Former program participant Lindsey Kordis seeks out bargains at the Portobello Road Market.

An alternative to tourist spots, London boasts wonderful markets. Perfect for people-watching or finding cheaps eats and bargain soveniors, London's most noteworthy markets are Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill (West London) and Camden Market in Camdentown (Northeast London). The former market, made famous by the film, Notting Hill, occurs on Saturday morning and consumes Portobello Road, littering the street with everything from antiques to fresh produce, meats, and baked goods to independent fashion designers and their garments. Portobello Road is bustling and cramped, certainly not for the claustrophobic! The latter market, Camden Market occurs on most days but is generally more populated by both consumers and artisans on the weekends. Camden Market has a youthful energy. It's aura is funky, radical, busy. Has-been punkrockers of the 1980s shop alongside urbanized cyberkids; all are accepted at Camden Market. Expect the unexpected and watch your purse or wallet, as Camdentown isn't the safest part of London.

Popular throughout the ages, the poem (below) discusses the importance and necessity of markets in maintaining the health of Londoners through a varying diet. Markets are also historically significant as they helped to build the commerce of the city and reinforced the need for a skilled labor force: consumers could purchase fresh produce from rural farmers as well as seafood and meat from fishermen and butchers, horseshoes from blacksmiths, etc. Markets also helped to improve water and land transportation while encouraging the exchange and intermingling of ideas, culture and people in general.