PICCADILLY
Piccadilly - it's such a delicious word. The subway line is called Piccadilly and to add even more flair - your stop is "Piccadilly Circus" - what could be more fun!
First stop on Piccadilly was Waterstones. Had a vanilla latte at their upstairs coffee bar.
Spent a couple hours here - loved the displays and the variety.
Music, art, fashion, it's all here.
Books for vinyl lovers
Waterstones wonderful children's section
A hefty selection of Lego's in addition to books!
Wouldn't be London without London's most noteworthy private eye!
"Pigs ears with apples and pears" - not your average "big book store" collection of cookbooks!
Continuing up Piccadilly - another venerable London bookstore: Hatchard's
I'd intended to have a lovely tea at Fortnum & Mason's but somehow got lost wandering Piccadilly and Regent Street, was too tired to plow on, so followed the crowds into the courtyard of St. James - another Christopher Wren design.
Surrounded by the likes of Burberry, Kate Spade, and the Caviar Shop, St. James' is doing its best to encourage interaction and co-existence among the various cultures and socioeconomic stratas of the neighborhood.
From 11 until about 4, the courtyard is full of tourists, shoppers, office workers - all sampling the world via the various food stalls that set up shop. Ethiopian stew, Argentinian beef wraps, Chinese dumplings. Before or after eating, many wander inside the church. On this day there was a free piano concert in the sanctuary, while several homeless slept in peace in the pews.
Fortnum
&
Mason
Fortnum & Mason's is impressive. Like most department stores, it has a little of everything - high end fashion, afternoon tea and a high end food market. I mistakenly asked if I could take pictures in the hat department and was politely refused.
Not often do you see all three types of asparagus in one place: green, white and purple - wow!
Re-purposing the old corner red phone box.
REGENT STREET
HAMLEY'S - where else?
Good old Thomas the Train
Kevin the Crane
Needless to say, I loved Hamley's. I visited FAO Schwarz in New York before it closed and while nothing could beat New York's classy doorman, Hamley's was wonderful!
I wasn't looking for Carnaby Street,then,all of a sudden-there it was! If I hadn't run into Carnaby St. I might not have discovered what has become my favorite shop - Liberty's of London!
One afternoon I decided to take a walk "down" Baker Street - going the opposite direction from the underground station. What a discovery! Turns out Baker Street goes all the way down to Oxford Street!
Somewhere off Baker Street, I passed this gated, locked park. Yes - they really do exist, just like in the Hugh Grant movie, Notting Hill!
And encountered this wonderful new building on Baker Street - had to photograph it every which way!
I continued down Baker Street, until I came to a large, heavily-trafficked intersection; it was Baker Street, intersecting with Oxford Street. Marks & Spencer was on my right and Selfridge's on my left!
Once inside Selfridge's, it was easy to imagine myself back in the day - the "day" being 1909, when Harry Gordon Selfridge opened this first of its kind department store. If you saw the PBS series you'll remember that he was an innovator - putting the perfume counters at the entrances to mask the street smells that might come through the door.
And just off the entrance today - De Beers and a few baubles.
The Wildflower necklace was beautiful but, my cup of tea could be found downstairs in the food market!
The marzipan, raspberries, tarts - all understandable and beautiful - but baked beans??!!??
A very "Posh Peanut Butter Cupcake"