Native tourists

I tend to shy away from the whole touristy thing. It's my belief that while fun and entertaining, landmarks, museums, and monuments don't truly define a place's culture. Culture is fluid, dynamic, constantly changing and evolving along the people that live it, shape it, invigorate it. Tourist attractions are more often than not a tribute to the past and while glorious centuries old gold leaf and the first "bill of rights" may be, I'm more interested in the current definition of a place. I don't mean ignore everything past and focus on the present--sometimes its necessary to reflect upon the changes and admire traditions and see where we came from. I'm just saying give me a fair or a fountain, and I'll choose the fair.

So I've been here in London for about 2 weeks and I still haven't seen the bridge, any palaces (well a 12th century castle last week) Fergie (both the Duchess and The Duchess), or any royalty (a shame really!). I did however, go to the Burroughs Market today, despite feeling completely dreary and ghastly. Joyce and Abigail were there and I couldn't help it. Hundreds of food vendors-charcutteries, juices, ales, cheeses-- lined the walls selling their ingredients while people filled in the paths made from their booths. It was so native-- local business people come here weekly for their Friday lunches, chefs come for produce, wives for dinner supplies. We walked through stalls of dried meats, from racks to roasts, with hanging sausages plump and freshly prepared or cured, smoked, and aged for that tart preserved flavor. Farmers had out buckets of olives of every color for tapas--black, green, purple, cured in olive oil and ready to eat right there. The smell of freshly made mozzarella wafted through the Italian section as I sampled oils and vinegars. I dipped a cut piece of bread into white balsamic vinegar and tasted the most delicious single thing in my life--a complex harmony of sweetness and tartness that played off of one another to leave my tongue in a scintillating euphoria. Oh my god it was so good.

We went around the entire place sampling--sweet crumbling fudge, sun dried tomatoes, smoked herring. It was a treat for both the eyes and the palate--one not found in your typical guidebook.