Canal-side

After Albam, I figured I might as well make the most of a hot day by exploring the nearby canal.  Found ourselves a cute, laid-back pub parked by the water.

 The Narrow Boat, 119 St Peter's Street.

Food is unfussy, wine pours generous, the vibe is very relaxed, local, easy.  Would definitely return again.

Then we walked and walked... 

 And found ourselves walking pass the Chocolate Factory, where in October 2012, when I first began flat-hunting, saw a loft space (within my budget!) with incredible potential here.

Mid-century in Angel, Islington

Took my sick (fever, cold, chills), sorry self up to Angel to look at a chair I am curious about.  Jason who runs Antik Modern has a pop-up store at Albam.

Angel reminds me of the East Village back in the day before it became over-priced.  Multi-cultural, many independent stores, trees, tattoos, dogs, and a relaxed vibe.  Bruno and I meet Tom and Rachel at Albam, who when I first inquired about the chair from Singapore, obliged me by taking a picture of Tom sitting on it, and sending that to me via e-mail.

The furniture is displayed on the lower ground floor (note to self- say "lower ground floor", not "basement").

I'll get the chair.  I end up getting this quilt as well.  The mother of the owner of Albam, hand-made it with left-over pieces of fabric from the clothes he makes.

I sit on another chair and find myself de-composing into a vegetative state.  In this state, I think, gosh, at the end of every journey, one arrives back at the self.  There is no escaping who you are.  The furniture I am drawn to here, looks exactly like the furniture I have back in the previous Singapore homes! I hear footsteps descending, and I half expect them to belong to Lorgan!

 Albam, 286 Upper Street

Lorgan's http://www.lorgans.com