On A Very Blustery Day

Today was one of the warmest days since my arrival in London.  Even though there was a consistent wind throughout the afternoon, I knew that I had to get out and explore some more.

After much contemplation over which market would be the best to visit on a Friday afternoon, my roommate Catherine, my friend Miranda, and I decided upon the Portobello Road Market.  This market is one of the most famous in all of London and takes place every day of the week.  It offers something for everyone.  From antiques to food to clothing, it has got it all.  We took the Tube to the Notting Hill Gate stop and made our way to the location of the market.  We began our walk by looking in a Scottish scarf, blanket, and jacket store and a few antique stores.  Continuing on we came across many stands selling fresh produce and prepared delicacies.  I have never been to a market that is so large!  I would say that the market in total is around 3/4 of a mile long with hundreds of stands nestled into the cute Notting Hill neighborhood which is filled with pastel colored flats and small houses. The most fun part of the trip was just browsing around through all of the unique little shops.

Typical street in Notting Hill

When we reached the end of the market we turned around and started to make our way back to the Tube stop we arrived at.  On the way, we stopped at The Hummingbird Bakery to pick up some of their delicious looking cupcakes to take back with us.  I selected a vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting and a red velvet cupcake to try.  The cake was very moist and the frosting was a sweet butter cream which complimented each of the flavors perfectly. Yum!  Further on our walk back, we noticed a little pizza shop called Arancina with an orange car in the window displaying fresh pizzas. We couldn't resist the temptation and went in to try a slice.  It was the perfect ending to an afternoon in Notting Hill.

Arancina pizza window display

Later in the afternoon I met up with my friend Katherine to return to the Victoria and Albert Museum which is located in Kensington.  This museum holds one of the world's largest collections of art, design, and antiquities.  I previously made a short evening trip here, but I couldn't wait to go back and see more of the exhibits.   This museum reminds me a bit of a maze of some of the most wonderful displays of specific art styles.  For instance, we walked through the sections devoted to glassware, ceramics, silver, gold, and architecture in addition to the British galleries which featured paintings and sculptures.  

Glass vase in Glass Exhibit

Katherine and I really enjoyed all of the interactive exhibits of the museum which allowed us to try on clothing and attempt to guess what random pieces were used for in the period they were created. My favorite section of the museum was the section for Theatre and Performance.  It contained many fabulous costumes, posters, and set models. I was most excited by the costumes that they had on display from the West End production of The Lion King.  I saw this show when it came to Boston last year and the costumes were one of the best parts of the production.  It was amazing to be able to see them up close!

Model of the Sweeney Todd set...Suggestion for On Broadway?

Costumes from The Lion King

Overall, I had a wonderful time on this very blustery day.  It felt great to be able to get out into the city and experience more of the local culture.