"Don't forget. I'm also just a girl. Standing in front of a boy. Asking him to love her."
I think you might remember this famous line from the film, "Notting Hill".
When I decided to go to England and stay for only three nights just to breathe the air of London, that film was showing in Japan.
Because this trip was short, I decided to enjoy focusing on London only! It seemed a good idea that the themes of this trip would be "Notting Hill" as the movie was currently showing and Oscar Wilde. I planed to visit the places which related to this two keywords.
However, concerning Notting Hill, the result of this trip didn't really satisfy me. I visited Kenwood House, but I couldn't find the house of William Takker, whose door was blue! I found and walked along the Portobello Road, but I couldn't find the famous market!
In the film, after William Takker(Hugh Grant) had bought a coffee and left the coffee shop, he bumped into Anna Scot(Julia Roberts) and poured his coffee over her T-shirt. Having my coffee not at that coffee shop, but at another coffee shop, "Starbucks(first line, right1)", I consoled myself with the thought that I had walked around the town of Nottinghill.

Among all the photos which I took in 1999, my friend drew attention to this photo. I think that it is the signboard of a shoe shop. I found this just after leaving Nottinghill station. Three naked strange men were dancing with a shoe in their hands. I used this photo on my new year cards, some of my friends laughed and gave some comments.

This place was near to the station. If you walk on the right hand side of the road from the church (which you can see on the right), you'll find the beggining of Portobello road.

This year, I stayed at a hotel near to High Street Kensington. Looking at a map, if you enter Kensington Church Street(first line, left 2) and go straight after walking on High Street Kensington Road(first line, left 1), you'll be at Nottinghill.
On Saturday morning, I got up at around seven o'clock and went to Portobello Market.
　　

　※Click the photos you like to see an enlarged image.

I walked from High Street Kensignton Road to Nottinghill(first line, right 1). Then, I walked on Portobello Road(all the photos after the first line). I took some pictures using a digital camera, when I found something interesting. From houses to greengrocer's in the market, they are very colourful, aren't they?
I found an open space like in the photo on the middle of the fourth line, on the road which was thronged with shops. The number, "49" was written in the space. Probably, a stall should be there. Every Saturday is market day. Each shopkeeper brings their goods to the assigned space and displays them to sell.

Soon after you go to Portobello Market, you'll find some shops among the houses on both sides of the road. Don't think, "Is that all?" If you continue to walk, the road begins to be crowded with many shops. When you see a number of shops, you may understand that here is Portobello Market. After that, this view continues untill Portobello Road reaches Westway flyover.
"I have finally arrived!", I thought. Three years after, "Nottinghill", I attained my wish. Gradually, I felt happy.
After walking around the market, when I took some pictures at the begining of Portobello Road, two Japanese ladies approached me. I thought they might ask me to push the buton on their camera to take their photo. However, they said to me, "Do you know where the house is with the blue front door from 'Nottinghil'?"
Ah, yes--! Actually, I have been looking for it too, but I can't find　it. Sorry.*1
Again, I felt a little regret. Does this means that God is saying to me, "Return!" Does it?

*1 I heard an interesting piece of information concerning the famous "blue door" from my English teacher. According to him, the reason that I couldn't find the door, was that it had been sold. Maybe at auction for a crazy price--something approaching a million yen!

(2002.5.19, 5.29)

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Trip to England

I really love London!