Paddington

Dear Grace,

I was so excited for us to go on the Paddington adventure walk and search for his statue at the Paddington tube station with you. It was a little anticlimactic to say the least. It started at the real Notting Hill travel bookstore. Daddy and I thought we saw the bookstore when we went to the Portobello market, but we were mistaken. The lady working in the store not only confirmed this, but also yelled at me when I tried taking a picture inside. There sure are a lot of places that don't want me taking pictures so I can show you later when you're bigger and understand. I asked her why this was a policy and she said they used to have a problem with people taking pictures of the workers without even asking them. Hmmm...that's interesting. I guess that's what happens when Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts filmed inside the store you're working at. I bought a couple travel books for us to use on our vacations as well as a London for kids map for your Uncle Matt to use with you when he visits in the fall. I think you will both enjoy it very much. The day I chose to explore this part of town was the day it stormed the worst while we were outside. I'm talking rain coming from all directions. Much of our day was spent under our rain gear and even under shelter. I met the sweetest woman pushing an adorable bambino in a pram at Holland's Park. (The park with all the peacocks.) She was telling me how wonderful her daughter-in-law is who lives just around the corner and who just had her son 6 weeks ago. She not only wrote down my information and told me we should become friends, but we have already met up for lunch and might meet up on Friday for a pushy parent workout class (aka Mummy and Me aerobics). Ahhh...just like the Mommy and Me workouts we did with Kristin and William and Andrea and Devon.  

If you weren't as content as you were being pushed around all day under your rain cover in the pouring rain, it would have gotten ugly real fast. I wonder if you enjoy relaxing in the rain on days like these since you fall asleep to the rain setting on your white noise sleep sheep?

Cheers! Mummy

Walk #5. Paddington Bear and Portobello Market

"The Adventure: Paddington Bear, found at Paddington Station with a battered suitcase and a label around his neck saying 'Please look after this Bear, thank you', was taken home by the kind Brown family and has captured the hearts of children ever since. Not being the kind of bear to waste a good opportunity, Paddington would have loved the idea of exploring where he lived. Michael Bond set his adventures, scrapes and muddles in the area of west London around Paddington and Notting Hill. The Brown family home, 32 Windsor Gardens, is no longer there and the street is a disappointing cul-de-sac off the Harrow Road, but the charms of Portobello Road with its cake shops (for elevenses, buns and cocoa) and antique shops, just like Paddington's great friend Mr. Gruber's with its 'rows of books and gleaming piles of copper and brass', are wonderful to explore at any age. The fruit and vegetable market at Portobello is open every day except Sunday. The crowded antiques market takes place only on Saturdays, but on other days there are still plenty of shops and some stalls to explore.

The walk ends along the canal through the high-class reclamation at Paddington Basin and the station, where there is a small statue of the bear. Pack a small suitcase, ideally with a secret compartment for important papers and a notebook, make a stack of marmalade sandwiches, give your children some bun money, and set off for the day."

"It is worth nipping left at Blenheim Crescent to take a look at the Travel Bookshop, star of the film Notting Hill. Next door is the charming Blenheim Bookshop and opposite is Books for Cooks, packed with cookbooks, where you can pick up a recipe for marmalade or buns. And they have a great cafe."

"Turn right on to Golborne Road and walk to the end, towards the Trellick Tower, a 3-story tower block designed by the controversial architect Erno Goldfinger and opened in 1972. Walk over the railway bridge."

"Just before Trellick Tower, there is a mini roundabout. Go left here, pass the bottom of the Tower and immediately after it you will see Meanwhile Gardens and a footpath to the Grand Union Canal on the bend in the road. Turn right here."

Even though you can't tell in the pictures, this is when it really started to downpour. The park looks like an obstacle course, which would be perfect for older kids.

"Walk up top the canal and turn right on to the towpath. Keep walking. After the bridge look across the canal towards Windor Gardens, Paddington's old street. Sadly, though, No. 32, where Paddington lived, no longer exists."

"Walk for about a mile to the charming Little Venice, where the Grand Union Canal joins the Regent's Canal. Keep straight on towards the offices of Paddington Basin. Stick to the canal side of Paddington Central, pass under the Westway flyover, then under Bishop's Bridge Road." 

This part of London is called Little Venice. People live in these boat houses. 

Some of the boats were turned into restaurants and shops. We would have stopped here, but it was too small to get the pram inside. You and I were very hungry and cranky at this point. So much rain and no place to take cover! Everything around us was closed for some reason, even though it was only late afternoon. The Americans that we are, were comforted by a Subway just past this adorable boat cafe. I had my first American fast food meal: Subway sandwich, chips and a Coke. 

We were ready to continue our adventure...

"On the right is a ramped path straight towards the domed roof of Paddington Station. Leaving the towpath, walk down here and follow the signs into the station. Once inside, look for the statue of Paddington outside Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Gawp at the souvenirs at one of the dedicated Paddington Bear stands."

As I was setting you up next to Paddington's suitcase, a sweet French lady came up and asked if I wanted her to take our picture. I was just thinking about how I was going to pull off taking this picture of you alone and was grateful for her to offer to help. You have been sitting up by yourself, but I still need to watch you closely because you're pretty wobbly.

How can our adventure not end on a positive note with a pretty smile like that? We hopped on the tube and made it home, just in time to meet Daddy as he was getting home from work.