The opposite of "touristique"

For dinner last night Annabel, Robert, and I went to Brixton Market. They live in Brixton, a diverse section of London that apparently has not always been a peaceful place to live but that has become fashionable in recent years. Brixton Market is "famous" according to Wikipedia and was voted the best local market in England (or some such) last year, but it is the opposite of a tourist destination. The market space looks very ordinary, kind of like the flea market on Eisenhower Pkwy. for those of you that know Macon. You would expect to buy cheap phone cases and flip-flops there. But when we arrived last night it was full of young hipsters, music playing, and a dozen or so (is it possible?) small restaurants of every description: Japanese, Mexican, barbecue (American-style BBQ in London!), burgers, Italian, Thai, etc. 

The one we finally chose--partly because it was unencumbered by a giant queue--was Colombian, and a good choice it was. Great-looking meat dishes but I got a vegetarian plate and thus got to try all the side items: beans, rice, cassava, plantain, and cornbread. It was delicious! We each drank a Colombian beer (also good) and then went to the gelateria opposite the restaurant for our dessert. Gelato is spoiling me for regular ice cream (though I haven't tried the famous Berthillon yet). It is so yummy, somehow rich without being heavy. I had mint chocolate chip (my favorite since forever), Annabel had salted caramel, and Robert had coffee. 

We ate them while walking back to the bus stop and then consulted Annabel's London Transport app to see which bus to take. I have fallen in with public transit nerds/trainspotters here which is great since I am a would-be transit nerd myself.   

Today we will see the City of London a bit--Annabel says London has two centers, Westminster (where we were yesterday) and the City. And we might go to the Lambeth Country Show which is a county fair-like event. Or we might go to a medieval charnel house in Spitalfields. But right now I have to get in the shower as an all-important first step.