7/22/06
We had a very slow morning. I was still suffering the effects of my cold. We went down and talked with our Trafalgar rep to make sure arrangements had been made to get us to the airport on time. It seemed that everything was under control, so we asked about the best way to get to the Notting Hill area. He gave us bus directions, and said that we would have a nice relaxing time there. I don’t know if he was being sarcastic, or if he really has no concept of what is relaxing.
We took the bus to Notting Hill Gate, and began our search for Portabello Road, where a street market is held each Saturday. There were stalls lining the street, and it went on and on and on. There were vegetable stalls, antique stores, and just about anything anyone could image. It reminded me of the Anderson Jockey Lot. The crowds were once again astounding, as was the heat. I think I might have enjoyed it more if it had been cooler and I had felt better.
We decided to leave the crowds, and somehow got into a residential area. After wandering for awhile, we finally reached another business district where we recognized bus numbers. We found a taqueria, and had a light lunch in a cool place – our number one requirement for an eating establishment at this point. Feeling refreshed, we looked in a couple more shops, then headed back to the bus stop. From there it was back to the hotel to collapse for the rest of the afternoon.
We wanted one last good meal before departure, but we didn’t want to search all over London for it. The thought of another mad crowded bus ride was more than I could bare. We took one of the less-crowded routes to Kensingston Church Street, and started looking.
Just off of Kensington High was a collection of Italian eateries, similar to the collection of Indian places we found in Picadilly. Each was slightly different, with its own offerings. We selected a place called Prezzo. We started with olives and garlic bread. Our meals were quite good, and a satisfactory end to our travel.