It’s great fun to browse here and I always leave with a full basket. Originally a market food stall, it is now a full blown emporium to all things gourmet and British– from jams and teas to biscuits to unusual condiments like game relish. Fortnum’s has all of those things– but unlike a museum which only documents the past, at Fortnum’s history is alive in the walls of the store. Known by locals as “Fortnum’s”, it has many of the same cultural benefits of going to a museum– after all, we go to museums to learn about history and culture and to look at interesting and beautiful things. London Experience: Visit the Emporium of Fortnum & Mason, a Living Museumįortnum and Mason has stood on the same ground at 181 Picadilly in London for over 300 years. As a bonus, it’s infinitely less crowded on non-market days and the perfect time to trawl for fun vintage and antique items.ĥ. Notting Hill is best known for its weekend Portobello market, but most visitors aren’t aware that even on non-market days, the streets still have a market like feel to them, with shops spilling their wares out front. London Souvenir: Vintage and Antique Items Look for a full post on Notting Hill soon. ![]() I was absolutely taken with the colorful pastel homes and shops here, delightful to walk through and if you’re a photo buff, amazing to shoot. While it took me years to actually get there, when I did, it was even better than in the movie. Like most Americans, I fell in love with Notting Hill after watching the romcom Notting Hill. London Experience: Explore the Pastel Charms of Notting Hill Now these artist pillows, on the other hand, are ready to go, no fuss required– and would add just the right cheeky touch to my sofa.ģ. Something that just never seems to happen for me. Art prints are nice, but then you have to get them home and frame them. Gallery shops in Shoreditch have a range of art-inspired gifts and souvenirs to choose from. For more read about my love for the Tube (and buses and black cabs) in this post.Īrt, art everywhere. And while the Tube does close down late night, I’ll take the inconvenience for near spotless trains and stations (an adorably named cleaning crew called “fluffers” polish the tube top to bottom each night). For starters, instead of naming its lines after boring numbers (my local trains are the 4,5,6), tube lines have charming names like Jubilee and Victoria. London Experience: Ride the TubeĪs a New Yorker, I should be bragging that the New York city subway runs all night and costs next to nothing, but my heart lies with the London Tube. Here are a few of my London favorites: 1. ![]() With each visit I only add more, which makes it harder and harder to fit in all that I love about London in a short visit. Over my many visits to London, I have accumulated many favorite experiences, places to shop, and souvenirs. It’s the one city I’ve visited most, but never tire of (as Samuel Johnson says, “when a man is tired of London he is tired of life”). There is something about London– the mix of old and new, the big city feel and village-like mews– that makes me come back again and again.
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