The Market is a feast for the eyes! You can buy anything here. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone had a license to sell dogs, or Britain’s third favorite pet, rabbits, in the market.
Portobello Market had the friendly atmosphere of a place where you could come to get to know the vendors (and even ask them to look out for a specific piece for you!). You do not have to buy anything to enjoy the Market. You could just walk around and enjoy the show. From trinket-y jewelry to collectibles for your favorite aunt. Portobello is also the thrift clothing buyer’s friend. There were many worn but well-kept pieces around.
If you love a trend and just can’t let go, I say go to the source. For example, I love the brown satchels. They were everywhere in London. Some stores offer the plasticine leathers which are nicely affordable but they may start to look like dead fish scales after a few months and eventually peel off. When there’s something I’d like to keep wearing time and time again, I look for an original, more durable version. In the end, the faux-leather and the real thing will cost about the same, if patience prevails. Portobello was a trove of satchels, old medical bags, portmanteaux, etc. Whatever size or texture you wanted, they had it.
Here you can also buy china and vintage silverware for your old aunt who still thinks gold and silver are the best monetary currencies.
The old adage the early bird catches the worn is certainly true in Portebello Market. I arrived around 10 am and by then there was already a swarm of people crawling slowing down Portello Road, the main avenue along which vendors park.
In London, the food was, like the people multicultural. I didn’t look for it but I bet there’s an actually good Haitian restaurant somewhere in the city. If you woke up early on a Saturday morning and fancied the fresh air but wanted the French café food, head to Portobello Market.
Besides the bric-à-brac section where you can buy all sorts things there is a stretch of food vendors. You can buy anything from kabobs to paella. My favorite stands were the pastries and baked goods!
I don’t know what it is about having food splayed before me in stands and on tables that thrills me so. Maybe it’s because it’s like a party with strangers without the awkward mingling parts. People mellow when their appetites are piqued. Maybe it’s a chemical response in the brain. We stress and worry as a response to scarcity, to safeguard ourselves against missing out on things. The sight of so much food, which is the very first thing man desires, is an immediate sign of abundance so we are suddenly free from want, free from worry. We are about to eat!
One of the best things about Portebello Market is the pleasure of just eating and people watching. People sat down on the sidewalks and ate with their fingers. In one corner, a school of small musicians delighted a crowd of adults. I looked startled at the growing crowd but they were pleased their efforts had not fallen on deaf ears.
A Saturday well-spent in Lodon!
