Queueing at Planet Pancake

In Greenwich Market, London. This is somewhere I used to visit often in the late 80s and early 90s, when I lived in London. It seems another lifetime away. In 1990, mind you,  I was half the age I am now. 

Una was feeling ill this morning, so she stayed in bed so as to Get Well for Christmas, and CleanSteve and I headed off for the buses. He went one way, towards the tube station, and I went West to Aldwych, to jump on another bus (powered by hydrogen) that took a route beside the river. It was not as exciting as I'd hoped, and Tower Bridge was closed. I could not see the ice skaters at the Tower of London. However, the morning was blustery and cold, so I jumped on the Docklands Light Railway and continued towards Greenwich and its markets.

Back in the day, the DLR only went as far as Island Gardens, on the Isle of Dogs. Passengers had to alight, and walk or cycle through the Greenwich foot tunnel to the South side of the river. Now, however, the  line goes all the way to Lewisham. Just imagine!

After a cup of green tea in the delightful Red Bird cafe just inside the marketplace, I browsed the stalls. Some of the lock up shops were under the same ownership as they were 25 years ago. The food seemed more international, though. This stall that I've blipped sold mini pancakes, but was next to a Brazillian churreria, which itself was opposite a stall selling Argentinian empanadas. I had a completely non-traditional veggie empanada, before buying some vegan chocolate-and-coconut chewy treats to take home. Afterwards I discovered another food court which sold Jerk Chicken and Pizzas, among other things. I also stocked up on some treats at a whole foods store that was on two floors. All in all, it was a very foodie visit!

I walked back towards the river and the restored Cutty Sark clipper ship, which I blipped in 2014, and then walked through the Greenwich foot tunnel for old times's sake. It was about five hundred yards longer than I remembered! 

I got back to Paddington, via a variety of forms of transport, and took the exceedingly crowded coming-home-for-Christmas train back to Stroud, where a refreshed CleanSteve met me at the station (he'd got an earlier train back).

And now, here we are, at the countdown....