What to eat in Tudor times? Well, we met Ros at Wilton House who had answers to all of our food related questions. The kitchens were constructed of stone, which made the rooms very dark. Of course, at a place like Wilton House there would have been many servants in the kitchens to make it a lively and busy place. For example, the kitchens at Hampton Court, when the palace served as a functioning home, could serve up to 1,200 people. Imagine having to do the dishes following a meal!

The wealthier you were the more you likely you were to have exotic foods for your table like peacock! Large feasts or banquets were prepared for royal visitors. On special occassions, masques would have been performed to entertain visitors to grand homes like Wilton House.

Of course, the kitchen would have been home to several rats that scurried about looking for scraps to eat. Gross, yet common for the time period. One thing is certain, I'm glad I live in the 21st century; I quite like having many food choices and conveniences like grocery stores.

Borough Market just blows me away! I have never seen anything like it in America. It is located in Southwark, so it is a convenient 15-minute walk from our hotel.  

I arrived and the place was packed with people buying and selling all sorts of goodies. There were colorful fruit stands that had fruits that I had not seen before. One of these was fresh figs. Quite honestly, I wasn't even sure what a fresh fig looked like until today. Another noteworthy thing; some of the citrus fruit still had the leaves attached.

I walked past a few stands and was confronted with all sorts of exotic game. I felt a bit like I'd stepped into the past when I spotted the wall of rabbits hanging for sale, fur still on. The fish stands were no less unusual to me. There were huge, ugly fish staring at me everywhere.   

I naturally became a little hungry during our visit to Borough Market, so I bought a fresh baguette for £1 at one of the many fresh bread stands. Then, I headed towards the nearest cheese stand and bought my favorite guilty pleasure - brie! Greedily, I ripped the bread with my bare hands and spread some cheese on it. Delicious!

The Saturday morning crowd: It was immensely crowded, so I was able to do some incredible people watching. I noted, first and foremost, that English folks carry themselves differently than Americans. They all seem to have excellent posture. I have noted that Americans tend to be much grander in gestures and body language no matter how crowded the surroundings.

Word for the wise: When you plan a trip to a market like Borough Market, be sure that you have small bills, and if possible be able to make exact change. I found it was quite difficult for vendors to make change for my large bills.

Loving London,

For Extra Credit:
Find out who approved the plays and other entertainment performed at court.

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