Pretty Antiques and Theatre Shrieks: Portobello Road Market and the West End
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Learn about our other adventures from the UK Extravaganza 2011:
Saturday mornings in London definitely require a trip to the Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill (like the movie!). It's pretty much the coolest farmers market ever--there are blocks after blocks of food, antiques, clothes and souvenirs.
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| the view of the beginning of the market from the start of Portobello Road |
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| with one of the delicious, freshly made doughnuts we got from one of the street stalls. It was as big as my face, and I ate the WHOLE thing. |
After we had eaten our fill of doughnuts and after we'd bought some gorgeous sandstone owl bookends and a new wool cape for me, Landon and I tried to make the Jack the Ripper walking tour. However, the Circle Line on the Tube had other plans for us (Transport for London kept shutting down different lines for refurbishment so they'll be ready for the Olympics next summer) and we couldn't get to the meeting area for the tour.
So! We rallied and decided to head to my old home-away-from-home in Chelsea. I was so excited to see my old residence hall from my study abroad program back in 2005 (it's the big, tall building on the middle/ right side of the picture below):
We cruised King's Road and ducked into the Waterstone's there for a few books by my favorite British authors, then walked to Knightsbridge (it's quite a trek, but we had our trekking boots on).
Next stop: Harrod's!
Daniel Radcliffe's Hogwarts uniforms from Harry Potter (part of the Harry Potter store inside Harrod's)
To finish off our crazy-busy, but super awesome day, we got all gussied up (as my grandmother said) and headed out to see The Woman in Black in the West End.
Check out my new cape!
Dinner was at Wagamama's in Leicester Square (another must-eat in London!), and then we hurried to the Fortune Theatre for the show.
The Woman in Black is about a retired lawyer who feels the need to recount what happened to him in his youth. As a new lawyer, he is sent by his firm to deal with the estate of a reclusive old woman. On his trip, he finds that the townspeople don't like to talk about Eel Marsh House and what happened there. The lawyer dismisses the stories as just that, but ultimately, he discovers the truth about the woman in black. The play is based on a book, and now, a movie based on the play (starring Daniel Radcliffe) is coming to theatres soon. I will definitely go see the movie...though I'll be peeping through my fingers in several spots!
I knew the play was supposed to be scary, but I don't know how a play could actually pull that off. I was so wrong! I jumped, screamed and generally had the BEST time. And to top it all off, only two actors carried the entire play. It was one of those plays where everything--the stage lights, the acting, the mood, the dialogue--to create this one awesome experience. I love when that happens! Check it out if you're in London--it's the second longest running play on the West End, so it should be there for a while.
What's your favorite thing to do in London? What West End plays have you seen?
What's your favorite thing to do in London? What West End plays have you seen?