First pints at 11:30

Click on it, it's neat.

Today we got out the door the earliest we have all week---9am. Between the time difference and staying up late by choice(it's light out until almost 10pm here), I've been sleeping later than I have in years.

We wanted to get to the Portobello Road Market early though, so we hopped on the tube (bought my latte at the station) and got there before 10am. We were told this street market is the biggest in London and it seemed to span miles (we did the whole thing) along Portobello Road which runs through the funky Notting Hill neighborhood. We spent the entire day weaving in and out of tables lined with handmade jewelry, antiques, and leather goods and booths of unique summer dresses and rainbows of pashminas(3 for 5 pounds!). We ate coconut cream chicken, cupcakes with bits of toffee and chicken curry potato puffs from the various food booths and restaurants along the route. At 11:30am we stopped for a beer (and a bathroom) and rested a bit before venturing onward. We didn't stop again until 3:30 when we found ourselves at another pub. (Dan finally had bangers and mash.) Though shopping for myself was not on the agenda, I left with a new necklace, a few pashminas, a sweet blue dress, a coral-colored belt and a fabu green wrap courtesy of my sister-in-law. (Shout out MB!) Dan, MB and I laughed, drank, ate, got cranky and shchlepped ourselves through the day today.

Tonight, the three of us (brother-in-law Doug and nephew Zack stayed home) went for a late dinner and sat by the window at the Dog and Fox, a hotspot during the Wimbledon Championships. (Highlight was my salad---goat cheese and balsamic caramelized walnuts with pears, mixed greens and radishes.)

We laughed a lot today. I've never been able to spend this kind of time with my sister-in-law and it's been a real treat. It's fun to hear Dan reminisce with his sister not only because it's sweet and interesting, but also because the brother/sister dynamic is so foreign to me. Dan and MB seem like they've always been pretty good friends---even if Dan did throw lit matches at MB who was afraid of fire and MB laughed at Dan when he got trapped underneath the heaviness of a mattress he was trying to move at age 10.

It's a fun to get to know London but it's also fun to get to know my sister-in-law and this brother of hers.