London Isn't About the Royalty...

London isn't about the royalty, Buckingham Palace, or Hyde Park.  Instead of thinking of Big Ben presiding over the Thames, think of this before you arrive in the city:



After visiting London's stately museums and palaces, be sure to check out some of the youthful parts of London -it's not all tea and biscuits (although these are still good!).

Vintage Shopping: Covent Garden

I've written before about finding the hidden shopping gems of London. Shoreditch in East London provides more vintage stores than you can shake a stick at. 

The next stop on my Shopping in London Adventures is Covent Garden. Most people who know about the area think of the tourist-mecca itself:

Image courtesy of mcxurxo with some rights reserved

However, the area has a lot more to offer than a tourist-trap-market and shopping in chain stores. Like many places around the world (sadly), Covent Garden has a lot of the boring chain shops like Zara, Gap, and Marks and Spencer. However, if you wander off into the tiny alleys and streets just by the markets, you will be pleasantly surprised (although your wallet may be surprised as well).