Shopping and Playing

Today was a very wonderful day. This morning I went to Portobello Market to do some quality shopping. The market goes on and on and is filled with large amounts of street vendors. Things being sold at the shops range from gorgeous jewelry to beautifully crafted pastries and treats. As I made my way through the market, I couldn't help but to pick up a few things. Naturally, I was drawn to the jewelry and accessories. The market contained a nice mix of new and vintage items. I especially enjoyed looking at the vintage jewelry and even bought a few pieces. In addition to snacks and jewelry, the market also sells fresh produce and clothes as well. I purchased some fruit and veggies that I needed and even picked up two shirts at the market. It was an interesting experience seeing all the vendors selling such different items. I found the vintage items to be fun to explore because some of them are quite old and very unique. The way the market was arranged reminded me of markets I have been to in Mexico. What is drastically different at Portobello is that the shopkeepers don't try to pull people into the shops. I found the vendors to be quite friendly and willing to deal. I was able to make a deal with the first jewelry vendor that I visited, and that made me proud. While I am thoroughly enjoying all my purchases, the experience of being at the market is something that I find to be priceless. Seeing people from all over the world showcasing their items and trying to make a living was quite an experience. One vendor in particular had a very large display of jewelry and other antiques. On the tables were several small plastic tubs full of what the Brits call "bits and pieces". As I rummaged through the old jewelry I found some unique and some ugly items. What each piece had in common however, was character. Each bit and piece once held a purpose and was used by someone. Now being resold at the market, these bits and pieces often serve as inspiration for fashion designers looking for a new twist. In fact, as I began talking with the vendor he shared with me that designers from Topshop, a trendy local clothing chain, come to the market to find inspiration from the bits and pieces. Looking through the tubs was a bit discouraging at first when it all seemed to be was broken metal, but eventually I began to find some great things. I ended up purchasing a silver vintage cross charm for only three pounds. Because it came out of the bits and pieces bin the charm did not come with a chain. The cross was so ornate, unique and cheap that I couldn't pass it up so now I just need to hunt for the perfect chain. The market was an amazing experience, but I could not afford to spend the entire day there because of all the wonderful shopping. :) This evening I decided to see Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall. The show was put on by the English National Ballet and was absolutely amazing. It was a wonderful experience to see such a fantastic performance in such a magnificent setting. The plan for after the ballet was to catch a cab. Unfortunately, we weren't the only people with this brilliant plan. As we stood in the cold damp air watching full cab after full cab zoom by, my friend and I decided to figure out the bus system for the first time at 11 p.m. Waiting for the bus, we were frantically asking people which bus to take to Sloane Square. Most people wanted nothing to do with us, but one woman told us to get on bus 9 and take it to the Circle Line of the Tube. The bus arrived and we stepped on to what we thought would take us home. We asked the driver if the bus was going to Sloane to which he replied "no". We both began to panic, but sat down anyway to decide what to do. Luckily, it wasn't 30 seconds and the bus stopped to pick up someone else. We exited the bus and tried to figure out a new plan. We began jogging down the sidewalk in attempt to find another bus. Cabs began zooming by yet again and we decided to try just once more to hail an empty one. The second cab to pass turned out to be empty and pulled over to pick us up. When we got in the cab we both felt the biggest sense of relief knowing that we would not be stuck at the theater all night. This experience was both fun and a bit crazy. I loved being able to ride in the famous London Black Cab, but getting to that point was a bit wild. In addition to this wild night, I had a comical run-in with some locals today. Walking back from the grocery store my friend and I passed a group of three guys about the same age. As we passed them they said to us "hey look, Americans!" Any other person probably would have taken offense to this, but not us. We were friendly and said "Oh hey!" The more I thought about this the funnier it became because I thought wow I must have tourist and American plastered all over me. I also found it funny that these guys did not find it the least bit odd to call us out by our nationality. While we certainly were not offended I am quite sure many other groups would have been. I hope you have enjoyed this craziness, it sure was a fun day.