// New travel editor Gemma recently took a little weekend side trip in Europe and has the scoop on what you need to see when you travel to Camden Market, England. Which you totally will do after reading this. (I want to jump ship yesterday. But then I always want to travel, especially to Europe.) //
Most adolescent girls had a picture of Big Ben taped on their bedroom wall (next to their 2’ x 3’ Jude Law poster). We all sang “London Bridge is Falling Down” in nursery school as we sat in a semi-circle, marinating in our soggy diapers. We dreamed of prancing through the streets in cute rain boots and hearing the sexy hum of a British man’s accent. We still dream of London and ache for it (especially after seeing “Skyfall”). The very thought of London screams chic! Classy food, high fashion, UMBRELLAS!! And umbrellas it has… But many forget the rare jewel of London that should not be forgotten:
The Camden Markets.
Camden is a different world, a fine blend of heaven and hell (and lots of animal-themed hats).
It is located in the Northwest part of London and should not be missed by any visitor. This last weekend, I returned to London almost entirely because I had not known about Camden when I took my first trip to England in August. I’ve always been a sucker for some pin-up-girl-inspired garb and grunge rock, so I knew I had to see THEE market while I’m living in Europe (Stockholm, if you’re wondering).
Stepping out of the tube station, the first things I saw was this:
Cute, right? I thought to myself, “Wow. Maybe Camden isn’t what I thought it was.”
As I made my way towards the market, I began seeing more and more leather and enough lip rings to circle the world.
Although, I now look like your average “girl next door” with a chin-length bob and mary jane flats, I, in fact, was an indie rocker as a teenager with a half-shaved head (each side, a different color). I looked so out of place in Camden, but was indeed, completely in my “zone”. Live music on every corner, black platform boots galore? Yessssssss.
And don’t get me started on the food. If you want to travel with the sole pursuit of tasting things beyond your wildest dreams, travel no further than the “Camden Lock”. Indian, Mexican, Moroccan, Korean, and basically every nationality of vendor will shout and lure you to their nosh. All of a sudden, I wanted my stomach to expand by tenfold, along with my wallet.
So there you have it.; if you are looking to visit a place beyond normality, Camden is your destination. Go ahead and whip out your chains and blue hair dye for an even more surreal experience. Rock on, rock on.
Now who’s ready to travel to Camden Market?
Allison
Hello there! I'm Allison Czarnecki, founder + editor of Petit Elefant, a blog all about style on a budget for every part of your life: style / home / travel / family. I do a lot of how-to beauty + style tutorials, travel posts, easy recipes, home remodel projects, and cool DIY crafts you totally want to try. I'm super happily married (to a hot Polish immigrant) and am the mother of two kids, a daughter and son, all of whom are featured here on the regular. We live in the country but we're a little bit rock + roll. Welcome!
I love that you profiled Camden Market. While studying abroad in London during my junior year at my university, it became one of my favorite hang out spots. Another to note is the Shoreditch Market, which occurs on Sundays in Shoreditch, the East End of London. Another which is almost every afternoon is along the streets of Whitechapel, also the East End. Many street vendors at both markets.
Thank you again for profiling one of the many diamonds in the rough that call London home.