LDF-Staircase Fun with Vic and Al (not my most exciting post...)

V&A Signage from the Tunnels that take you to South Kensington Station (I read about this sign in the paper-it's brand new and apparently cost quite a bit of money to get the letters to work from both sides! Definitely the flashiest of the museum tunnel signs.)

Exhibit for London Design Festival- The stair is framed using off-cut pieces of picture frames

You could only walk up, not down (not sure why), so then I had to snake around the museum to find the exit as this was the only thing I came to see!

Today was a very very busy day! Dolan comes in tomorrow and then on Friday we leave for Spain! This being said, I had lots of errands I wanted to do, things I wanted to see (that I wouldn't subject Dolan to-like this staircase for exmaple), and things to buy just in case immigration doesn't deem me worthy of coming back into the country like they almost did when I came back from Italy. So I started out my day by going to see this exhibit at the V&A. It was pretty cool (to me), but I can see why others may not think too much of it.haha. From South Kensington, I went to Portobello Road. There were a few off hand boutiques I wanted to look at in case-one:when I get back in October all of the sales of their summer clothes are done (their summer clothes=all year wear for Houston) or two: I don't get to see them again! After making a few purchases, I headed to the other side of the city to Spitalfields Market. They say the stalls close at 4, but luckily as I got there at 3:45, most were still open and were willing to let me look around. I found a few bargain dresses (I once shunned market shopping thinking all the clothes were cheesy and cheap, and now I love it because they are cheap, and not all cheesy)!

From Spitalfields, I made my way back to Bob's in order to finish up laundry, pack for Spain, and get everything ready for Doaln in case he just wants to pass out when he gets here (although I think with his one 1/2 days in London, he will most likely want to pack in as much as possible!). Oh London, when the time comes, I'm going to really miss you. I feel like we are just now getting to know each other!

Lesson Learned TFL-Bayswater Art Market and Peter Pan!

Kensington Garden-on what BBC called a SUNNY day. liars.

Peter Pan statue-Don't know if the statue or J.M. Barrie's books Peter Pan in Kensington Garden came first

I found it odd that they built that random skyscraper right across the street from such a tranquil place since most of them are in the City! Maybe they don't have zoning here either.

Thought this was so cute!

Bayswater Art Market-Didn't see anything I liked except for the artist I bought from last year in April

hahahahaha. a memorable artist from my trip there last April

Other side of Bayswater Road-at Queensway Station

On my walk to Notting Hill-you can tell even from this shot just how sunny it was outside.haha

On my way to Portobello Road

A sampling of Portobello Road stores that are not antiquariums

So I learned a very valuable lesson today about traveling on the weekends with planned tube engineering works-it's a pain even if my tube stop isn't closed (tfl stands for Transport for London). I thought because part of each of the lines I needed were open, that I could hop lines to get to where I needed to be. Well this worked well enough getting to Queensway where I could walk up and down Bayswater to get to stops like Lancaster Gate, Notting Hill Gate, and Marble Arch. So I spent about 2 hours walking arlound the art market, in Kensington Garden, and up Portobello Road (yes, the Portobello Road market was yesterday, but I cannot wake up in time for the market anymore-that's the good thing about the Bayswater Art Market-the artists get there around noonish!). By the time I was done with this, and ready to go home, I was exhausted and had no idea what I was in for. 2 hours later, 5 tube station changes later, and one standing bus ride, I finally made it back to Bob's. Apparently, things don't work the same way going back Southeast as they do going Northwest on the tube map. And the 137 bus decided to play it's role by not going to Oxford Circus, and instead of being every 8-10 minutes, being every 40 minutes. Lesson learned London-stay in on the weekends or within walking range! Still a good day though!

From Notting Hill--Portobello Road--Ladbroke Grove

Portobello Road (not on a market day which is Saturday)-one of my favorite places in London!

LOVE this store

Old Cricket balls!

They had tons and tons of drawer knobs!

Printing blocks!

Pedlar's

http://www.pedlars.co.uk/

Bus signs that go on the front and back of the buses to show their route

Check out the London print here-I've also posted a close-up a little farther down

Jim Datz limited edition print especially made for Pedlar's-LOVE this!

Awesome store display at the All Saints store on Portobello Road. The whole thing was covered in vintage sewing mahcines.

They wouldn't let me take photos inside, but they had some GREAT but expensive and large antiques.

I loved these wooden crates (smaller ones) and check out the very old Portobello Road sign!

Great house on Portobello Road

Skate Park near the National Gallery in Southbank

I had heard of Pedlar's on many blogs and websites, and decided to check it out. It's a store started in Scotland that has both vintage and new items which make for interesting souvenirs from Great Britain. It's quite a ways away from Bob's, but I figured worth a visit. Although the weather forecast heavy rain, when I left Bob's, it was partly cloudy/blue skies, and since the weather is usually wrong everyday, I decided to chance it. Things went well until I got off the tube at Notting Hill Gate. People were carrying their umbrellas, waiting for the rain, and it came within 5 minutes of me getting out of the protection of the tube station! Good thing I had my trusty umbrella which was from the pound store which turned inside out immediately. So I found Portobello Road, and ran into the first shop pictured above (yes, even in running in the rain, I was still picky about what store to go in-I didn't go into the first shop I saw-a country western shop--uh, in London??). Luckily, I loved this store and spent quite a bit of time just going through everything! I went into a few other stores, but kept on route to Pedlar's. It was nice to see Portobello Rd. without billions of people during the market, but then how I do love the market!

Pedlar's was great, and the staff were extremely nice. The Jim Datz painting I found, I fell in love with. Too bad it comes framed though and was pricey. I made my way back down Portobello Rd. and into a few second hand bookstores (still in search of the perfect and cheap Peter Pan book!). I went back to the tube station, and made my way to Waterloo station. I had to get another look at some art I had seen the day before at Gabriels Wharf. This is when I saw the skate park because I had come a different way than yesterday (there were like 10 different exits out of Waterloo Station going towards the Thames). I ended up buying the etching which has a Japanese feel to it-teal background with branches with white and yellow blossoms by Peter Wareham.