London markets

Just look at that gorgeous striped trunk and vintage dress form!

I love London. At a mere 2 hours away by Eurostar its ideal for quick weekend getaways.  There's always so much to see and do that I have a hard time narrowing down my choices. Of course my hands down favorite activity to do is to visit the London antique markets.  But please don't make me compare between my beloved Parisian ones and London because that would be a hard one to make. 

During my recent visits, I made sure to visit the famed Portobello Market and was suitably impressed by all the collectibles one can find there.  I had to physically restrain myself from grabbing a million things!

tea anyone?

I'm not a plate and silverware sort of person, but I did spend some time perusing this person's collection.  Pretty pretty decorative items that would look good in anyone's home.

And these vintage buses and scooters are cool, aren't they?

Course' it wouldn't be complete if I didn't check out all the fashion.  Happy to say that our french selection more than holds its own but there were some pretty nice hats at this stall...

Next stop was the Camden Lock  Market. I have to confess, I was disappointed here.  I had high expectations and was disappointed to see that the market was overrun with what looked like cheap clothing.  A chat with some local stall holders confirmed my fear that most of those selling handmade and unique items had long left Camden Lock.

a view of the Lock

Nevertheless we did a quick look and I did find a small section inside the Stables with what looked like some antiques.

I loved this little valise, wished I had room for it in my luggage!

And this one stall had the perfect rummage through bins with all sorts of bits and bobs.

More glassware..

And teacups displayed in an original way.

After the disappointment over at Camden Market, I wasn't sure what to expect from Camden Passage. But happily, it was a completely different place. Its very small compared to Portobello and Camden Market but it was full of proper little antique shops selling all sorts of things and stalls with interesting little items.
This one was a fancy store selling beautiful silver ware.

A more budget friendly place was this one with wooden cabinets and curios inside.

A gorgeous vintage store filled with delightful dresses and retro shoes.

And what had to be the oddest one of all, was this store with a...stuffed dog (yes, you read that right) at the window.  Isn't that the creepiest , funniest thing you ever did see?  Though I don't know why I should find it so strange, Deyrolle does the same thing and people think its the fanciest store ever!