Whitecross Market: A Feast!!

I have been meaning to write this post for a long time, but every time I visit this gem I get distracted by all the delicious food and forget to take any photos! Today though, the sun was shining and time was on my side to whip out my phone for a few pics because I really don’t think any word description of mine would do this place justice.
Whitecross market is a feast. It’s nestled in a quiet street off the main roads and surrounded by flats and offices. I don’t think it’s near anything touristy but if you have the time it’s well worth a trip. Every lunch time the street is filled with food stalls selling pretty much any kind of food you can think of. There’s curry, pizza, wraps, noodles, even salads and juices for the more health conscious! Go there in the middle of the day and the place is buzzing with locals and city workers out for lunch. The stall are similar every day but not always the same so I always have a walk up and down to see who’s there and what I want to tuck into that day. Be warned….chances are you will want one of everything! It smells amazing too as you walk up the street and all the different food stall smells mingle into each other. Price-wise it’s not cheap, but then it is in central London; it’s not extortionate but not somewhere you could go every day. Today I had a chicken tikka wrap which was £5 but it was absolutely stuffed full with freshly cooked chicken tikka and salad so I couldn’t actually finish it. The market has a great vibe and there’s a few restaurants and pubs that always spill out into the street too. The only downside is that if you’re there on your lunch break, expect to queue. It is a popular place so it’s not somewhere you can just grab your lunch and go, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got time to stand and wait a few mins. If you do have the time though, go for it. Take someone with you and enjoy the break!

  

 
  
  
  

Tortilla time!

  

I recently discovered Tortilla and I am now one happy girl. Once upon a lonely night in London, I couldn’t face hotel food from the place I was staying so I set about on one of my wanders in search of food. I’ve never seen this place before, and although they now have 18 branches in London and several in other big cities, Tortilla actually still have a nice ‘local’ feel. I stumbled across the Angel branch and thought it looked like the kind of laid back place where I could chill out with my kindle for a bit, and not look like too much of a weirdo eating alone.

  
  
  
  
 The menu has a range of burritos and tacos with various fillings and delicious-sounding sides (think tortillas, dips, cheese…..). I opted for a chicken quesadilla which came with salsa and sour cream. The first one was really badly burned so the friendly staff made another fresh one without me even asking, apologised, and brought my fresh quesadilla to me with a free bowl of tortilla chips on the side – full marks for customer service! 

  
It really was the chilled out place that I was hoping it would be and I was more than happy tucking into a pile of melted cheesy chicken there. The only (very minor) negative is that I’m slightly confused about whether to call this a Mexican or a Californian place; they advertise the place as having ‘real Californian burritos’ and also being ‘the #1 Mexican restaurant in London’ but to be honest I couldn’t care where it was from, it was good food in a good place with good staff. I would definitely recommend it, and if you fancy it you can even get beer and margaritas to really get the party started!

  

Day 30: highs and lows for the month

The past month started off great for me, but then went into a bit downhill. No major lows, but also no major highs! Here are some of the high (and low) lights.

Early June featured a lovely date night with my other half, which we don’t get to do very often. We went to Oak restaurant in Newcastle which we’ve been to before and had a yummy lamb burger! Despite the poor service we had a lovely date ❤️. I also remained very sensible with my wine consumption because I had plans to run the Blaydon Races a few days later….another high! It was the first time I’d ever taken part in a competitive run and I was really nervous about it. It was a warm evening, and yes it was tough for a novice runner like me, but I did finish and was very proud of myself and the rest of our gang!

  
The week continued with another great highlight of the month when one of my best friends Helen and I treated ourselves to a spa day at the Ocean Rooms in The Hilton Hotel, Gateshead. We had both run the Blaydon races so felt it was a much deserved treat! And afterwards we went for more treats as we enjoyed a lovely two course meal at The Copthorne Hotel too. All in all, a lovely relaxing day and night. 

  
 A busy week followed, then a trip to get my hair done which is always a high for me! I love going to the hairdressers, it always feels like I’m getting a little pampering. This trip was risky as I went to a hairdressers I’ve never been to before but I left very happy.

