Travel Tuesday - Redeux
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On Sunday night I received such a treat when Kate asked me if I'd watch "Notting Hill" with her.
She certainly didn't have to ask twice because "Notting Hill" is one of my all-time favorite movies.
(Eventually Abby joined us. And then B. But not poor Maggie who, even though she was in bed, felt VERY left out--she's nowhere near ready for "Notting Hill.")
Anyway, as I was watching the movie, it occurred to me that I needed to resurrect Travel Tuesday. The scenery reminded me of one of my favorite places--London--and more specifically Portobello Road Market which takes place every Saturday in Notting Hill.
I first visited Portobello Road when I was a college student, and I remember being energized by the environment there. Crowded. Bustling. Loud. Haggling. It was one of those electric environments that you just never forget.
And so, when I took Kate to London last spring, I knew I wanted her to experience that environment too. Besides, I wondered if it had changed much in the 20+ years since I'd been there.
It hadn't. It was still so much fun. Even walking to the market was a thrill as block after block more and more people joined us until, by the time we reached the first market stalls, everyone was pretty much walking shoulder to shoulder. There was no way a car was going to get through the streets on that day.
Let me tell you, Portobello Road on a Saturday morning is something worth seeing--and there is anything and everything you'd ever want to see there.
Need a violin? Take your pick!
Hungry? Have some paella! Isn't it beautiful?
Need some entertainment along the way? These guys were GREAT!
But the thrill of my morning that Saturday was finding this:
It's The Travel Bookshop of "Notting Hill" fame. (In case you haven't seen the movie, one of the main characters runs a travel book shop where they only sell travel books.)
Kate and I took a couple of minutes to walk through this maze of a book shop. It's crowded with books and filled with tourists, but it stays true to its roots--the store still sells nothing but travel books. Oh, O.K., we also saw some maps, but still, those are travel-related, right?
So, if you're heading to London, definitely take a Saturday morning to visit Portobello Road and visit The Travel Bookshop. But if you're not going to get to London any time soon, why not watch "Notting Hill" and get your fill of some really great London scenery.
She certainly didn't have to ask twice because "Notting Hill" is one of my all-time favorite movies.
(Eventually Abby joined us. And then B. But not poor Maggie who, even though she was in bed, felt VERY left out--she's nowhere near ready for "Notting Hill.")
Anyway, as I was watching the movie, it occurred to me that I needed to resurrect Travel Tuesday. The scenery reminded me of one of my favorite places--London--and more specifically Portobello Road Market which takes place every Saturday in Notting Hill.
I first visited Portobello Road when I was a college student, and I remember being energized by the environment there. Crowded. Bustling. Loud. Haggling. It was one of those electric environments that you just never forget.
And so, when I took Kate to London last spring, I knew I wanted her to experience that environment too. Besides, I wondered if it had changed much in the 20+ years since I'd been there.
It hadn't. It was still so much fun. Even walking to the market was a thrill as block after block more and more people joined us until, by the time we reached the first market stalls, everyone was pretty much walking shoulder to shoulder. There was no way a car was going to get through the streets on that day.
Let me tell you, Portobello Road on a Saturday morning is something worth seeing--and there is anything and everything you'd ever want to see there.
Need a violin? Take your pick!
Hungry? Have some paella! Isn't it beautiful?
Need some entertainment along the way? These guys were GREAT!
But the thrill of my morning that Saturday was finding this:
It's The Travel Bookshop of "Notting Hill" fame. (In case you haven't seen the movie, one of the main characters runs a travel book shop where they only sell travel books.)
Kate and I took a couple of minutes to walk through this maze of a book shop. It's crowded with books and filled with tourists, but it stays true to its roots--the store still sells nothing but travel books. Oh, O.K., we also saw some maps, but still, those are travel-related, right?
So, if you're heading to London, definitely take a Saturday morning to visit Portobello Road and visit The Travel Bookshop. But if you're not going to get to London any time soon, why not watch "Notting Hill" and get your fill of some really great London scenery.
