A Korean Picnic

Although the skies didn't look very summery today, I wandered around two summer festivals on this overcast Sunday. The first was the Dano Korean Summer Festival in Trafalgar Square:

The festival showcased traditional Korean arts



and gave kids the chance to participate by decorating paper fans just in time for the summer heat.

I wasn't quite sure what this wooden sculpture was supposed to be, but it was right at the bottom of the steps in a very visible location, fenced off from the crowds, so it seemed significant; I just don't know why!
These wooden figures are meant to ward off demons,
but the food stalls seemed more successful in making the crowds happy today!

I enjoyed my lunch of japchae (one of Bob's favourites), glassy potato-flour noodles stir-fried with beef and vegetables,
and gimbap, a very popular Korean picnic food consisting of meat/ seafood and vegetables wrapped in seasoned rice and laver. Gimbap is another of Bob's favourites--actually, he pretty much loves all Korean food, so it was too bad he wasn't back from Vancouver yet to help eat my Korean picnic. Just as I was about to leave for my second summer festival--actually, it called itself a "fayre"--I noticed something strange:
I'm not quite sure what they were up to, beyond a bit of people-sized cards which had me listening for calls of "Off with her head!" and watching out for any sly gardening.
Sadly, no such drama appeared, so I left the square and made my way to the Marylebone Village Summer Fayre, a great street festival of all things Marylebone (good food, good food, and um good food): Unfortunately (or probably fortunately for my wallet) I was still full from my japchae and gimpap, so I stuck to wandering and browsing the stalls. Posh picnics (this one was just outside The Conran Shop and appeared to be catered by them as well), pubs spilling out onto the street,
a bit of music with your food,

and plenty of produce,
baked goods,
and prepared treats
were all on offer along the crowded, lively high streetand some of the surrounding streets. One offshoot of the festival was the Cabbages and Frocks market, a regular Marylebone Saturday market, being held on an extra day today:

A wonderful assortment of goods (edible or not) filled the square,
and people enjoyed the shady green at the centre of the market.
I relaxed and enjoyed the laid-back atmosphere at the music stages, dotted around the festival.
Strangely enough, I rather enjoyed the fact that this dumpster has been placed directly under such a pleasing potted-flower relief, almost as if the flowers are emerging from the bin itself, and I really enjoyed this bear rubbish-bin

and the fact that someone put their empty beer can right at the cute bear's lips. Or maybe the beer was full and litter-bear finished it off when people's heads were turned?