Shopping and Portobello Market

After finishing up my work on Friday evening, I decided that I wanted to go shopping and get a feel for some of the shops in London. So I headed to High Street Kensington to do a little shopping... my favorite past-time by far. ;-)

So when I got out of the tube station, I saw the cutest accessories store called...you guessed it... "Accessories." I'm amazed by the ingenuity and imagination. ;-) But they had a lot of fun stuff. But I decided that I didn't need any more hats, scarves, necklaces, earrings, etc. because I don't wear it often...especially since I work with mostly boys and they have absolutely no appreciation for it. So why try?! ;-)

I kept going and arrived at Marks and Spencer. My first experience at Marks and Spencer was in Shanghai. I had walked through the store there but was afraid to try-on anything with all of the tiny Chinese people. Compared to them, I looked like a massive, white giant and felt uncomfortable trying clothes on. Plus, I figured since I was in Shanghai I should buy things that I could only get in Shanghai. But since I'm now in London and Marks and Spencer is an English brand, it's only fitting that I shop there and try on clothes. :-) At least that's what I told myself... and thus it was the beginning of the end of my Friday evening...

Most things are grossly overpriced in London...and fashion is no different. But I've decided that Marks and Spencer is the Old Navy of England but with much better quality. The clothes are actually decently priced and just about everything I went passed in the store is adorable. Furthermore, it all comes in my size!! How exciting is that?!!? As many of you may have already seen in my pictures, I found this amazing hot pink wool/cashmere coat that I had to have. But literally...I had to have it. The coat I took with me to London was falling apart by the day. By the end of my stay, I felt like a homeless women. There were holes and the material was frayed in many places. I was a hot mess when I should have been really cute during my travels. So as you can imagine, the pink coat was an absolute necessity. Furthermore, I think every woman needs a hot pink coat. It makes you feel all girly and feminine. :-)

I tried on lots of other things and fell in love with just about everything I tried on. And while I equate Marks and Spencer to the Old Navy of England, the prices aren't exactly comparable. While M&S seems much cheaper than other stores, it's by no means "cheap." Just cheaper than the alternatives. But I found some jeans that I couldn't live without and got those as well. I'm really pleased with my purchases and am proud of myself for only buying the necessities.

Continuing on with my shopping theme, I still needed to pick up some souvenirs for my family and friends. I decided that the perfect place to do that (and the perfect finale to my London trip) was at Portobello Market in Notting Hill. The Portobello Market is probably most notorious because of the movie Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. There is a montage scene in the movie which shows time passing as Hugh Grant is walking along Portobello Road. So I definitely wanted to check it out.

I went to the market really early in the morning because I needed to be back at my hotel no later than 11am in order to start my journey back to Montreal. So I got to the market just as all of the vendors were setting up and getting ready for the day. For any of you who might visit London and want to go to Portobello Market, go first thing in the morning. I arrived around 9am and left about 10:30am. I felt like a fish swimming upstream as I was walking back. Seriously, it was the earth opened up and spit out a million people on Portobello Road. They were like moths drawn to the flame.

Portobello Market was fun. I didn't really know what to expect but there were a lot of "antique" stalls and kitsch shops. I put "antique" in quotes because by antique I really mean old, crappy shit. Although there were a few nice pieces, it was more like a big garage sale at some parts of the market. But there were also some unique things there as well. What I found really interesting is that there were a lot of handmade leather goods which still smelled like animals. I was tempted buy a handmade leather journal that also had handmade paper within. It was pretty cool. But I wasn't quite sure if I could get over the smell or if it would dissipate at all. I knew that if it didn't, I wouldn't use it and it would be a wasted purchase. So I continued on my trek for souvenirs. In the end, I found everything that I wanted or needed to get for my peeps. I won't mention what I got everyone because if they're reading this, I want it to be a surprise. I have so say, though, that my favorite find was my mom's...it's more sentimental than anything else, but as soon as I saw it, I had to get it for her. I can't wait to give it to her.

Portobello Market was my last taste of London and it was a good experience. As always, I wish that I had more time to explore and really get to know the neighborhoods...especially Notting Hill. It seems like a really cool part of town.