Sep 26 2009: Portobello Road, Oxford Street, and Beers

Sep 26, 2009 by Rochelle

Saturday in London was a very tiring day. I would say that we did things sort of backwards with our trip. Instead of going to see the basic touristy places, we traveled out of the city on the first day and then went shopping on the second.

Saturday was all about shopping and then about drinking. One of my mom’s requests was to go to the Portobello Road Market. So after sleeping in and almost missing breakfast, we walked down to Knotting Hill. Right away I noticed that there were a lot of people with the same idea, so the market wasn’t hard to find, we just followed the crowd.

It should be noted that the grumpiness of the rest of this post has to do with a couple of factors. First, I’m not a big shopper. I kind of hate shopping. Second, it was really hot. Yes, hot. In fact, it never once rained while we were in England. So yes, it was hot and I get grumpy when I’m hot. Third, it was really really crowded. We were still fresh off the boat and afraid of being robbed. So we were filled with paranoia and it certainly didn’t help to have strangers pressed against you every other minute.

Crowds!

So right off, I was tired and grumpy and paranoid. But I tried to have a good attitude and went along with it anyway. I really wanted to love this market, and after a short break in a coffee shop with a bottled water and rest I had a better spirit about the whole thing. Marissa found a used record shop and I found the cookbook shop used in the movie Notting Hill, which my co-worker Lisa demanded that I go to.

The shop front used for Notting Hill

Overall, my mom found some nice pieces of antique jewelry and Marissa got an old vinyl record for a great price.

Mom and Marissa, shopping for antique costume jewelry.

We marched back to where we came from and stopped in to have lunch at a small restaurant at the mouth of Notting Hill. It was about 3 p.m. or so and we were sweaty, dirty, and tired. Service wasn’t the greatest, but we did have a great cheese plate with grapes and crackers, and we also got spendy by ordering some diet cokes.

Still rocking the wavy hair.

Recharged, we decided to take our first trip on the underground tube system. Admittedly, there was confusion as we tried to figure out how to get Oyster Cards, but we got it worked out and were on our way to Oxford Street. The idea was that we would do some more shopping, visit Top Shop for Marissa and have dinner down there. When we emerged from the underground the first thing I noticed was the litter on the underground’s steps and then I noticed all the people.

The crowds at Oxford Street made Portobello Road Market look like a wide open meadow. We were literally shuffled down the road, shoulder to shoulder with other visitors. You know how there’s that obnoxious guy at concerts that yells “Mooooo” when the crowd is trying to get in or out of the venue. Where was that guy? It was never more appropriate in my life. We escaped into Top Shop and were immediately overwhelmed. Four floors of trendy clothes and high prices. We ventured to the basement and I saw a light at the end of the crowd tunnel. There was an EAT shop there and so I got myself a brownie and a seat. My mom joined me a bit later while Marissa shopped to her heart’s content. As for me, I had already lived once through the 80s and early 90s and didn’t need to recreate any of my wardrobe from fifth grade.

I know I sound bitter about this part of my trip, but I was just so tired and sweaty, with no real purpose.

Sadly, Marissa didn’t make a purchase there, and so we went off to H&M. The clothes were just as 80s there but much cheaper. Marissa found a few good items and even my mom was found a thing or two. I found some barrettes that I could use with my new short haircut to keep my hair down.

Bags in hand and back on the Tube, we headed back west on the Central Line to Lancaster Gate. We needed a beer and food pronto. So we went back to The Swan. What happened next was one of my favorites nights of my life, and sadly there are no pictures, because I got completely drunk with my mom and sister. We closed the joint! After staring at hot boys and giggling about everything, we stumbled back to the hotel, laughing the entire way.

Once back in our room there was just more laughter and silliness. We went to bed late that night, but happy. It hadn’t been the best day for me, but my mom and Marissa sure enjoyed it and that made it all right.

More pictures from that day: