Saturday 18 July 2009

The Location Behind The Obsession

Today I got up bright and early and headed to Notting Hill! I believe my UK obsession is Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts' fault to be honest. From the first time I saw that movie I wanted to go to Notthing Hill in the WORST way. I was at Notting Hill Gate tube stop at 8:15am. Portobello Road Market was just starting up so I walked the length of the road to see what was there. I realized that even though the books tell you to get there early, getting there 15 minutes after the market opens is a bit too early.

Fortunately I went to Notting Hill armed with more to do than shopping! I had compiled a list of filming sites from the Notting Hill movie. I found the travel bookshop that Will's was based on in the film, the tattoo parlour that was featured with the gentleman leaving and who couldn't remember why he chose "I Love Ken" as a tattoo, Will's house (there's no more blue door though), Max and Bella's house, the corner where Will and Anna literally bump into one another and the locked communal garden that Will and Anna break into on their first date. Gotta love the internet for all the addresses of filming spots!

By the time I finished my movie pilgrimage, the market was BUZZING! I walked the entire length of the market a second time and then back again on my way to the Tube. It was INSANELY crowded with people. Really an
agoraphobics nightmare. I also seemed to be the only salmon swimming upstream away from the market as I was leaving which made for a long walk filled with, "pardons" and "excuse mes". I got a ham and cheese crepe for lunch and headed back to my flat to deposit my treasures and decide what to do this afternoon.

My Notting Hill pictures are here. I also included a few pictures that I took on the way home from the tube.

I have decided that there is a problem with being a Londoner on the weekends. That's when they do much of the maintenance for the Tube. There were a bunch of places that I wanted to go to that would be great for a couple of hours since I didn't have a whole day to devote to the bigger things today. Well, all of them would use the District or Hammersmith and City lines which are not running where I need them to be this weekend. I guess I'll be hanging around here and reading out on the green instead. Tomorrow I will be more prepared! Live and learn.

2 comments:

  1. WOW, what awesome pictures. The market sure was buzzing with people. Did you get a tattoo, Juliane?????

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  2. Having been away, I'm catching up on your vacation. I'm living vicariously through you! Thanks for the trip! :) Love, E and Neo

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