London in Pictures
London is one of the world’s great cities, with something for everyone. In honor of the Olympics, I’m sharing some pictures of London sights.
If you’re a foodie, London might not be your first thought. But their food markets are wonderful. Harrods, the department store has beautiful displays of food to eat there or to go. Check out the candy display…
…and this fanciful cake.
The cake is actually for sale for 2,000 British pounds, about $3,000 US. Even the pizzeria is spotless and the big guy there was actually singing opera.
Fortnum & Mason is another well-known store with exquisite windows and food displays. The first picture on this blog is the side entrance, and gives you an idea of the very British decoration. The Royal Family does business with this store.
One last market I’d like to show you is the Borough Market, a recently revitalized food showroom where farmers hawk their homemade wares at individual stalls. Each vendor has only one type of food, but there is tremendous variety of that type.
Olives.
Mushrooms.
Salts.
You may be able to see Fresh Truffle Sea Salt on the middle shelf on the right. Above it is Shallots Sea Salt, and there are many other varieties. You can just walk around and choose whatever you want at this market, and make a lunch of it.
Here’s Westminster Abbey.
My kids wanted to go inside (because that’s where the marriage of Kate and William took place). Hubby and I had already been in, so we decided to walk over to the War Rooms which have been preserved intact from WW 2. Here’s where Churchill and his top war ministers lived while London was being bombed. It’s all underground, quite tiny and non-luxurious. Here’s the kitchen, which gives you a good idea of how they lived.
After the war ended, they discovered the underground bunker was not properly constructed and never would have survived a direct hit.
Our reward for taking in some history is that we saw the Queen drive by in a big caravan of limos. This was in June of last year and she was celebrating her birthday. There was no one around because she was merely on her way to Buckingham Palace…
…where they were having ceremonies. We didn’t tell our kids. They would have been so disappointed to have missed her.
Last, but not least, for you pet lovers, Harrods has an adorable pet shop.
Alas, I don’t have any books set in London. My latest release, Baby, It’s Cold Outside, is an erotic romance that takes place in NYC. Brenna is caught in a blizzard with Grant while she’s trying to make amends for accidentally busting up his marriage. Grant knows one thing she could do that would make him forget he ever had a wife. While a cold blizzard howls outside his bachelor Manhattan apartment, he turns up the heat inside.
Amazon: https://amzn.com/B006FD0LZK
B & N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1107759126?ean=2940013517967
I have more travel pictures on Pinterest. https://pinterest.com/carlycarson/
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Thanks for having me, Delilah! (Sorry, the picture of the kitchen in the war rooms didn’t survive the journey to your blog. It was so tiny and dreary.)
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What great pics! I love going to any kind of big markets like this. Looks like a good time was had by all. Thanks for sharing your trip with us. I enjoyed seeing them. 😛
Carolyn
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Very pretty pictures. I went to London several times, but never to the retail stores. Too expensive.
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Thanks, Carolyn. I wish I had taken more pictures. Mona, I like to go even if I don’t buy, and Harrods is ridiculous. An ice cream at the counter in the food stall is almost $25. Of course, the exchange rate is a factor, and the VAT.
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Sniffany! I love it! Sigh, one of these days…I want to go to Paris and eat croissants and crepes and London to see all of the sights I have read about in the historical romances I love. Thank you for sharing the pictures.
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Elf, I made a special trip all by myself just to see Grosvenor Square because of historical romances. The buildings don’t seem to be private residences any more, but embassies and such. I’m glad I saw it.
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I’ve always wanted to go to London.
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Mary, I hope you make it one day! It’s a great city.
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I lived and worked in London many years ago, and just love the history attached to the place.You should set one of your books in London, or do you think that your readers would not relate to that?
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Ann, Someday I plan to set a book in London. I know the title and the topic, but that’s about all. lol.