Covent Garden, London

A friend of mine emailed me the other day to ask me about markets in London. While I was typing up my reply, I remembered I had a few photos of Covent Garden that I wanted to share with you.

If you’re a My Fair Lady fan, you’ll recognize this building as the one at the beginning of the “Wouldn’t it be Loverly” scene.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen that movie, but I think it’s the building (the opera?) Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering are leaving when they first encounter Eliza. In real life, it’s  St. Paul’s Covent Garden, also known as the Actors’ Church. It was completed in 1633–wow! I’ve lived on this side of the pond for more than three years and it still amazes me that there are buildings still standing–and in use–from so long ago.

I believe the 1964 My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison and Audrey Hepburn was filmed entirely in the Warner Brothers Studio in California, so of course the building in the movie is just a set. However, Emma Thompson is working on a remake of My Fair Lady scheduled for 2012. According to Wikipedia, “the film is intended to be shot on location in Covent Garden, Drury Lane, Tottenham Court Road, Wimpole Street, and the Ascot Racecourse“. I can’t wait to see it!

In the past, Covent Garden had a busy fruit and vegetable market in the central square. Though that market is long gone, I did find this solitary produce cart :-) By the way, if you’re looking for a food market, Borough Market is a fun place to go.

I like Covent Garden as a fun, half-day out with friends.

There are arts and crafts stalls in the Apple Market in addition to

the fun and funky stalls in the Jubilee Market across the way.

There are many interesting restaurants in the area as well. I can’t remember the name of the one I went to, but Hemingway and I shared a plate of Pad Thai and a glass of Diet Coke ;-)