Travels to...London: The Markets

So, a thing I'm really excited about London are the markets. I'm really torn to name a favourite. I used to like Portobello the most, but with time another market started to grow on me very very much and that's Camden Market. Covent Garden is also completely brilliant, but I think you can't really compare the markets, as each market is entirely different. Portobello is all about antiquities and food, Camden is about the crazy stuff, like military jackets and gas masks and Covent Garden is rather posh with the best cupcakes store in the world (and I'm not particularly fond of either chocolate nor sweets!).

So, if you want to spend you entire day going to the markets I'd recommend you to start with Portobello Market. Now, I don't know where you're traveling from but I'd say that if you go by tube, Notting Hill Gate is the one. Look out for possible interruptions in the Central Line, especially at the weekends, as the town council is improving the tube for Olympia 2012. This time I'll be staying at the Quality Maitrise Hotel Maida Vale (which I will talk about later). The nearest tube station is Kilburn Park, just around the corner, so I take the tube to Paddington, either with Bakerloo, Circle or District line and from Bakerloo I either take the Circle or District line. It takes me 20 minutes. I prefer getting up really early (well not THAT early, but still too early for some people to cope), so I'd say around 8. I have a quite bite to eat and then I start thus early to be at Notting Hill Gate around 9.45 am. From there it's just a short walk to Portobello Road. Another possible tube station is Bayswater, it doesn't really make a difference. So, I like to go there early before all the tourists come and havoc breaks. One thing you HAVE to do, and that's why I'd recommend you exit at Notting Hill Gate is a man and a woman with their little vending machine, where they make the best Iced Lemonade in the world! It's absolutely brilliant! Do go and try some! At the market I just like to stroll around, buy some rasberries or pineapples and eat them while browsing through some old furniture displayed in the shops around the street, which must not be missed! I also like to buy some street plates as gifts for my mates (you know, the street signs that say "Portobello Road", "Oxford Circus" and stuff). If you want to go all touristy, you can also buy a jumper with "I LOVE LONDON" embroidered on your chest.

If you haven't had any breakfast yet and if you have a sweet tooth go to Hummingbird Bakery and try one of their cupcakes they are really good. And if you like to buy some original souvenirs or if it's just for yourself go to Lush, where you can purchase all sorts of soaps, bathing bubble balls, shower gels and jellies (but do NOT try to eat them! I know, they look ridiculously like food, but don't have a bite, believe me, I tried..)

All right then, off to the next market, Camden Market. At Notting Hill Gate, you take the Central line either via Hainault or via Epping. At Tottenham Court Road you change to the Northern Line via Charing Cross. After a 29 minutes ride you arrive in Camden Town. You can also exit at Chalk Farm, but I mean, if you go to Camden Market you also have exit at Camden Town, common sense, easy as that. As you exit the station you simply follow the masses (well you can be lucky, there aren't ALWAYS that many people there). If you're into shoes check out the Dr. Martens store on the way, they have a great collection of boots in all form and sizes.

All right, Camden Market, here we come. Entering the market is like entering a completely different world. There are some places where you feel that you've just entered something completely new, like the New Year's Fair of Surprises on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh's Old Town. You have several markets combined in one: there's the Lock Market, the Stables Market, the Canal Market, each with their individual style. I particularly like the Stables one, they have really amazing stuff there (and also slightly crazy things, too). The military jackets are awesome and I'm not too sure I won't buy one this time.. just saying. The gas masks, as I've already mentioned, are really cool and a bit creepy too..but you can also buy "normal" stuff like jumper and shoes, clothes in particular. DVDs and records, CD's and books, scented candles (don't know if they apply as normal, though) and all kinds of esoteric things. Right at the canal, there are several little booths where you can buy your lunch. There's chinese food, turkish, indian and spanish things you have to try because they're really good! You can spent here as long as you like as it doesn't get boring at all, but that's just me. 

So, if you want to continue the "market crawl", it's off to Covent Garden. From Camden Town you take the Northern Line to Leicester Square and from there you take the Piccadilly Line to Covent Garden. It takes approximately 23 minutes. The market's right around the corner. It's posher than the other two, but equally great. As already mentiones, try the cupcake store, it's really good. Other than that, there are little booths where I once bought a great pair of shoes for just 4 Pounds and I still have them, so the quality can't be that bad. You can get bargains and rarities everywhere here, so just keep your eyes wide open while strolling around. I promise you, you won't regret it.

So, whether you're a Portobello type, a Camden crazy or a Convent Garden lover, in London, there's something for everyone. You just have to go out and explore.

Travels to...London: Introduction and City Sightseeing Hop On/Off

All right, so the first thing I do when I'm planning a travel (and when I do, I do it to the extreme) is being organised and have a plan! 

In contrast to my real life, where I'm rather spontaneous and laid-back, I need strict and elaborate plans for my journeys.

Usually, my plans consist of a chart, in which I say:

Date, Time, Plan, Duration, Price, Street, Tube, !!!! (for important information). 

I like to have every little thing checked, so that I can make the most of my travel.

Take my next trip to London, for instance. It's the 3000th time I'm going so I wouldn't normally do the stuff I am doing this time, because I've already seen a really great deal of it, but as I'm traveling with other people and they don't know London at all (yeah, I know, strange..) I had to work out a plan that includes the standard London things, like the Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, but which also includes my all-time favourites like the Portobello Road Market, Camden Market and Covent Garden, the British Museum and a little shopping on Oxford Circus (which will be discussed in a later post). 

So, to be able to see all the interesting sights for tourists I decided to take the City Sightseeing Hop On/Off Red Bus Tour, which covers pretty much the entire centre of London, which can be seen in the City Sightseeing Hop On/Off Map.

We will take the bus at Haymarket, near Trafalgar Square. When I go with people and I have to do the "London essentials", how I like to call them (and which I'm slightly fed up with, like London Eye), and we go on the Hop On/Off, I would always recommend the Red Line. It starts at Haymarket and the first thing you see is Trafalgar Square, which I personally really like, because there are so many memories connected to it, like sitting on one of the lions, splashing water from the fountain with friends and a mate getting told off because she got into the fountain and just walked around. Great place. 

The bus continues via Whitehall, where you can see Downing Street, where the PM, lives, to Big Ben and the Parliament buildings. From there it goes to London Eye, Waterloo Station, St. Pauls Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre and back to Big Ben via Embankment. From there it's Buckingham Palace, Victoria Station, Hyde Park and Marble Arch. The last leg of the tour consists of Madame Tussaud's, The Sherlock Holmes Museum, the Telecom Tower and Oxford Circus. After this you're back at Haymarket. I think this tour covers pretty much every interesting sight of London tourists might enjoy.