You've got THAT right! They are terrible now.

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
...
> Biff wrote:
>
> > These are best.
>
> They used to be good. They have gone downhill since they changed to the
par baked
> system. Some of the reduced variety are still pretty good but a lot of
them are
> nowhere near as good as they were when baked fresh in the stores. My
personal
> favourite used to be the Honey Sticks, but they suck compared to the old
ones.
>
>

On 19 Dec 2003 22:08:23 GMT, wrote:

>MareCat > wrote:
>
>> Only 3 per city, huh?
>
>> http://tinyurl.com/286b5
>
>That's hardly enough for "one on every street corner."

I agree. Whoever said "one on every street corner" was exaggerating.
But obviously, KK doesn't limit the number of stores per city.

I agree they used to be. But that is good news. I shouldn't be eating
that stuff. But I am waiting for our first Crispy Cream donut shop to
open sometime in the spring.!



Dave Smith wrote:
>
> Biff wrote:
>
> > These are best.
>
> They used to be good. They have gone downhill since they changed to the par baked
> system. Some of the reduced variety are still pretty good but a lot of them are
> nowhere near as good as they were when baked fresh in the stores. My personal
> favourite used to be the Honey Sticks, but they suck compared to the old ones.

"occupant" > wrote in message

> But I am waiting for our first Crispy Cream donut shop to
> open sometime in the spring.!

There are only 1 or 2 KKs around Boston, and I finally found myself driving
by one a few weeks ago with a coffee mug that needed serious attention, so I
stopped in. Tell me -- what is all the hoorah about?? These are eminently
average doughnuts, with coatings that have way too much sugar. I
encountered nothing worth waiting 15 minutes for, let alone a couple of
hours!

My guess is that in today's America, folks rarely have the opportunity to
eat a fresh made, warm doughnut anymore, so the experience is an extreme
novelty. That's it. End of KK's marketing strategy! I can remember eating
warm, fresh doughnuts at local shops 50 years ago. When Dunkin Donuts
opened, they did the same thing, only they made them faster. And, of
course, back then a "honey dipped" doughnut was really "honey" dipped. ;-)

JG

"PENMART01" > wrote in message
...
<snip>
> Here's a special something to enjoy for New Year's Eve... make LOTS!
>
> Biscotti di Peppe
> (Italian Pepper Biscuits)

<two recipes snipped>

Thanks! I know someone who would love these! I was a bit baked out from
Christmas (I didn't bake that much, but more than my lazy body appreciated)
but I think I can manage these :-).

rona

--
***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the inconvenience!***

Yup, I agree completely. We just got a Krispy Kreme here in town recently
and I think the homemade donuts from the grocery store are waaaay better.
Everyone in town just freaked out with excitement when they got a KK here
and I think they just taste funny. That's just my opinion though I guess.

Derek


"Sheryl Rosen" > wrote in message
...
> My local Shaw's market recently began selling Krispy Kreme donuts.
> This is kinda funny to me, because the other major market in our area,
Stop
> and Shop, has a Dunkin Donuts kiosk in most stores. Coffee, donuts,
muffins,
> the whole nine yards.
>
> Anyway, stopped at Shaws on the way home from work. The first thing I put
in
> the cart was a pair of very small donuts. One chocolate frosted with Cream
> filling, the other similar, but with custard filling. They were 75 cents
> each!!!!! And let me tell you. SMALL!!!! I mean, maybe 3 inches in
diameter
> and only about an inch tall. And nothing special. I had the cream filled
> donut just now. Nothing special. Light, yeah, good chocolate frosting,
but
> no better than the donuts they used to sell there, that they made there
(or
> were made elsewhere by Shaw's and brought in, who knows.) and half the
size
> for 50% more! I did like the cream filling, that was tasty, and different
> than most donut fillings I've had, but there wasn't enough of it for my
> taste. Overall, for the money and all the hype, I wasn't impressed.
>
> Is it just me, or is Krispy Kreme a lot of marketing hype and not much
else?
>
> I miss the donuts I used to be able to get at Stop and Shop. They were
big,
> with LOTS of filling. I always brought my dad some. He'd go there himself
> for their donuts. And with a Dunkin' and another local donut shop across
the
> street, he preferred the donuts at Stop and Shop because they were bigger,
> cheaper and were all about the fillling. Dad loved jelly or apple filled
> donuts. Oh well.
>

On Thu, 25 Dec 2003 23:32:19 -0600, "Derek Weber"
> wrote:

>We just got a Krispy Kreme here in town recently
>and I think the homemade donuts from the grocery store are waaaay better.

