I didn’t have much of a budget for shopping when I was in London, so if it was up to me I probably wouldn’t have bothered visiting Harrods. I only had one day in the city, on a day trip from Paris, and I could think of a thousand other things I would have rather seen first.

I’m glad I listened to my friend Dani, who had been before and convinced us to go. I could have spent all day there!

It was also a convenient reprieve from London’s miserable weather. It had been predicted to be warm and sunny, as it was in the middle of summer, but it was cold and wet.

Harrods was more than just a place to get warm and dry. It was an unforgettable shopping experience.

Yes, there are beautiful shopping department stores and complexes in Paris, such as Galerie Lafayette and Printemps. Harrods though, is the only place I could have spent all day and quite happily not spent a cent. You’d want to shop, but even if you had no money it would still be an adventure.

Harrods is sensory overload from the second you are drawn in to the second you are reluctantly dragged out by your demanding itinerary. I didn’t know where to look.  There was so much going on and so many pretty things to look at – not just the products but the interior architecture of the building was so extravagant it was hard to believe that people came here just to do their shopping.

Modesty is a foreign word inside Harrods. Wander through the unashamedly named “Room of Luxury III” and just try and keep your jaw from dropping.

The food hall was was less of a standard food court and more of a gourmet banquet split up into different stalls. I’ve heard eating morning tea on the top floor is divine but what I really wish I had done was eat a dessert at the ice cream parlour. It’s on the top floor outside the gift shop, where I stood waiting while my friends purchased souvenirs. I don’t know why I passed up the opportunity to devour a fantasy dessert, clearly jet lag had addled my brains at a deeper level than originally thought and I was still lacking crucial cognitive functioning. Instead I just ended up staring at the desserts they were making in this microcosm of paradise. It’s as if they asked children to draw their dream dessert and they supersized it.

I am going back to Europe at the end of the year and I’ll definitely make a beeline for the ice cream parlour this time to drown myself in their sugary goodness.

Genevieve Lauren

Hello! I’m an Australian travel blogger, living in Melbourne, Australia. I grew up in Brisbane, studied in Paris, lived & worked in New York City and now live in Melbourne, Australia.

I love sharing specific and useful recommendations, itineraries and guides for the most beautiful things to see, do, experience & eat wherever I go.

My favourite travel destinations are Australia, New York City & surrounds, France, Greece & Japan, but I’m always excited to explore somewhere new!

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