Today I thought I’d take you on a little stroll around London. Well, not around exactly, as there’s so much to see and do in London. But we could take a little walk, explore a few interesting ‘sights’ between Oxford Street and Piccadilly.
First stop: Bond Street. Ah… if only we had more cash to splash we could really do some serious damage here. But we don’t, so we’ll just have to avert our eyes passing luxury shops…
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| Bond Street |
There are a few places we could stop by, though:
High-end leather goods in beautiful colours… Who says luxury can’t be practical? A personalised iPad case may be a bit pricey, but I think it’s worth every penny. Just think about it: your own initials in gold lettering… You can also bring your old Smythson products here and have them personalised.
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| Tea and Scones |
FENWICK DEPARTMENT STORE
There are only two reasons to go to Fenwick: tea and accessories. Forget the clothes: designer stuff that is beyond our budget and needs to be dry-cleaned, for the most part. Focus on the fabulous accessories on the ground floor: cashmere pashminas, silk scarves, colourful jewellery.
And after we’re all shopped out and need a little break, we can head to the second floor restaurant, BOND & BROOK, and have fashionista-sized high tea while browsing their extensive library of fashion and style books.
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| Regent Street |
Ready for some bargain shopping? Just a few blocks from Fenwick we find one of London’s best-kept secrets:
This modest-looking shop is where you can pick up discounted designer labels (last season’s fashions) for men and women. The men’s department in particular is very good, and they have an in-house alterations service available.
(13-14 Hanover Street. It’s just off Regent Street.)
The legendary London department store is just across Regent Street, and well worth a visit. The ground floor has a staggering selection of jewellery and scarves, and the vintage and fabric departments are full of temptations. And there is a wonderful chocolate shop that we should definitely stop by on our way to the Carnaby Street exit…
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| Nordic Bakery (Golden Square, Soho) |
Heading towards Piccadilly Circus (along Carnaby Street, it’s a less crowded shortcut), we come across a little slice of home right there in Soho in the form of this little coffee shop:
Cinnamon buns, rye bread, strong coffee… anything we might need for a quick cure to acute homesickness. Nordic design (well, Finnish, mostly) is prominent in the simple, no-fuss decor that accompanies similarly no-fuss food. (14 a Golden Square)
So, that was it, our little stroll around this part of London.
See you next time, somewhere else in this wonderful city!
Tiina
Bad Tourist