Assignment 1: Portobello, Borough and Camden Markets

I've decided that when I return back to the states, one of the things I'll miss most about London is their market scene.  I absolutely love the fact that you can go to just about any area of town and run into an outdoor market area - whether that means food, souvenirs, or serious shopping there is truly something for everyone.  (I'll add pictures later when I get my computer back...)


Portobello
This place is dangerous.  DO NOT visit if you have a lot of cash on you, because I guarantee you'll end up spending just about all of it here!!  I had quite the day shopping here; it's a great mix of both food and clothing shops.  They also have a lot of vintage antiques and more London-related things that aren't as cliche as regular souvenirs.  In order to get the full experience, I had to try a little of everything, right? :)  I came back to Vandon with a couple scarves, t-shirts, a pair of shoes, a necklace, fruit and veg, other groceries, a gourmet cupcake, and a much lighter purse.  (Mom, you should be proud - I bargained on everything I got!)

This market stretches for about two miles on both sides of the street, including stores in buildings and those set up in the street and on the sidewalks.  If you're looking for gifts to bring home for people, this is the place to go.  It helped that the weather was gorgeous, but the time definitely flew by when we were walking around.  It was also a lot less touristy than other areas of town which was refreshing - that sounds bad now that I look at things because I still feel like one every now and then!


Camden
Camden Market was the closest thing to culture shock that I've ever experienced.  I heard stories from some people in the program that had visited it before me, but still wasn't really sure what to expect.  I decided to explore it one afternoon with a few other girls and we ended up spending hours there.  My first impression was the store fronts... the "architecture" of them was like nothing I'd ever seen before.  Almost every shop has something sticking out of the front of it that describes what's in the shop.  It's definitely a punky area so some of the shops were selling things I've never seen before, and things that I wouldn't have been disappointed never to see. ;)  There was one store that had nothing but things for smoking marijuana, or things with marijuana leaves on them, etc... that's something I never would have seen back at home.

My favorite part of Camden was the area off of the main street that's tucked away by a little river.  It's amazing to see how it develops as the day goes on; the morning starts off with all these little cubicles locked and covered with sheets, then toward the afternoon there are probably HUNDREDS of shops that come out of the woodwork.  People start bringing things out of their shops to put on display for people to see and try as you walk throughout the market.  The first time we went, we walked past a restaurant selling Chinese food and the owner was getting all of us to try what he was making, then he did a rap to tell us the names of everything.  He ended his performance by telling us that we could get a free drink with our meals - one of the most entertaining things I'd seen there by far.

We also visited a store called Cyber Dog... I literally can not describe it in words.  It's something you have to see for yourself if you visit London because pictures weren't allowed in the store, otherwise I would have shared!  The only way I can begin to explain it is a store for ravers... 90% of the store is lit with black lights and  they use robots for manikins.  They also have live cage dancers to entertain shoppers (as if the actual merchandise doesn't do that well enough).  If you've ever seen Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, that is about as close as I can get to describing the clothing there. I think the best way to shop there would be if you were on drugs... but maybe that's just me?

Borough
This was exactly what I pictured a traditional outdoor market to be.  It was strictly food - some raw and some prepared - and it was also a bit upscale for my price range.  It was amazing to see, though, because we had walked through it at night when there was nothing set up and it is literally a concrete slab that is covered underneath a roof.  You would never guess that during the day it is bustling with shoppers and fresh, British-grown food.  If I would have had more money to spend, I would have been in heaven; I settled on a steak sandwich and a piece of cheesecake which were both much cheaper than I anticipated (but still not cheap).  It's a great place to visit if you're feeling "a bit peckish" as Mark would say, because a bunch of the tents have free samples for you to try.

Essentially, I think the markets are an amazing way to get a taste of what London used to be and experience the parts that aren't as well-known.