In a winding metropolis steeped in history, whose bustling streets have inspired greats throughout the decades, I stepped out of a black cab without the indispensable: a guidebook and a real plan.

But it's easy to lose yourself in London, and in the village-like neighborhoods of the city, each with an amalgam of modern and bygone charm, I eschewed double-decker buses for long hikes. For a weekend, I snagged Elvis photos at a novelty shop, had lunch at a Venetian pub, drifted into a hydraulic power station turned art gallery, even mingled at a heavy metal bar. This was far from quintessential London, but on my inaugural junket to the city, I sought more than Big Ben and other bait for vacationers.

My travels began on a cloudy Saturday morning, as the Waterloo Bridge led me to the promenade along the River Thames, which passes a used-book market outside the Royal National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe and the Tate Modern.

As the national gallery of international modern art, Tate Modern was built in 2000 in a former power station. The turbine hall is now the entrance, and the boiler house makes up the galleries. As with most British museums, the admission is free. Major exhibitions incur a fee, but I gladly paid ₤10 to see a Theo van Doesburg installation, which included paintings, film and typography from other bastions of the De Stijl and Dada avant-garde.

Tate's two gratis floors displayed riveting collections from Pollock, Rothko, Picasso and the pantheon of modern artists, and a visit is well worth it, especially with current exhibitions like "Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera," a collection of surreptitiously captured photos from the 19th-century to today, on view until Oct. 3, 2010.

Hungry after drifting around Tate Modern, I walked to the weekend staple for many locals: Borough Market (www.boroughmarket.org.uk). Since its resurgence about a decade ago, it has grown to include nearly 130 individual purveyors of produce, free-range and organic meats and artisanal foods. With an all-fruit potion in hand from the vendor Natural Smoothie Co., I walked along yellow-canopied stalls of ciders, wines, French cakes and pastries, and Dutch farmhouse cheeses, shoulder to shoulder with other patrons, taking in the aroma of oysters, fresh produce and smoked cheese.

The market in some form has been around since the 13th century, when traders set up shop near London Bridge. Now, each Thursday through Sunday, you'll find it beneath the railway bridge off Borough High Street.

Another reinvention of London's past is The Wapping Project (www.thewappingproject.com), an industrial-chic hideaway combining a restaurant, art gallery and performance space. Only a 10-minute walk from the Shadwell tube stop, the former Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, built in 1890, still houses rusted pump machinery and parts for historic effect.

Wapping Food's main room serves modern British fare, with entrées like goat-cheese filled artichoke, with lentils, ruby chard, radish and pumpkin seeds. I dropped in on a Sunday for lunch and then to see owner Jules Wright's photo installation, "A French Picture Show," whose images recounted love and betrayal with couture-clad subjects.

To see Wright's exhibition, visitors were asked to put on shoe covers before descending the chalky stone of the dark subterranean space. Two rows of velvet cinema chairs were set before a large screen shifting through the photos. It was eerie and remarkable, with a room in back with antique furniture, a crib and broken mirror. Wapping, as Wright says, is "an idea consistently in transition."

If you don't while away the afternoon at the gallery, take a half-hour walk to Brick Lane in Shoreditch for its Sunday markets. Once working-class and now fashionable, the area is the latest habitat for artists and designers. Try the Sunday UpMarket at The Old Truman Brewery (91 Brick Lane; www.sundayupmarket.co.uk) for everything from high fashion and jewelry to antique furniture and junk. UpMarket hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the streets and nearby shops still buzz with amblers well until dusk.

The following Monday, I wanted to take a stroll before a lunch date in Soho, and with cobbled streets and a village feel, Seven Dials is a natural spot to dawdle. Don't miss a small, vibrant alley called Neal's Yard in this junction of streets. Tucked away between Monmouth (dubbed as "London's sexiest street" by Esquire for its cult boutique lingerie shops) and Shorts Gardens, the colorful triangular courtyard features organic beauty shop Neal's Yard Remedies and Neal's Yard Salad Bar, a haven for the health conscious.

On the way to my rendezvous, I happened upon Vintage Magazine Shop (39-43 Brewer St., www.vinmag.com) and was drawn to its bright red exterior and painted image of Humphrey Bogart above the door. Vintage Magazine Shop had aisles of old Hollywood photographs, movie and music posters, advertisements, toys and other memorabilia aplenty. Whether you're searching for Abba magazine (yes, the fan zine for the Swedish foursome), Elvis Monthly, or erstwhile editions of Playboy and Vanity Fair, the corner store is a repository of treasures.

I would have leafed through pictures of movie stars for hours, but friends were waiting at nearby Polpo (41 Beak St., www.polpo.co.uk), a Venetian bacaro, or wine bar. Opened in Fall 2009, the boîte's distressed, old-world charm is rounded off by exposed brick, tin ceiling and wood walls painted white. For a moment, diners were no longer in London, as the flavors of Venice infused their plates.

I ordered an Aperol spritz (a bitter orange Italian spirit mixed with dry sparkling wine) and shared plates of grilled zucchini and rocket salad, and beets, ricotta, and pistachio nuts. The simple, savory fare was reasonably priced and sized, with enough options for vegetarians. Omnivores can sample dishes like slow roast duck with green peppercorns, black olives, and tomatoes, and cuttlefish in its ink with gremolata. The flourless orange and almond cake with mascarpone was a sweet conclusion to a leisurely meal, and Polpo's buzzing ambience is superb for an aperitif and conversation, the perfect denouement to my journey.

Even as an aimless wayfarer, I found it easy to become enrapt in London, without need for much guidance. In the heady heart of Britain, where travelers will inevitably stumble upon hidden alleyways, vibrant bazaars, and curious exhibitions, sometimes not having a plan is the best thing you can do.