Jen's Day in London

I have a tough act to follow after Bill's many London posts so fortunately I had a great day!  I started at Portobello Road Market at the Ladbroke Grove end.  That's the fashion end vs the antique end at Nottinghill Gate (although I assure you I made it well into the antiques) .  But in the middle are the food stalls.  i think Bill and I took a picture of this same vendor the last time we were here but the big vats of bubbling food are quite impressive.

I'm not sure you would recognize this from the outside as I think they used a different door in the movie...but the interior of this book shop is where they filmed Nottinghill Hill with Hugh Grant.  I was clueless at first and wondering why people were taking pictures of it but as soon as I walked in I had the urge to say, "I'm just a girl...in front of a boy....asking him to love her."  Of course when I went outside to take a picture I noticed that there was, indeed, a commemorative plaque outside which should have tipped me off.

 This is where I peed.  Fortunately I went on line the day before and found a site that talked about accessible bathrooms on Portobello Road and they tipped me off to this easy take.  Otherwise I might be in jail right now for public urination.  

 By midday the street was packed.  

 I bought lots of bits and bobs...I could have bought more but I talked myself out of a few things.  Plus I was on the hunt for something in particular for Bill but didn't quite find it.  Looks like I'll have to go back again.  

En route to my next destination I found myself wandering into a wine and cheese festival!!! If they were projecting period pieces on to a wall I'd have though I'd found heaven.  Who cares that it started to rain?  I sampled lot of the different cheeses and bought a white chocolate & cranberry cookie for the road.

This was my destination - an open air used book market under Waterloo Bridge on South Bank. 5 books for 15 pounds.  This will definitely get my repeat business.

This is the view walking across Waterloo Bridge...The London Eye is the easy pick but Big Ben is there too.  The sky is the perfect example of London weather - pitch black clouds one half and blue skies with sun in the the other half.

At this point I needed a tea break...I had a cuppa in the St Martins in the Fields crypt.  They've got quite an elaborate cafeteria for a church and I loved all the brick and stone arches.

 I came out of the crypt to the last rays of sun beaming down on Trafalger.  Just enough time left to duck into the Portrait Gallery and then head up Charing Cross Road to the bookshops (I felt compelled to hit Foyles before I left).

London always leaves me wanting more but I have plans with Louise tomorrow so it will have to wait for another weekend.