Lovely London Sunday: Camden

Arrive by boat

100-year-old canal boat Jason runs from Little Venice to Camden lock three times a day (10:30, 12:30 and 14:30). He’s been doing so for 66 years. The trip takes about 45 minutes and, on a sunny Sunday morning, there’s nowt nicer than gliding along Regent’s canal (£9.50 single, £14.50 return).
If you’re short of time, take the Northern Line to Chalk Farm (it’s the closest tube to Camden Market).

Hit the beach

Until 28th August, the deck chairs will be out, the sand raked, ping pong tables available, plus inflatables, alcoholic slushies and ice cream at the ready on Camden Beach. August hasn’t been the best, weather-wise, but when the sun does come out, it’s scorching, and where cooler could you be than at Camden Roundhouse?

Have some lunch

Camden Market has pretty much whatever you’re looking for, street food-wise. There are stalls dedicated solely to pulled pork, raclette, hand-rolled pasta, houmous, souvlaki, Szechuan squid……you get the picture. Partial to poultry in any form, I plumped for Lulu Schnitzel in Stables Yard. It’s the most delicious flattened, breaded fried chicken I’ve had in quite some time, served with chips or salad and some really good and unusual sauces.

And afterwards, something sweet

Camden isn’t the place to put all your eggs in one basket. FOMO is too high. Walk off round one before you decide on pudding; again, you’ve so many options, from crêpes to coconuts, churros to cereal (including Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts – remember those?). I got stuck at the Cronuts and Donuts and couldn’t move. This place even has psychedelic bagels, would you believe?! My first cronut was disappointing – not croissanty enough. But my neon pink donut covered in hundreds and thousands – well, that was worth the wait.

Check out the street art

I got chatting to a street artist who’d recently been commissioned to illustrate the whole side of a building in Uzbekistan. Who knew how big a deal street art can be? Check out Fanakapan. You will be wowed.