It is amazing how a number of detours, missteps, and a not so great cup of coffee can propel you into a day of adventure. But getting lost in London is something I feel I’ve begun to master now on a daily basis.
It was a very rainy Saturday. I’ve since learned that it’s not the best of ideas to count on the Tube on rainy days, my game plan was to board the Tube at Russell Square, travel one stop to King’s Cross, then transfer to the District Line which would expedite me directly to the Notting Hill Gate. It was going to be a quick little transfer, and boom—I’d be there.
All did not go as planned. At King’s Cross, the District Line was down. There was also another alert posted saying the buses that traveled the same line would also be diverted later that afternoon. Some kind of assembly was shutting down the buses. Power on, activists. I would not begrudge a little civil disobedience. But this development required a bit of remapping my plan.
I consulted the Tube map and made a new plan to backtrack. I would ride to Earl’s Court station, which I believed would place me directly south of Notting Hill. From here, my plan was to find a bus or take a connecting train. I was not giving up yet.
Things were going fine until I got two stations away from my stop. At the Knightsbridge station, it was announced they would be skipping all planned stops ahead and driving straight through to the end of the line due to a suspicious package at a nearby stop.
Once again, I disembarked due to another detour and hiked up the stairs to the street.
Coffee. I needed some, however I was not optimistic there would be a place to find coffee in this neighborhood open this early in the morning. I was in the exact spot I found myself on my first day in London and already knew what type of coffee and breakfast options were available going in one direction. So, instead, I decided to walk in the other direction.
Miraculously, just a block and around the corner from the Knightsbridge station, I found a little French cafe. I told myself I would go in, relax a bit, get back into vacation mode and enjoy breakfast and coffee before finding another bus.
The cafe was charming. Upon entering this joint, I saw there was a mountain of pastries and breads beautifully displayed in the pastry case, so I thought to myself, this has promise for good coffee, too. I was more than ready to put the morning of detours behind me and reset for the day.
I was seated, I ordered some eggs and a very overpriced cappucino, and had every intention to kick back, de-stress and get back into vacation mode.
My espresso arrived. It was pretty, served on a little doily, but was sadly lukewarm and had no detectable flavor except for an oddly burnt tinge, but I still drank it. Duh, there’s still caffeine in it. I had my coffee, took a little selfie, knowing I was very likely going to blog about the morning events later.
I was served my eggs Benedict. They were underwhelming.
The eggs were under cooked, the Hollandaise was super salty and they seemed to be served on what looked like ham/deli meat. It photographed nicely at least.
Just as I was beginning to eat breakfast, a high piercing siren erupted throughout the restaurant. I watched five of the staff members quickly scrambled to a wall in the back of the place, trying their best to disarm the alarm, but this went on for many minutes. No one seemed to know how to disable it. It was so loud I had to hold my hands to my ears because it hurt my ear drums. no one knew how to disable it.
Five minutes passed. Then it was approaching ten minutes. The alarm was an impressively loud volume, and the longer it continued, the more frenzied the place became. I flagged someone down and asked for a take-away box and cup for my coffee. I paid for the terrible breakfast and fled to find a bus!
Around the corner, I found a bus that would allegedly take me to Notting Hill. I waited for a bit, but I was happy to be back on the road and making progress again.
Trouble at the Gate
I disembarked the bus near Notting Hill Gate, but instead of walking toward the market, I of course walked in the exact opposite direction! However, like many of my experiences in London, wanding off course always pays off. On this little detour, I came across the iconic Churchill Arms pub on Kensington Church Street.
I finally stopped to ask someone who looked like they knew where they were going. I usually have a good sense of direction once I’ve visited a place once, but I was very turned around!
About an hour late, I finally arrived and found myself strolling down Portobello Road. Me, along with hundreds of other tourists.
Portobello Road Market
I arrived at the market via a small, winding residential street which was calm and charming. Along the walk, there were quaint stoops of residences, small little gardens you could peek at. Many homes had iron railing, some had vines winding up and around the windows.
This is definitely a vibrant, eclectic scene filled with little booths selling antiques of all sorts, food vendors, pastries, and there is music, and color everywhere you look. Pastel colored homes in a row look exactly how I expected them to look based on photos I’d seen before visiting here. My inner hippie was felt quite at home.
I did partake in one of the pastries for sale at the market which was delicious and very worth the detour from my usually low carb eating style.
Whew! It had been an exhausting day just trying to navigate my way here. I continued down the market until I came across an outdoor flea market. I spent some time lookingt through the colorful vintage clothing.
I continued walking through the area, and circled back to where I arrived, near the buses. Before leaving Notting Hill, however, I had one last stop.
Fish House in Notting Hill
I had done some research in advance and there was a chip shop in Notting Hill called The Fish House which seemed to have very positive reviews.
I had planned to end the day here trying their fish and chips. I was seated upstairs in a very cozy little space with a few tables. It was definitely a great fish and chips. I have had my share of fish and chips being from the Pacific Northwest, but this fish was haddock and the batter was light, fluffy, and crunchy. I assumed it was a tempura style batter. Definitely not greasy. I ordered a beer and enjoyed the meal. It was so nice to sit and relax after the hectic day of navigating the public transportation. All in all, a fun day of sightseeing and getting lost in London.
