Notting Hill: Happy (late) Birthday to me!

Last month, 

I got spoiled by celebrating my birthday with my parents

with the perfect day in Tuscany.

Tyler had planned to take me out for my birthday

but because I've been traveling so much since the big day,

we had to postpone it.

(Fact: I've slept in 21 different beds in the past 6 weeks!)

After getting back to London last night

(and moving into our new place),

 Tyler woke me up this morning 

with a surprise outing to Notting Hill!

I absolutely love Saturdays there...

the market is up

and full of all the quirkiness & oddity 

that completely strike my fancy.

We started the day off right with

 chocolate-filled Italian donuts (or "bomba")

at our favorite morning stop, Arancina,

that is located conveniently en route to

the Portobello Road Market.

Once we had appropriately carb-laoded,

we pushed our way through the crowds 

into the throbbing heart of Portobello Road.

no make-up needed for saturdays at a market!

Delicious produce & food stalls 

that cause me to loiter and stare 

for awkwardly long periods of time.

If there are onions grilling, 

just count on me stopping and standing...

and drooling.

the namesake produce

Since it was my "birthday,"

Tyler told me to pick out something that I liked.

Something that we could keep in our house

that would always remind me of my birthday in Notting Hill.

So I looked.

And looked...

Eh...

nothing seemed right.

Till at the end,

I found a perfect crystal table set

for salt, pepper, & mustard (yippee!)

that was made in the 1890's. 

It's now sitting bubble wrapped and safe in my flat...

where it will sit until I get our place unpacked-

but take my word for it:

it's a keeper.

And with moves like those,

so is this guy.

A few pointers:

The market is open on Saturdays.

To reach the market,

take the Central Line to Notting Hill Gate.

As you leave the station exits,

take the stairs towards "Portobello Road."

Follow the crowds around the block

and up the neighborhood into the heart of the market.

It will be about a ten minute walk from the tube station.

If you are traveling to London,

and would like to know more about 

Notting Hill's Portobello Road Market,

email me at aspiringkennedy@gmail.com

*all images original to Aspiring Kennedy