From Piccadilly Circus to the history.

With this marvelous weather is impossible to stay at home any minute. The sun welcome you to walk around the city and explore some haunts of London. Today I will introduce you Piccadilly circus, one of the most famous and visited plaza in London. See and stay for a minute gazing the plaza could be good but it could be so much better if you know a little bit of what is behind these beautiful buildings. So, now we are get the tube or the bus to get to the Plaza. (Piccadilly line: Piccadilly Circus). Is too easy. 

Piccadilly Circus is one of the favorite place to congregate or to meet with everybody before going anywhere. So, here is the picture I'm sure it will be the unique time you will see the plaza less crowded. The circus was created to connect Carlton House  (where Prince Regent resided) with Regent's Park. The first thing you will see are big buildings and the advs. Personally, buildings from this circus is one of my favorite sites to contemplate in London. They are gorgeous. The circus looks its best at night, when the flashing advertisement panels really shine against the dark sky. 

At the centre of the circus is the famous lead statue, the Angel of Christian Charity (best known as Anteros) dedicated to the philanthropist and child-labour abolitionist Lord Shaftersbury (one of more important man in the history of the UK). Actually it is a fountain but it doesn't throw water because of a  glitch the same day of the inauguration. While the statue is generally believed to depict Eros, it was created as an image of his twin brother, Anteros. Gilbert (the sculptor) described Anteros as portraying "reflective and mature love, as apposed to Eros or Cupid, the frivolous tyrant". 

Just east of the circus is London Trocadero, a huge and soulless indoor amusement arcade that has six levels of hi-tech, hight-cost fun for yougsters, along with cinemas, US-themed restaurants and bowling alleys. Piccadilly Circus is surrounded by several major tourist attractions, including the Shaftersbury Memorial, Criterion Theatre, London Pavilion and several major retail stores. Numerous nightclubs and bars are located in the area and neighbouring Soho, including the former Chinawhite club. 

From Piccadilly Circus we can drive ourselves to Regent Street. It is one of the major shopping streets in London's west end, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famour for its Christmas illuminations. Every building in Regent Street is protected as a "listed building", at least Grade II status, and togheter they form the Regent Street Conservation Area. 

The street is amazing but what I really like is the buildings, they are so majestic. In the street you can find a lot of shops as: The Apple Store, Café Royal, Hamleys (toy shop with 6 floors and it claims to be the largest and oldest shop in the world, an unforgettable experience inside for child and adults), Liberty ( The Liberty department store was originally known for its role at the retail end of the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts Movement styles). 

If you keep walking through Regent Street you will get to Oxford Circus and Oxford street, place that you already know for sure!

take care :)