Portobello Rd Notting Hill Kensington Palace and Dog Poo

Magnificent day in London. 26C. We have almost broken the back of jet lag. Although I am typing this at 5am. My plans were not assisted by a real estate agent ringing me on our first night from Sydney, about a property I had viewed last weekend. That will teach me not to turn my volume down. Anyway yesterday we took a stroll down Portobello Rd Notting Hill, which is all its cracked up to be and much more.

Beautiful antique shops, some with very snooty proprietors, especially when you enter with a child, but some seriously stunning stuff. The colour and movement of the area is classic.

The street is surrounded by the beautiful mansions of Chelsea. Fun fact of the day....... during the Napoleonic wars the government introduced a tax on windows and typically those who were forced to pay it, took to bricking them up. So as not to appear too unpatriotic, they often did this to the side and back of the house, because it's all about appearances isn't it? It's a good way of dating a mansion in London apparently. Whilst many have been unblocked many have not.

Next it was on to Kensington Palace. Currently inhabited by Kate, William and Harry and once the home of Diana, Margaret and Queen Victoria. Even through I am Australia's newest Republican, I do love beautiful things and you find them in spades in these homes. They had a stunning fashion exhibition on. The way these dresses looked on, was a real mark of the women as some of them looked not much off. If you know what I mean. Stunning!!!

It is also interesting to stand in rooms such as the one where QV met with the Privy Council as an 18 year old, on the morning she became Queen. The other thing I learned is that it did not seem to matter the nationality of the monarch. Historically a proddy trumps a Brit any day. They went to Germany and The Netherlands to fill the monarch's vacancies as they arose rather than having a Catholic on the throne.

On the way out Kate and Wills' dogs were having a romp on a private meadow and there were two cops in bullet proof vest running around after them with plastic bags picking up their crap. It made me  laugh and I used the scene to explain to Layne why we do not have a dog. When I can get someone to run around like that after a dog I told her she can have as many dogs as she likes.

Happy days.