not there. Showing up on a Friday afternoon, you can enjoy everything that Portobello Road has to offer:

• Antiques

Portobello Road does a quick trade in antiques. You can find just about anything you could wish for - from Persian rugs to silver rings, to spoons, metal stamps, and wooden pipes. Haggling is also appropriate and you can bargain with the vendors for the best price.

• Clothing

The market has a world-famous second-hand and vintage clothing market that runs Friday-Sunday every week. There is infinite selection and real bargains for the sharp-of-eye (and fashion-savvy)!

• Food

The market is one of the lucky ones that hasn't been totally converted into a tourist destination - it is still quite common for locals to do their fruit and vege shopping each week on Portobello Road. Along the road you can find fresh fruit and vege (of local and international varieties!), a fish monger and some high-quality butchers. Additionally, there are bakeries hawking their wares, along with cheese-sellers, olive oil sellers, and a bunch of niche gourmet food providers. Additionally, there is a great selection of street vendors selling delicious food to eat right away - from German sausages to Falafel. A not-to-miss destination is the lovely Hummingbird Bakery - be sure to drop in and buy a cupcake if the line isn't too long!

The Top 5 Museums in London

London's museums rank among the world's best and no visit to the city is complete without seeing at least a few. London is especially amazing because the majority of museum's in the city are 100% totally free. This is the exact opposite to Continental Europe: in Europe museums in a major city can cost you €10-16 easily. So while in London, make the most of the fantastic world-class museums on hand!

Of course, there are donation baskets and you can buy postcards and nicknacks to support the museum, but there's no pressure to donate if you are on a budget. The museums here are primarily run by huge grants and donations of unmatched scale - although every little bit helps of course. However, some museums do charge to get in, but I've always avoided those when there are so many free museums to go see!

So with all the museums around London, here's my Top 5 you shouldn't miss:

Recipe for Fresh Corn and Lime Salsa

As summer ends, vegetables really start to reach their peak. My local green grocer is full of luscious tomatoes, snappy peas, and dirt-crusted baby potatoes. The berries are even more fantastic; strawberries, blackberries and blueberries can all be found oozing summer in their trays.

 But best of all, fresh sweet corn has finally come into season. When I lived in Colorado only a mile from the closest cornfields, I didn't really appreciate what corn could be (And let's be honest- frozen corn is merely a shadow of the real thing).  I always hated fresh corn, and have actively avoided it for years. But little did I know what I was actually missing out on!

 However, I stumbled onto an amazing new salsa recipe this week that has changed my mind about (fresh) corn all-together.