Day 8: Notting Hill

The trip is coming to an end, and our second day of dealing with the British rain showers. We were set to start the day at 12:30pm so we could sleep in, but some of us choose to go with Anne and Jessica at 10:00am am to go over to the Portobello Road Market. You would think eight days in to the trip we would have the tube mastered, but we found ourselves switching trains and going in circles. Arriving at Notting Hill Gate we were all in the need of some caffeine just like every other day.  With coffee in hand we wandered the street peeking into the interesting shops filled with clothes, antiques, souvenirs, jewelry, and food. 

It was easy to get lost looking at the little trinkets and before we knew it it was times to head back to meet with the rest of the group. After just one hour of being out in the rain we were completely soaking wet. Back at the station we met up with the rest of the group and made our way to the Museum of Brands, Packaging, and Advertising. The Museum is a private personal collection of advertising from the Victorian Era all the way until current times.  Robert Opie started the collection at the age of 16.  

Making our way through the Museum it was exciting to see the evolution of brands we are familiar with such as, Kellogg's and Pepsi. The exhibition provided us with design inspiration. After the Museum the day was ours to explore.  

Tempted by the many shops that we didn’t get a chance to go in earlier, we stuck to Notting Hill. After visiting the the Type Museum we were really excited to find wood and lead type on the streets. We couldn’t resist looking at each letter and eventually buying a few letters. 

We couldn’t go to Notting Hill and not scope out some of the famous places from the movie Notting Hill! We stopped into the bookstore from the movie and even stalked Hugh Grant’s flat. 

We never thought we would see more cabs in one area than in New York City, but London has just about as many, they’re just not as bright. There are hundreds flying past us every day, and they don’t stop for anyone, which we all can attest to. One cab has stood out to us the entire trip and was actually designed by one the design firms we visited, The Partners. The cab is covered in all of the street names of London, laid out in the correct geographical locations as it would appear on a map. 

We finished out the night with a great group dinner at a restaurant down the street from our hostel, Mediterraneo. The food was good and the company was better. It was a great way to close out our time together in London.  

Looking forward to the last day in London!

-Maddie and Jen!