Portobello
@Nov/'98 UK

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One of the World Largest Antique Complex: Hundreds of shops on street in weekend

It is 10 minutes walk from my apartment house in Ladblock. This is one of favorite place to visit on holiday in London. Portobello, one of the world largest antique complex. Hundreds of shops open on the narrow street of Portobello in every weekend. You will find almost anything what looks curious. Antiques sold here, some genuine, some not so quite genuine. In the scene where mixture countless peoples and endless raw of makeshift shops seen in the street, you might call the place a flea market instead of famous and traditional antique shop street.

Human being would be sometimes strange creature. People has strong desire, whatever one finds something odd or strange, to see, touch, feel, listen and taste it. Therefore, this is just the place people’s curious desires are fulfilled. On every Saturday, tremendous mass of people rush to the street. This number of the people multiplies the pleasure to stroll there. People’s watch is one of the best hobbies of the people.

Not a few of street performers are in the street. They looks performing with their best under the cold London sky , obtaining small amount of money from the on lookers. Their mind to entertain the audiences is strong and genuine. Their performances interest our minds and give us pleasure to see. African drum beater, Mexican group singers, pant-timer, magician in Pierrot suite, old lady playing organ with a lot of puppy in a big cradle bag, flutist, cellist and etc. All these performances are free.

I entered into one of atelier in the Portobello. Narrow entrance, but huge space inside, like funnel, it expands further as you walk inside. I can not afford the expensive one, but when I find one I like, I almost immediately purchase the one. A British man was talking with the master of the shop. From the conversation which heard in the room, it seemed the man wanted to buy a particular painting but he did not have enough money with him at that time. The man said to the master, “I will be back in a couple of days with the rest of amount.” Handing money what he had that time to the master. It assumingly, was approx, 2,000 pounds he presented to the master. Perhaps, the price of the painting would be around ten thousands pounds. I was little amazed how people buys a painting. There might be a lot of fake painting among displayed in the room, but it is true there are many genuine ones. There were several paintings that I found fine, but all these are too expensive for me to afford. I got out the shop not buying one.

SM restaurant is one of the small restaurants we find in the far end of the street. Prices here are cheaper than central part of London. I like these places I can feel more close to ordinal people. Several long wood tables and assorted long chairs are placed on the restaurant floor. A young waitress came to take my order. She sat close to me, so close, I mean touching to me. I thought that I made mistake being entered the club or the like. But, it was just a small restaurant in Portobello. It was a restaurant specialized for sausage. I ordered two pieces of sausages and mashed potatoes. It cost five pounds, cheap in London but little expensive in Portobello.

There is a small antique shop that I drop in every time I come to Portobello. Interior of the shop is nice and shop keeper is typical English lady, she speaks Queen’s English in elegant manner. You will find all sort of weird, eccentric or mysterious things in the every corners and shelves. I usually buy one small item. It is not so quite peculiar or weird thing. It is made of bronze. A small animal shape is shining or not shining in bronze color. Probably, this is nothing for anyone else. But it is rather important for me to buy one, since it diffuses my stress great deal living alone in London far away from home in Japan



Nov/'98 Rinzo@London UK (Updated on 29/Aug/'05)

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