I remember the first time being in Notting Hill and asking a waitress where the blue door was. I sensed she knew what I meant and pointed me in a particular direction where I saw ‘a’ blue door but it didn’t feel like it was the right one. It was a cold day in December back then so I never pursued it, and the handful of times that I’d been back didn’t give me the opportunity to try again – until now. Behold the real blue door of Notting Hill…

Verified twice and again, it is the real thing, though I read the original was auctioned off and this one a replacement. Nonetheless it’s one more item that I’ve always been interested in seeing, and short of knocking on the door and having Hugh Grant open, it’s the closest I can get to one of my favorite films.
Since we were in the area we also saw Portobello Road where the market was just starting to wake up, and both bookstores – one was the inspiration for the bookstore in the film and the other with the facade shown in the film. After a hearty English breakfast at the neighborhood Mike’s, we were off to other London parts known and unknown.