As I woke up with quite a headache today, we head out a little later. We drive to Spitalfield’s Market, with many food and sales stands with all kinds of homemade shirts, caps, cards, pictures and much more, vintage cameras, hats and all kinds of other things. Super exciting!

Actually we wanted to eat Poutine for lunch, Canada’s national dish, which we had enjoyed here last year. But unfortunately the small Air Canada restaurant doesn’t exist anymore. Maybe it was just a temporary pop-up. But then, we discover a Costa nearby and remember their Pigs in blanket in mac & cheese advert I’ve seen the other day. A last portion is just waiting for us. Yummy! That’s really a great combination!

Then we make a visit to the probably very first All Saints store with many cool clothes (Gabi’s and my leather jackets are from All Saints). Didu would surely like it here!

Then we head back to Covent Garden and enjoy the drive, which takes us past Tower Bridge and the Tower and along the Thames back to the city centre. Gabi always knows the best hidden paths to get to a parking space in the middle of Covent Garden.

The illuminated mistletoe branches with the disco ball in the market halls of Covent Garden and the Christmas tree in the oversized tub outside look beautiful.

We stroll a little through the streets and visit one or two shops before heading towards Seven Dials to meet Maike. But it’s so crowded! The Christmas lights were turned on this afternoon and there is a festival atmosphere, maybe also because of the free champagne everyone seems to be queueing for.

The former banana warehouse with the many food stalls, where we had planned to have dinner, is completely full and very loud, with a band performing their songs. So we go to Shakeshack instead, where we eat a burger and cheese fries. The nice evening with Maike is over much too fast!