Yes, I'm finally in London! I had to sleep early last night because jet lag took over my body *and mind* and well, I shut down like my Mac with a dead battery :D
This morning, bright and early, we went over to Portobello Market on Portobello Road (tube station: Notting Hill Gate) where we spent a good 3 hours scouring each stall for well, you know, good finds :)
It was my children's first time to London so the whole flea market experience was still rather fascinating to them, and it was also my partner and best friend Dina and her husband Fred's first as well. I promised Dina won't be disappointed :) *Dina and I love to pore over antique things-- I think we are old souls :D*
At the very mouth of Portobello Road, this was a sign of things to come.
At the very mouth of Portobello Road, this was a sign of things to come.
Oh for accessories lovers, let me tell you now that the Portobello Market is a must of a pitstop-- and it's open only on weekends. Be prepared to spend. So bring lots of cash as some merchants still don't take credit card payments.
Let these photos below convince you to head to Portobello Market if you come out to London :) And oh these photos? Mere tips of the iceberg!! Yes, there are so much more things to see! It was visually fulfilling-- promise!
Gourmet marshmallows! I initially thought they were handmade soap LOL! When my friends pointed out that they were mallows, I had to taste them. They were indeed great and yes, taking mallows to the next level, but oh boy they were sooooo sweet that I already physically felt my teeth decaying and growing cavities with each bite :)
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| Gourmet Marshmallows! That strawberry- basil flavor is very good! |
Oh hello, the relevance of each of my blog posts to bags shall remain present of course :) These are handmade leather satchels. I love their weathered look in person, but I was not too big a fan of the color of the tan. It's very old school though :)
I would've bought a few of these for my kitchen or for my kids' room. I like them very much!
While we are here in London, it's also Wimbledon time :) Check out those very old tennis rackets * Bjorn Borg's time-- at the height of his career :D = bet you kids don't even know who Bjorn Borg is--because he's way before our time LOL (teehee, heavy emphasis on the words "OUR time" please) :D*
When I saw these, I just had to buy! Stamps!!
The merchant who was selling these stamps said her father worked on these. I loooove them. I do wonder when I'll use them though, but ohhh yeaaaahh I had to get me a crown stamp. You know, to indulge the royal wannabe in me :) If my name only began with E, I'd probably have bought that coronet with Queen Elizabeth's initials too haha *die hard royalist much? :D*
Sigh, it was really such a beautiful day... So postcard perfect :)
Make sure to walk the whole length of Portobello Road where you will cross Elgin Crescent. That's where the Cath Kidston shop is as well as some pubs and good places to eat-- oh and also on that area onward, you can have your fill of fresh fruits.
Sadly though, The Travel Bookshop which was made famous by the movie Notting Hill which starred Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, is no longer around *hit by recession and the surge in sales of ebooks :(*
Sadly though, The Travel Bookshop which was made famous by the movie Notting Hill which starred Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, is no longer around *hit by recession and the surge in sales of ebooks :(*
Portobello Market is definitely worth a visit if you are in London over a weekend. Be mindful of your wallet and mobile phone though, and oh yes, be wary as well of some merchandise as certain merchants have taken to interspersing cheaper "antique- looking" pieces with the real ones. It's really a buyer beware situation with everything these days, so do look over the things you plan to buy with extreme care and caution, haggle, and then of course, enjoy them after *no regrets allowed :)*
P.S. If you are too lazy to walk back to the Notting Hill Gate (Central Line) tube station from Elgin Crescent, there is another tube station about 7 minutes' walk-- the Ladbroke Grove.
x
TheBagHag
