Retail Therapy.

adapting to life in a new city or country can be pretty stressful. it can also wear you out quickly. i have slept more each night i've been in london than i have for over a year while in school and theatre. even when i was out of theatre and living in dublin i could never sleep this much. i've pretty much allowed myself to be lazy, as to not overload, and yesterday i spent nearly the whole day in.
i went to sainsbury's to buy ingredients to make my famous eclairs. they were well-received, which made me happy, and for dinner i went with justin, francesca, my other cousin jason and his gf sophie to a place called cafe pacifico for dinner. and yes, it was mexican food. surprisingly, it's the best mexican food i've ever had in britain. we also had margaritas and finished off the evening at a british pub. j&f just went to morocco, and j&s are on their way to india next week. its making me think about broadening my horizons and going somewhere more interesting in my next euro trip. if only i had someone to go with me.

today was a great day. i get off the tube at covent garden (think 'my fair lady'). it's a beautiful, picturesque place during the evening, but at the high point of the afternoon the half-term schoolchildren and international tourists swarm the place. the shops are bustling, and down James' Street i see a plethora of artists and performers. magicians, moving statues, even a man dressed like a dog. my eyes travel from one side of the road to the next--two opposing pubs that look almost identical from the exterior. except one's named 'the white lion' and the other's 'the nags head'. charming.

Covent Garden Market itself has everything from high end clothiers to outdoor market stalls. My favorite corner houses a cookie company on one side, and Ella's Bakehouse on the other. I stop at Ella's for a gourmet cupcake. get this: they not only have sprinkles--they sparkle! somehow they have created an edible glitter that makes these cupcakes quite magical. and delicious.

http://ellasbakehouse.co.uk/

From there i go on an adventure (quite a long one) to find the London Graphix Centre. This is THE art store to go to, and not cheap. I picked up some Tombos in greyscale and a few new pencils and sketchbooks. I was happy to be there though, it was comforting.

http://www.londongraphics.co.uk/

After this i take the tube back up to marble arch and proceed to walk down oxford street towards oxford circus. forget halloween, the streets are all done up for christmas! and there are SWARMS of people with giant carrier bags. i try primark for the first time, which is a madhouse, and stock up on cold weather clothes. i pass selfridges, where the giant christmas trees are already lit up, and the window displays rival macy's in december.

it's too hectic for me, and i take a side street down and have a coffee at the popular Toast. i travel slowly down new bond street and the stores say it all. burburry. mulberry, chanel, gucci, asprey, harry winston. as i approach new bond street the carrier bags become glossier and glossier, even the footfalls of shoes sound more expensive. i feel more and more out of place, with my military faux wool coat and deeply distressed lauren by ralph lauren riding boots. i'm just a big lumbering american, but the place has so much beauty. it's aesthetically pleasing. i take a turn off a side street and land on savile row.

the thing about Savile Row is that it is NEVER crowded. when you can afford a bespoke suit, you have no need to rush, and there's no need for the hard sell. if you can afford it, you can be there. it was deserted. looking in the windows was a dream--custom made shirts, tailored suits, ages of british custom passed down in sophisticated haberdasheries. but the REAL treat (for me, at least) is looking down, passed the beautiful window displays on the ground floor---down to the sublevel. like new york city, or any older city, there is a lower level that sometimes house shops, sometimes apartments. these lower levels are where the savile row companies have their tailoring. you can see the machines, the half-made suits--where the real artists work. it's really quite fascinating. this sublevel was bustling much more than the shops above. to be a fly on that wall.

by this time, though, i am exhausted and it is time to drag my less-than-pricey carrier bags back to the circus and take the tube home. it's been quite an exciting day and after a bath i foresee movie time and an early night.

xoxo,
antonia