Tried to buy a rail ticket to Plymouth for September 20. Great West Rail UK97 return. My Canadian bank refused the purchase of the ticket online. Bank sent me a fraud alert via email, asking me to phone them. Was told the refusal to process is automatic with online purchases from overseas. Using the credit card to buy in person isn't a problem, just online purchases. The bank said they would make an adjustment so I could complete the purchase online. I understand that all foreign online purchases are automatically denied.
UNDERGROUND
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| Inside the South Kensington tube station waiting on the platform for a train |
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| Excellent signage throughout the underground system |
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| Swipe your smart card to enter and leave; technology calculates your fare. I spend about $15 a day or so on transportation. |
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| One of the absolute best department stores in the world, if not the best. It's old fashioned in the sense it has all the various departments we used to have in department stores. Nowadays our department stores in Canada have gotten rid of departments that aren't profitable. Harrods has so much of everything, though I admit I didn't see a hardware department. It could be there somewhere. I didn't get everywhere in the store. It's huge. Takes up one whole block, 6+ stories. http://www.harrods.com |
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| Harrods - a major tourist site in London. People like me go there to see what the rich can buy---good quality goods. I stopped to chat to an Australian woman taking a photo of a Picasso painting, and we lamented how we couldn't afford to buy much of anything in the store. She said she'd tried on a dress there, which cost $5,000, but she couldn't justify buying it, since she didn't have anything really important to attend. She said she exchanged money in Australia before coming to England, and had gotten the exchange rate backwards, so they came to England with twice the money they had wanted to bring. Doesn't sound like money is much of a problem for these people. So maybe, if they had an important event to attend, she would buy that dress for $5,000. In the 1970s I bought a raincoat at Harrods, and at other times, I've bought small items. There's very little today that is affordable for the average person. Some small items like books, pens, Christmas ornaments, socks, biscuits, chocolates, tea, coffee. |
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| Instead of one massive room on each floor, the floors are divided up into smaller rooms, and individually designed. Of course, all major designers are represented. |
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| The Egyptian room, where they sell designer handbags |
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| On the food floor, food from various parts of the world |
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| Scotch eggs |
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| There are several restaurants in this room on the ground floor. People sit at the bar to eat, no tables. There are 28 restaurants/tea rooms/cafes/ice cream parlours in this store, and they're busy at all times of the day. People eat large meals any time. See a fair number of children with their parents, shopping and eating. In 2011 I ate in the Japanese restaurant in this room, and it was a bit expensive, but today, it's far more costly. $200 for a Canadian lobster. Very very expensive. Would have liked to have photographed the menus, but felt akward about doing that. |
Who are the customers in this store? Besides the average tourist, that is, who goes there to look and take photos. Some dress like they could afford to shop there, quite a few are Arabic. Most do not wear the veil, but being covered head to toe in black is common.
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| The Perfumery |
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| The Egyptian escalators, going up several floors, decorated to commemorate the lives of Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed. Dodi's father owns Harrods. Egyptian carvers were hired to create ancient Egyptian scenes. It's very impressive to see. Fabulous. On the Lower Ground level is the shrine to Diana and Dodi. Tourists from all over the world come here to see this work of art and the shrine, and sign the condolences book. These photos were taken either on the escalators or standing on the landing. They are enclosed in this carved stairwell, dimly lit. |
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| The ceiling of the Egyptian escalator hallway |
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| Memorial - Princess Diana and Dodi Fayed in Harrods. Located in the Egyptian escalators area, lower ground level |
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| A popular place for tourists to take photos |
MORE OF THE DEPARTMENT STORE
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| The furniture section is huge - all sorts of styles, designs |
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| Furniture for all tastes. The selection in this store is incredible. Room after room, all high quality. |
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| Pencil crayons. A paradise for people who colour. Wow, what a kit. |
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| Christmas decorations |
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| Everything was chocolate. Was tempted.... but didn't. Had pasta instead. |
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| I ate lunch here at Canti Prosecco Bar in Harrods - a large penne pasta dish with a cream sauce, wild mushrooms and chicken. Delicious. Perfectly cooked. Plus an espresso. With 12.5% tip already added onto the bill. Total UK25.82, about $50.00. Enjoyed every minute. |
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| interesting desk design |
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| chairs with design |
ANOTHER TUBE STATION PHOTO
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| underground passage |
By the station is Exhibition Road where there are many different restaurants.
Slept the whole night through for a change, and got up feeling well rested.
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