When most people travel they head for major points of historical interest. We try to make time for the “important” places but often we find ourselves visiting shops as well to explore local household products, cuisine, etc. A recent trip to the UK (England, Wales and Scotland) proved no different. While we did hit hot spots like The British Museum, castles and more, it kicked off with a visit to the world’s ultimate super store, Harrods.
Mike and Jacob were appalled that Lily and I wanted to go to Harrods first but we couldn’t help ourselves. After a breakfast of baked beans, the girls headed off to the Knightsbridge tube stop while the boys headed to the “Dr Who Shop”. I anticipated that we would spend an hour admiring the pretty cheeses and cupcakes and then meet the boys for a more serious exploration of the Tower of London. Turns out I was wrong.
We went through the golden doors of Harrods and into a cloud of perfume. Initially it looked and smelled like any other high-end department store in Chicago but we noticed an immediate difference. The shop was filled with women in beautiful, embroidered black burkas and on their arms were well tooled designer handbags. Peeking out from narrow slits in the fabric covering their faces were the discerning eyes of very sophisticated consumers. The suit-wearing English salespeople scurried to help them with their every need. Lily and I were ignored. Clearly the cachet of being American is OVER! For years I have read about the influence of Middle Eastern oil money and the shopping of fasionista Muslim women, and it is not a myth.
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| A golden almond $45/lb |
When we went to the ladies room a woman in a burka had removed her veil and was facing the mirror. Lily and I could see her reflection and we could not take our eyes off of her. I embarrassed but I couldn’t help it. She was beautiful and had so much more mystique than any woman I had ever seen before.
Since my last visit (about 14 years ago) Harrods has reoriented itself to cater to a broader audience. The beautiful cakes, bread and seafood still there but now one can buy dates, Halal meats, persimmons and halvah. There are still rows of chocolates but now beside them are candied almonds, apricots and Turkish delight. Harrods has followed consumers needs from other parts of the world as well. One can now find a beautiful array of sushi, caviar, vodka and more, which I am guessing does not end up in the bellies of Haggis-loving Scots or Yorkshire pudding-ingesting English.
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| Stuffed animals galore |
Mike and Jacob met us in Knightbridge. The “Who Shop” had been a bust so they wanted to visit Harrods too. We ended up spending the rest of the afternoon exploring the store again, including seeing the amazing stuffed animals, the pet shop (real dogs and cats!), Harry and Hermione’s wands, a $50,000 TV and sooooo much more.
We never made it to the Crown Jewels but they are static while Harrods is a reflection of a small part of the changing world that we are an itty-bitty part of.
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| Sushi |