I have had a few work highlights too as I’m now six months into my role and have settled in and got to know people now. I’ve sorted my workspace at home which has already had a positive impact on me and I’ve had some really positive feedback lately which has also given me a nice little boost. A couple of lows have involved work too though…..not so much my role, but having to travel can sometimes be a bind and not getting home until after 9pm on a Friday meant missing catch up drinks with a friend. I also ate something that didn’t agree with me while in London lately and feeling ill while away from home in an overheated hotel room was no fun. I spent most of the night feeling lonely and sorry for myself as I covered myself in cold towels! I’ve also had a long standing cold that won’t go away that has really sapped my energy levels…another low. But now…..onwards and upwards…it’s Friday, the sun is shining, and I’m off to meet a friend for a drink in the sun, happy days!

Day 29: goals for the next 30 days

I’m not really a goal writer. Yes I know they’re a great way to focus your energies and will help me achieve more in life, but in reality a goal is something I write down when I’m made to that I rarely revisit. July doesn’t look to have anything outstanding in mind for me so I guess I’m going to make sure I get the basics back on track. 

Goal 1: shake off this terrible malaise and get back into my usual gym routine. I am fed up now, I have bought the berroca, this is happening.

Goal 2: attend two weddings without making a complete fool of myself. We’re only night guests at both, which is great because I won’t know many people there and I can wear the same outfit, bonus!

Goal 3: survive the night in a rusty old caravan. Ah yes, a plan conceived during a drinking session with friends and despite my warnings of there being no electricity or loo, it appears that this plan is steam-rollering on! This is why you shouldn’t drink people! This is the actual caravan:

   
 
Goal 4: finish prettifying my new office. The hard work is done and our spare room now contains white walls and a desk but I really want to make it feel nice. It’s my space and I’m going to make my mark with pretty florals and pinks and greens. I’ve started to add a little colour but it’s an ongoing project!

   
 

Day 28: 5 things that make me lol

I love a good lol! For me though I wouldn’t say there are specific things that do it every time. I find natural conversations are often the funniest when someone just says something completely ridiculous. So here are five people who make me lol the most.

1. Chris aka my betrothed

Chris’ ridiculous side isn’t always on show. He likes to be seen as professional and smart when you first meet him but once he relaxes into company he can be really funny. My favourite funnies are his scooby doo impression and when he tells me about funny stuff from his day (buying shoes from a place called Shuperb had me lolling for hours!)

2. Helen

I love Helens sense of humour and we just get what makes each other laugh. Helens frequent boob flashing produced some good lols on our last trip away!

3. Louise

I’ve known Louise for years and every time I see her I know I will be laughing. Her sense of humour is so dry and she has the gift of finding something funny in every situation. 

4. Katie

One of my longest serving friends, Katie is a bit like Louise in that she can laugh about any situation. Even when her parents divorced at the same time she had her own divorce to deal with she still somehow found some humour amongst the Jeremy Kyle type chaos. 

5. Angela

I don’t know Angela as well as the others but as Helen’s best mate we were bound to get along. Although I don’t see her often, whenever I do I know her dry sense of humour and hilarious delivery will have me lolling all over!

Day 27: an area that’s kicking ass right now

First up, a confession. I should have posted this yesterday! Technically I did write it yesterday, I was just struggling with an Internet connection in my melting pot of a hotel room last night. 

I’ve been feeling unwell this past week or so which has been getting me down so I did struggle to think about what was kicking ass. Until I met someone today from my old job. He spotted me so came over to say hi and we had a good long chat. Who was he? I truly have no idea! It’s not personal, he seemed like a nice guy, it’s just that when you frequently run events and give talks, more people tend to recognise your face than you theirs. 

I’m never sure if I should just tell them that I don’t remember who they are but I don’t want anyone to feel bad so I usually just go with it. And like I said we had a great chat! My fake-remembering skills are definitely kicking ass!