Can't buy happiness...but anything else!

A visit to Covent Garden...with a bit of Lamb's Conduit thrown in!

Before one can even arrive at the market, the street is filled with performers of all types.  I watched a young woman dangle from a ladder upside down while juggling "deathly sharp" knives.  There was a man dressed in an outfit made entirely out of recycled plastic bottles.  There are always homeless men with adorable puppies.  And there are the musicians, many of whom aren't actually homeless and perform just out of pure enjoyment.  This man, with a knowing look in his eye, seems to be a rather seasoned performer on the streets.  He was accompanied by a woman playing the harmonica.

This young woman was selling quite a bit of fresh produce.  There are a ton of stalls like this in every market, each advertising the familiar catchphrases of "locally grown," "100% organic," "fresh each day!"  I believe that's a spray of leeks there in front of her, but most of her selection was actually herbs.  I thought her expression epitomized the energy of the market.  This was lunchtime on a weekday, so although the tourist crowds weren't there, there were plenty of workingclass Brits out for a lunchtime stroll and snack.

This man was selling smoothies of every fruit imaginable--melons, lychee, strawberries, bananas, mangoes...plenty of fruits one wouldn't expect to be grown in and around London!  There actually aren't many beverage stalls at the markets, though--except for the ones selling wine!

I hate mushrooms.  With a vengeance.  But I couldn't help but snap a pic of the beautiful display of fungi laid out on one table.  I can't tell you what any of these mushrooms actually are but they certainly look exotic!  Needless to say, I declined to purchase any...my lunch instead was pesto-garlic focaccia!  Mmm!

Last but not least, a fruit and veg stall up the road from our university building (yes, it's one building).  There's a produce stand like this on nearly every corner, even in front of the grocery stores and mini-marts!  The deals on the produce here are amazing, too--I've gotten two cartons of strawberries for just a pound!

So there you have it--a taste (sorry I couldn't give you a real one!) of the London markets...and Covent Garden is one of the smaller ones!