Markets & Music

My trip is coming to a screeching halt. With souvenirs purchased and my birthday having nearly arrived, I am (almost) ready to come home. Tomorrow will be my last full day in this magnificent city, and this weekend has been an ideal end.

Jeff, Erin, and I decided to join the thousands of other individuals (mostly tourists)at Portobello market yesterday. Friends and family have raved that this is by far the best market...I would have to disagree. Nevertheless, I nearly fell in love with some musicians playing at the entrance, and managed to push through the crowds enough to buy a few items. (With all of this being said, I ADORE Notting Hill. It is one of the most charming parts of the city.)

Erin and I decided that crepes were a necessity. (I got one with bananas, almonds, and lemons...YUM!) We then concluded that we were still hungry, and went to Ask (a local resident that a friend recommended.) Little did we know that we were going to be served some heavenly food. I cannot even remember what it was exactly, but the honeycomb cheesecake (we shared...be proud of me) was unforgettable.

The remainder of our afternoon was filled with Love Never Dies (the Phantom sequel). Erin was a very harsh critic (being a music major), but I have to agree with almost every one of her complaints. We both decided that if you love Phantom: do not see LND. Let's just say I fell in and out of sleep for the first half... Oh well, I am glad I at least saw it, and we bought the cheap seats!

We met up with Jeff back at the dorms, and took the tube to Brick Lane for some authentic Indian food. This is a street full of ethnic food in the city, and is definitely an experience. For dinner there are men (who work for the restaurants) on the street who try to convince you to eat at their establishments by negotiating a deal. Thanks to Jeff and his persuasive skills, we had a HUGE/delicious meal for less than 11 pounds each :)

With VERY full stomachs we set off for a blues club (A'int Nothing But..) that we had heard is fabulous. There are a few places that I wish I could transplant from London to Phoenix (for ex: my cafe), and this is one of those locations. As soon as I walked in, I was dancing to the music. I LOVED IT! What made it even better is we were supposed to meet a friend, Bryan, earlier in the night but couldn't get in touch with him. After seeing Bryan on the street (as we were on the top level of a bus), running in the direction he walked, and failing to find him...we finally caught up with him (randomly) in the line at the club.

The four of us then took one of the last tubes to a dance club called Fabric. This club has the best house music ever, and we danced for the rest of the night. Seriously, I could go there every night. (For those of you that claim I only have one dance move...you should have seen me there.) Having ended the night really late, we took advantage of the night buses in London and safely made it back to our place.

(This is a very long post...)

Today Erin and I went to my absolute FAVORITE market...Camden. I went with my parents a few weeks ago, but did not realize how big it was the first time. I finished buying the last few gifts and managed to find a few things I couldn't live without either. It's amazing how fast the money goes in a place like this. Erin and I had some issues getting back (tube station closed, bus in the wrong direction, etc), but I came back and quickly changed so I could set off on my own.

I got PHENOMENAL seats to see Burn the Floor (look it up!). It is 2 hours of ballroom dances with 20 international, award-winning performers. I ate it up. I also managed to see the National Gallery with a bit of extra time, and now I am just waiting to explore the city with Jeff and Erin soon.

Nostalgia for this month in London is already sitting in, but I cannot wait to see the beautiful people in my life.

I love love love you all.