🐾 To round off the day on a high note, here’s a tale from one of the adventurers who recently went on a @BeyondtheMapLondon Market to Market walk through the city from Old Spitalfields Market to Borough Market.
This person’s experience was so captivating that I just had to share it:
I recently embarked on a thrilling “Beyond the Map” walking adventure in London, which I had booked a few months prior after being inspired by a Facebook post.
As Christmas approached and the possibility of more travel restrictions loomed, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to reunite with a group of old friends and have some much-needed fun after nearly two years of limited socializing.
I invited six people and sent them instructions to read before we started, but it quickly became apparent at our meeting point that none of them had fully prepared. So, over a hearty breakfast, I assigned each of us specific roles – map reader, Google operator, scribe, etc. – to rotate through during the 2–3-hour adventure.
As a group of intrepid “aging explorers” or “eccentric sleuths,” we set off towards the Spitfire Mk.Vb W3311 gate, but some of us got side tracked by a vibrant vintage fashion market.
We made our way through winding alleyways and obscure back streets, answering 37 observational and quizzical questions that led us away from the typical tourist paths. Our Google operator (Mark) occasionally helped us cheat, while our vigilant road safety officer (Jenny) kept us from straying into traffic while consulting our maps.
By the end of the journey, we all agreed that this form of learning was far more engaging and effective in helping us retain historical facts than a traditional guided tour.
We ended the day at the cozy Mudlark pub, where we enjoyed a warm mulled wine and took photos (courtesy of our talented photographer, Rob).
From there, we headed to the bustling Borough Market to sample the largest selection of cheeses we had ever seen. It was such a fantastic experience that we’ve already booked our next excursion, “Bridge to Bridge.“
If you’re interested in having a similar adventure, you can try out our London trivia challenge with 10 brainteasing questions. If you score a perfect 10 out of 10, send us a screenshot and you could win a free self-guided tour of London for you and your friends! Click here to try our brainteaser