Breakfast at Harrods
I had been to London several times at this point. I think in excess of 5 or 6, and in none of those times had I ever managed to make it to Harrods, the famously large department store. To me it sounded like a glorified Sacks Fifth Avenue. But with Davids instance as this being a “must see” we went. And I could not be happier.
Harrods is amazing. It just full-on overload for all senses.Their motto: Omnia Omnibus Ubique (All Things for All People, Everywhere) couldn’t be more fitting. They’ve managed to cram the best products in the world under one roof. And I use the verb cram incorrectly because instead of the gaudy-department-store-displays I’ve grown accustomed to, Harrods displays things in chick, elegant fashion. The whole store is beautifully lit, arranged, and laid out. And even the store’s amenities are impressive. As you shop, you walk under insanely valuable crystal chandeliers, adorned with jewels fit for the queen. And even the washrooms are pure luxury, offering rows of perfumes and hand lotions for your disposal.
But for me it wasn’t the abundance of designer clothes, handbags, jewelry, etc, that impressed me. Though admittedly it was the first time I had seen so many pretty things in one place. From Armani to Fendi, to Couture, to Cavalli, to Versace, Tiffany’s, Gucci, and the rest of the unaffordable luxury dealers.
No, for me (and probably most), the crown jewel was the Food Halls. In these several connecting rooms there are myriads of consumables for even the most discriminating of palates. The bakery has over 150 delectable varieties of bread, and the delicatessen offers over 350 varieties of cheeses. While chatting with some of the extremely knowledgeable staff I was recommended the fresh Buffalo mozzarella, flown in twice a week from Naples. Or how about the the amazing selection of coffee and tea. They carry 600 varieties of tea alone! Or the room completely dedicated to the finest chocolates the world has to offer. Hand-dipped chocolates that look so perfectly crafted that you can’t tell if it’s art or food.
And if this wasn’t enough, my favorite part of Harrods is all in the packaging. Nearly everything comes in perfectly arranged, neatly sized, little boxes, with tight compact ribbons. And they will wrap ANYTHING for you. It just seems like the perfect place for a little pick me up. Buy four exceptionally crafted chocolates (all I could afford really), have them wrapped, and either enjoy a little indulgence later on, or send it as a little token or treat to the girl you fancy. It’s perfect.
I got the feeling that if I lived in London. Harrods would be my happy place. In the Holly Golightly sense, it would be my Tiffany’s for whenever the reds, or blues, or any other color struck. And I imagined that one day, after countless days of just buying a bit of cheese here, or a delicacy there, I would save up my money and use the personal shopper service at Harrods. A service that, by the hands of the very attentive staff, will literally make you feel like a king for a day more so than I believe any other store could offer. So that is my materialistic goal (I don’t have them often), that before I die, I will buy a suit from Harrods, and spend the whole day being helped, pampered, and indulged, in doing so.
At the same time I also have the fantasy of working at Harrods. I bet I’d be really into it! And not just because they only employ the most beautiful women in the world. No, more for all the excitement, all the visitors, all the creative inspirations. It’s a store that has the best the world has to offer, it just sets your imagination wild, a place of pure fantasy. I mean this is a place where a baby elephant was bought as a present for Ronald Reagan. A baby elephant! It’s the same place that, earlier this year, hired a live Egyptian cobra to guard a $124,000 pair of Rene Caovilla designed haute couture ruby-sapphire-and diamond-encrusted sandals. Just think of all the stories the staff must have!
(insert reminiscent sigh) Ahh… how I wish I could be there now.
Interesting tidbits:
The store has 330 departments
Up to 300,000 customers visit the store on peak days.
More than five thousand staff from over fifty different countries work at Harrods.
Harrods must replace more than 300 light bulbs every day.
…and back in the day, Pierce Brosnan worked in the store’s pharmacy department.
December 19th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I accidently found your site and i’m glad i did. I really like your writing, it is warm and personable, but I only 4 chocolates for the girl “you fancy”? Bit cheap are we? : )
December 21st, 2008 at 5:07 am
Ah yes, well my thought is this:
Lets say that in a display of generosity and financial swagger you buy a girl the biggest box of chocolates the store has (32 oz or something). It is my experience that initially, said girl is thankful and enjoys eating them, but after about 6 she starts to feel glutenous, she starts to worry about “getting fat” or worry about her skin, but because they are good chocolates she will either continue to eat them until she either gets sick of them OR feels insecure about her appearance. She’ll put the remainder of the chocolates away in the freezer and then forget about them until that one rainy day when she is sad and depressed and is scavaging the house desperate for chocolate.
See all the negativity the gift has been attached to? Depression, low self-esteem, etc. Not exactly the romance you (as the giver) intended.
INSTEAD, four chocolates is the perfect little pick me up. It’s like a postcard in the sense that it says: “I’m thinking of you, and I wanted to brighten your day, even for just a minute.” AND it has the added benefit of being a small enough gesture that you can send more trinkets as you think of her (often).
On top of that, these chocolates were made from the nectar of Gods and were about £5 (or $10 each!) Maybe it’s just me, but for the same price I’d rather have these 4 quality ones, then a whole sack full of Hershey’s Pot of Gold!
But then again, I could be way wrong. A friend once told me: “What you don’t know about women is a lot!”…