#paddington

My second-favorite day - antiquing at Portobello Market, strolling the Notting Hill neighborhood for painted houses, and ending with the West End to see Paddington.

Some of the painted houses in Notting Hill

My face when I realized the bookstore in Notting Hill from Notting Hill didn't actually exist: 😮🤯. This is what's there now:

Portobello Road is where you can find all the vintage and antique treasures to your heart's desire. I went early Friday, around 9am - many of the vendors were still setting up but there was enough to see and shop through. I was glad I made it before all the huge crowds set out.

(You can find the vintage and antique markets at Portobello Road on Fridays and Saturdays. All the guidebooks really do mean it when they say go early to beat the crowd. I went back on Saturday, mid-afternoon, and it was a chaotic madhouse. I was definitely worried about pickpockets then, but not on Friday morning.)

Found a shop that sells only chocolate drinks. This chocaholic was thrilled! I tried the 54% Frozen Hot Chocolate. The perfect drink for a hot day.

There were two things I wanted from London, and why I was so eager to find an antique store or a flea market: a teapot and royal memorabilia. I found both at Portobello Road.

But this was my favorite: the jackpot - a stand of nothing but royal china and commemorative cups.

Everything they had was so interesting. I was early enough that the guys were still setting up, so I made small talk with them and wow. They showed me some of the interesting and rare pieces of their collection - an exclusive Peter Rabbit set celebrating William's birth, coronation and golden jubilee pieces for Queen Elizabeth, china marking William's christening. But the coolest piece was an Albert lithograph - a small cup that, when you hold it up to the light, a photograph of Prince Albert appears on the bottom. Only when you hold it to the light, though. If you're just looking at it in your hand, the bottom is just plain white china.

The guys (two men have the shop) told me that anything with Diana sells quickly and is most popular with foreign tourists. British tourists tend to go for the Queen Victoria stuff since it's quite rare.

I found, at this stand, exactly the piece I was looking for. It was hard being so nonchalant about it with the shopkeepers, but trust me - on the inside, I was squealing and fangirling so hard.

So what was it? That'd be spoilers. I'll tell you later. 😈 But you can probably guess, and you'd probably be right.

(Oh, yeah. They also had Harry and Meghan wedding stuff. Bleh. Just two pieces, which was practically nothing considering how much they had for William.)

Finally found a newspaper - on the cover, King Who and Queen Who.

(This appearance, and the tardis, really got a lot of attention. It was a sweet and exciting moment.)

I can't resist a bookstore so when I found Hatchards in Piccadilly, I had to go in. Hatchards holds the royal warrant for bookselling, and proof is the royal coat of arms behind the till.

I also found the flagship Waterstones in Piccadilly - seven floors of books. 😍 I'm coming here for cocktails next time.

Seeing Paddington the Musical. Absolutely worth every cent of your ticket - go see it! Will be seeing it when it comes to Broadway next year.

I forgot to mention this in my Windsor post but I did ask Victoria if Paddington had always been popular. I told her I knew about the Platty Jubes video with The Queen and Paddington sharing marmalade sandwiches and seeing all the Paddingtons in people's tributes to her after her death was very touching, but I didn't remember seeing so much Paddington my first time in London, back in 2018. Victoria said Paddington has always been popular, but he took on a new sort of popularity after the Platinum Jubilee.

Victoria also said Paddington is very popular because of the movies - and specifically, Hugh Bonneville. "We just love Hugh," she said. Same, Victoria.

Anyway, Paddington the Musical follows the first Paddington movie (he goes to London, meets the Browns, wreaks havoc, saves the day with a marmalade sandwich, and gets chased by a taxidermist). It's a four-hanky show, very feel-good and classic Paddington. Definitely see this, not Hercules.

4 películas familiares que también disfrutan los adultos

¿Quién dijo que las películas familiares son solo para niños? Aquí van cuatro opciones que son perfectas para disfrutar en pareja o con amigos. ¡Prepárense para la magia y el encanto que también atraerán a los adultos! 🎬🍿 #CineGenial #Peliculas #Familia #Cine #Streaming #Opiniones #Recomendaciones

I've just finished reading this lovely article about Simon Farnaby and his career, from Ghosts to Paddington 2.