Last Friday, after class, my flatmates and I decided that since it was actually sunny out in London that we would take advantage of the weather and explore an area of London we hadn't previously visited: Covent Garden.
After stepping out of the tube station, we were immediately struck by the beautiful old architecture. The fact that the buildings housed modern shops such as French Connection (FCUK...that tricks your mind, doesn't it?), H&M, Urban Outfitters, and various other British Boutiques didn't hurt either. The other major shopping districts in London that we had visited include: Oxford Street, where we practically drowned in the sea of people pushing into stores, High Street Kensington, good but small, and Harrods/Knightsbridge area, which is fun to look at and pretend you can afford a dress for 700 pounds. However Covent Garden was exactly what we were looking for. It was crowd free during the afternoon, and had a wide range of boutiques from big chains to small unique boutiques.
One such boutique that caught our hearts and pocketbooks was Appletree Boutique, which was filled with vintage inspired, one of a kind clothes. Everything was so beautiful, and I finally found a new coat, something I have been looking for since I arrived. It is the most adorable little sailor coat, and I lurve it.
After we had shopped our hearts out, we found a Mexican restaurant that we had heard was actually edible. We successfully found margaritas, but were dreaming of El Rancho and El Maguey when they said they didn't have queso and charged us 2 pounds per 3 inch bowl of chips. However, it hit the spot, and our American hearts were satisfied.
When we left the restaurant, the atmosphere of Covent Garden had totally changed. Gone was the serene, calm shopping area, and in its place was a bustling nightlife scene. Everyone was dressed in their best British going out clothes and lines were forming outside the pubs and clubs. Since we were departing for Paris the next morning around 5 am, we went home but are excited to return again to the area.
When we first decided to go to Covent Garden, we weren't sure what to expect, and it has become one of our favorite areas. This is an example of why London is such a fantastic city. Every tube stop offers a different and exciting area, and I look forward to discovering even more treasures in the next 2 and 1/2 months.
Cheers!
Allison
P.S. Tales of my adventures in Paris will follow shortly!
That sounds like it was fun afternoon adventure! You also have to find Cath Kitson-my roommate says it's like the Vera of England!!
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