Jason V.
Yelp
"Portobello road!
Portobello road!
Street where the riches of ages are stowed!
Anything and everything a chap can unload,
is sold off the barrow in Portobello road.
You'll find what you want in the Portobello road."
If you know the song referenced above (from the Disney movie "Bedknobs and Broomsticks"), you've likely wanted to travel here to search for secret spellbooks hidden amongst the carts and booths. While the real Portobello Road is far less mysterious than its cinematic counterpart, this open-air street marked, and adjacent storefronts, is still somewhat of a Mecca for artists, antique-seekers, bookworms and even the casual souvenir-hunting tourist. And despite its somewhat deceptive namesake, the sprawl of the market extends far beyond its namesake into the side streets, in all directions.
The actual street "market" operates only on Saturdays, and like most places in London, it gets thick with people in a pinch, so get their early, and be prepared to wade through a sea of souls to do your shopping. The amount of goods here will be utterly overwhelming, and you could easily spend half a day or more here, particularly if you're on the hunt for something unique, rare or exotic.
In the end, I didn't find a book of spells, but I did find a vintage copy of one of my favorite books, "The Great Gatsby", which contains enough magic for me.