Monday, May 23, 2011

Portobello Market

The first weekend was definitely full of all sorts of things. My last post detailed some of sights we saw while touring around London. However, we didn't just tour and sight see all weekend. We also did a little shopping at a local market. Portobello Market is one of the largest markets in London, stretching over two miles through widing city roads to the north of London.
The streets were full of people from all over the world. I heard different languages, accents, saw different styles of clothing, shops, and food choices!
One of the first sights I saw while walking through the Market was a store whose windows were full of singer sewing machines. I thought it was a really creative idea to a clothing store, though it was amazing how they must have found so many old machines.
I also found this interesting display - care to take a guess what it is?
A. Pens
B. Bookmarks
C. Hat Pins
Got your guess? They're hat pins! Isn't it interesting? I'd love to wear hats with hat pins at home, but hats are definitely more of an English style than an American style.
Jen and I wandered around for quite some time, walking all the way to the end of the 2 mile market before heading back for the food area for lunch. We stumbled across a wonderful bakery stall with pastries, bagels, and sandwiches. The bread on my sandwich was amazing (as most of the bread in England has been).

We also took a small break in a nearby park, where we found some lovely flowers. Jen was convinced that these were the same flowers used in the Harry Potter movie. I'm not near the Harry Potter fan that Jen is but it was fun to see her excitement. I just thought they were pretty, especially with the intricate coloring on the inside. 
One of my favorite sights from the Market was this gentlemen here. We saw him several times throughout the market, always with his dog hanging out on his shoulders. The ease with which these two walked around showed how often this was their normal way of seeing the sights. The gentleman even shared his drink with his dog, holding up his glass for his dog to have something to drink. It was a heartwarming sight to see the companionship. Too bad my dogs are too big and heavy for that sort of friendship.

So, in addition to the sights of London, the market, and my relaxing Sunday, it has been a busy weekend!

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