A DAY TO KEEP CALM AND SHOP

The still unfinished London Summer Olympics site viewed from a store in Westfield

Photo taken through a glass window

Our day started quite slow and late after all the walking that we did the previous day. Perhaps a hangover, too, because of the beers we had?

While having our breakfast, mine consisting of the oatmeal and instant powdered chocolate drink I packed from home, we discussed where to go for the day. And, it was decided that for the day it was going to be a trek to Westfield, shopping at Marks & Spencer outlet store in Lewisham and a visit to the Notting Hill bookstore where the famous and romantic movie of Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts was shot.

The Street at Westfield consisted of the boutiques of well-known British brands like Marks & Spencer's, Accessorize It!, Topshop, Dorothy and Perkins, John Lewis, etc. and other foreign brands as well. The display and items at the John Lewis department store were chic and inviting. Here, the only thing I bought  were some chocolates with the wrappers designed with the British flag. Good tasting chocolates they were! : ).

The Olympic stadium, still unfinished at the time, can be seen through a part of the mall. Remember the souvenir items with the Olympic logo in Hyde Park which I did not buy? Those were available here and where I bought them at much cheaper prices ; ).

With no plans of shopping a lot in  Westfield and without appetites yet for lunch, my friends and I started the journey to the Marks & Spencer's outlet store in Lewisham. This is actually the shopping destination we looked forward to.

Nothing prepared us to what awaited us in the store! It was out of this world bargain prices for the Marks & Spencer items we love. We literally had to restrain ourselves from hoarding the hand washes and hand and body lotions which cost only GBP1.00 each or only P 68.00 each! Only the thought of bringing all those back home with the risk of overweight luggage won and prevented us from buying to our heart's desire. So, we bought a reasonable amount of the hand washes and hand and body lotions and concentrated buying more of the lighter stuff. 

That was one unforgettable shopping experience! Imagine, all Marks & Spencer's items at discounted prices to start with and some of them marked down further because they're on sale. If you are the shop till you drop type, better  bring lots of money to burn in this store : ).

At the end of our shopping marathon, we remembered to get lunch. We laughed and teased each other about who bought the most and the winners were my two friends. They each had to buy Marks & Spencer's shopping bags to carry their loot : ).

An upscale neighborhood surrounding the area on the way to the Notting Hill bookstore

The  bookshop's window display was proof that this is the historic place where Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts met in the movie, "Notting Hill."

The Notting Hill bookstore where Hugh Grant's and Julia Robert's movie entitled with the same name was difficult to find. The surrounding neighborhood going to it was upscale and thus nice to look at. But, after some time admiring the surroundings and no sight of the bookstore yet and my friends tired with their heavy loot from Marks & Spencer's, we asked a sidewalk vendor (yes, they have them in London) for directions. That was a smart move as it turned out the place we're looking for was just a few paces behind him. 

Inside, the Notting Hill bookstore is quite small. There were a few interesting titles but most of them can be found at home. Besides, books in London are more expensive compared here in the Philippines. I wanted to buy those notebooks with the famous Keep Calm quotes but decided against it and just took pictures of them instead. Stingy, you think? ; ).

A memorial to Princess Diana in the basement of Harrod's

When we were about to drop after all that shopping and walking, we managed to get some more energy and strength (I don't know from where) and exerted effort to pass by Harrods and get done with it. 

After taking some more photos and looking at the food shop which Harrods is also known for, it's time to head back to the flat and call it a day.

TIPS:

1. Bring folding shopping bags or any bags which you can roll and put in your purses. These are handy for use to help you carry your loot when shopping. 

2. Check and confirm with your flight carrier about the luggage weight they allow. We were told by the travel agency from whom we bought our plane tickets that our flight carrier only allow a maximum of 21 kg luggage weight. Only to find out that they actually allow a maximum of 23 kg luggage weight on our way home at the airport. We could have bought more of the hand washes and hand lotions! The person assisting us in the check-in counter was actually disappointed that our luggage were underweight.

3. When looking for the Notting Hill Bookshop, ask from people in the area where you can find it. It's really quite difficult to find. My friend, Celine, who is the other half of Pinay Travel Buddies : ), missed it when they went to London to see it.