Portobello Market, London

I have been to Portobello Market before as I have lived in the UK for 3.5 years from 2006 to 2009.  We did everything that tourists do.  We go to museums, watch West End shows, go to Trafalgar Square or any square for that matter, visit different parks - paid or not, shop in Oxford Circus, the list is endless.

As I have written on my previous blog, we went to London on a Sunday.  Portobello Weekend Market as the name suggest, is only open on weekends apart from the shops that is open daily.  Since it's the Olympics, I've expected the place to be full of tourists and eclectic people.  Boy, time did change.  The streets are empty.  I only saw a handful of tourists.  Can I say I'm disappointed?  Yeah, I am a bit.  I have painted my niece a different Portobello picture.  As per usual, we took photo of the George Orwell flat, took a photo with Portobello Road sign on it, took photo of the gorge coloured flats and took her to the Notting Hill Bookstore.  She said she haven't seen the film.  I forgot that she is only 16.  So she was a baby when the film was shown on the movies.  :-P

This was the Portobello Market that I was expecting:

 Versus this at present:

Tube Nearest Portobello Market:  Notting Hill Gate

Go if you like flea markets, vintage stores and antique finds.