Sunday, February 12, 2012

royalty shops here

Of course the one day that I do not bring my camera is also the one day with the most eye candy.  In the early afternoon, I set out for Bond Street because I had heard about this store called Primark with some pretty amazing shopping deals.  When I arrived there, the store was a crush of people, tourists and locals of all types.  I wandered around aimlessly for a while trying to orient myself around all of the clothes and accessories.  While I will admit that the shop was not really my style - scary fabrics and cheap quality - I did pick up a pair of boots and a cute skirt plus some small accessories all for a mere twenty pounds.

After finishing up here, I walked down Bond Street, eager to find a garment that was not synthetic.  Even though my activities here can definitely be described more as "window shopping" than actual "shopping", I simply love all of the lore and splendour that surrounds this borough where royalty goes shopping.  I admired shoes at Oxford, found a cool department store called Fenwick, and a nail salon that offers 5 pound manicures.

One of the best stops of the day was the Haunch of Venison Gallery.
I had read about this famous contemporary art gallery before, and I was excited when I saw that they were showcasing a neat exhibition called 'The Mystery of Appearance'.  The show featured works by significant post-war painters such as Lucien Freud, David Hockney, and Richard Hamilton.  I was glad that I stopped in - at the very least so that I could escape the cold outside.  

To top off the day, I experienced what may only be called a quintessentially tourist moment in London. I was walking past the legendary Claridge's hotel, which houses Gordon Ramsay's restaurant, and I noticed a small crowd of people gathered by the entrance.  I edged toward them, and I saw that a silver Bentley was parked in the street.  A mood of anticipation was in the air.  Suddenly, through the glass doors emerged Gordon Ramsay himself.  
He stopped to sign a book and to respond to some questions of a media correspondent and then hopped into the waiting vehicle.  Of course, I did not have my camera.