First Stop: Kensington High Street

The Design Museum, which you will find near the tube station. This museum moved to Holland Park in 2016. I found it to be a charming new building. I was impressed by the interior design because it’s big and bright. It has big stairs leading to the other floors. You don’t have to pay for admission to view the second floor but all other exhibitions cost about 10 pounds.

I was lucky in that when I went to the museum they were in the process of changing the theme of the exhibition and a few exhibits have already been cleared away, so I was able to see all of the other floors for free. I would usually have had the pay the normal admission cost so was happy with this stroke of luck. (Insider tip) If the website notes the end of an exhibition with “Last chance”, maybe you will have the same luck and not have to pay for admission. The theme of the exhibition was Hope to Nope (politics) and it was very interesting because they made it very colourful and diverse. I would usually find such a topic can be boring very quickly but I was surprised that I found this to be very interesting. I was impressed with everything from the sculptures to the movies.

Holland Park consists of a dense forest, large and inviting lawns, sports fields for football and other activities. It also has a pretty garden known as ‘The Kyoto Garden’. This is a Japanese inspired garden which has a pond and a small waterfall.

Second Stop: Notthing Hill

The Portobello Road Market is a mix usual market stalwarts such as snacks, fruits and vegetables, but more unusual items such as collectables and antiques. I would recommend a Saturday afternoon rummage through the stalls of street food, antiques, fashion and much more and then relax in a cafe or pub.

It’s a lot of fun to stroll through the market between colourful houses and street musicians. During the week, it’s quieter and more enjoyable to stroll through Notthing Hill, it would probably be busier on weekends, so if you don’t like crowds try and visit during the week. In the streets there are many small restaurants, cafes or bakeries. A popular cafe is ‘Sister Jane’. I liked it because it has a small garden with tables. The area has a plethora of places you can enjoy an afternoon with cake and coffee, good music and friends. It is often very busy so you have to wait a bit to get a table.

The Electric Cinema is one of the oldest cinemas in the UK. When it’s bad weather it is very comfortable to watch a movie on a twin lounge sofa in the front row.

To sum it up, I enjoyed my trip to Notthing Hill. It reminds me of Italy because of the lovely streets, restaurants and the market. I would give Notthing Hill 4 out 5 swiss cheese.

Both of these locations are close to one of our favourite residence: Notting Hill