Piccadilly Circus and other bits of London

First of all:  Piccadilly Circus is not a circus.  A lot of people were very confused when our guides told us we were going there--we can see a circus in the states, why would we go to one in England?  But Piccadilly Circus is an area of London.  It is their version of Times Square in New York City.

See?  A big screen with lots of advertisements, just like in New York (only not as big).

This is a big fountain in Piccadilly Circus right across the street from the previous picture.  The word "circus", as used here, comes from the Latin word for "circle" and refers to an open round space at a street junction.

So there are no elephants, clowns, or acrobats here.  But there are lots of people, shops, and fancy things.

Like this store:

This is the overhang above the door for Fortnum & Mason's department store.  Think Macy's, only a million times more expensive and a billion other kinds of things there. That shield-type thing on the left with the red is the Queen's crest.  She shops here sometimes.  Exciting, isn't it?  She wasn't there when we were, though.  Drat.

The lights for the doorways were held up by bronze arms...kind of weird, but neat.

 Here you can see the first floor (with the red carpet) and the lower level.  On the first floor, there was only tea and jam and biscuits (cookies) and chocolate and things like that.  On the lower level, if you can read the gold words, there is a butcher and a fishmonger (a person who sells fresh fish).  Can you imagine going to Macy's to buy your meat?

This store has multiple levels.  I felt like I was going to break something when I was in there because everything is beautiful and very expensive.  They have everything from clothes to tea and jam to kitchenware to fish and vegetables...everything!

You know how much I like to show you English food.  Here is something that I didn't actually see there, but a girl in my group took this picture and showed me later.  Be prepared to be grossed out beyond belief.

Do you see the name?  Antlix?  There are ANTS IN THAT LOLLIPOP!!!!!!! (And the yellow one is a "fruity antlix"...as though a fruit flavor might mask the fact that there are ANTS IN THAT LOLLIPOP!!!!)

Dear English people,
     You eat weird food.
      Sincerely,
      Miss Fink