Homemade from the grocery store?!

Frogleg > wrote in
:

> On Thu, 25 Dec 2003 23:32:19 -0600, "Derek Weber"
> > wrote:
>
>>We just got a Krispy Kreme here in town recently
>>and I think the homemade donuts from the grocery store are waaaay better.
>
> Homemade from the grocery store?!
>

Mebbe someone lives there.

wrote:
> Sheryl Rosen > wrote:
>
>
>>Anyway, stopped at Shaws on the way home from work. The first thing I put in
>>the cart was a pair of very small donuts. One chocolate frosted with Cream
>
>
> Very small? All the Krispy Kremes I've seen have been
> what I would call average sized for doughnuts. Not huge,
> but not tiny either. About the same size as Dunkin Donuts'
> product.
>
>

The Krispy Kremes regular glazed doughnut I have seen, is not average
sized in the least. It is the smallest doughnut I have ever seen. Not
counting doughnut holes though.

>>Is it just me, or is Krispy Kreme a lot of marketing hype and not much else?
>
>
> I think they are over-hyped a bit. The freshly made ones are better.
> Having grown up in the NorthEast I didn't run into KK till I moved
> to Virginia. I didn't see the big deal, and still don't.
>
>

Yep, it is way over-hyped. Though I have never had a KK fresh. Always
been bought, boxed up and brought to where ever I am.

When the first KK opened up here about 2 years ago, the hype was
unbelievable. I think there were long lines for the first 3 or 4 days.
Had to have a traffic cop.

The second KK to open, did not get near the hype. I didn't know one had
opened until about 6 months later. It is about 7 miles from where I
live. I won't drive 7 miles for a Hot/Fresh KK.

Now for a fresh bagel, ah, that I will drive for. Not even sex is better
than a great bagel fresh out of the oven. Don't have a great bagel shop
around here though. Good maybe, but not great.

Merry Christmas.


>>cheaper and were all about the fillling. Dad loved jelly or apple filled
>>donuts. Oh well.
>
>
> Yeah, KK is not great on filled. Not their strong suit at all.
>
> Bill Ranck
> Blacksburg, Va.

In article >, Frogleg
> writes:

>"Derek Weber"
> wrote:
>
>>We just got a Krispy Kreme here in town recently
>>and I think the homemade donuts from the grocery store are waaaay better.
>
>Homemade from the grocery store?!
>

Mom n' Pop grocery stores are home. Idiot.


---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

MareCat wrote:

> On 19 Dec 2003 22:08:23 GMT, wrote:
>
>
>>MareCat > wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Only 3 per city, huh?
>>
>>>http://tinyurl.com/286b5
>>
>>That's hardly enough for "one on every street corner."
>
>
> I agree. Whoever said "one on every street corner" was exaggerating.
> But obviously, KK doesn't limit the number of stores per city.


Maybe KK does not limit the number of stores per city, but you can bet
your sweet tooth the buyers of the KK franchises are going to limit how
many KK franchises are sold in a given area.

I have looked at the KK franchise requirements, out of curiosity, not
interest and they are not interested in selling a franchise to just
anyone who can come up with the dough :-) .

Typically franchisees are some type of corporation in the business of
running businesses. And these folks are not going to allow for the KK to
pop up like a 7-11 did years ago. They will have some protection of
their marketing area.

Enjoy your KK

dogsnus wrote:

> Sheryl Rosen > wrote in
> :
>
>
>
>>Is it just me, or is Krispy Kreme a lot of marketing hype and not much
>>else?
>
> Krispy Kreme is the only donut I can eat. I gave up eating donuts
> for years because for some reason after a certain age, every donut
> I ate sat on my stomach like a rock and I was very uncomfortable.
> Even home made ones.
> So I just gave up eating them for the past 15 years or so.
>

Did your dental bill go down?


> I listened to the KK hype when I moved down south and I find not only
> are they delicious to me, they don't upset my stomach.
>
> So, hype or not, I like them.
> Especially the kruellers.
> But I try to eat them sparingly.
>
> Terri

In article <akXGb.140408$8y1.419810@attbi_s52>,
Eddie > wrote:

> Not even sex is better than a great bagel fresh out of the oven.

I'm so sorry for you ... :-)

sd, who also finds KKs the most over-hyped donuts on the planet

>>We just got a Krispy Kreme here in town recently
>>and I think the homemade donuts from the grocery store are waaaay better.
>
>Homemade from the grocery store?!
>

I used to work in the bakery department at Krogers and we made our own
doughnuts. We eventually moved to pre-made ones because they were cheaper and
the store didn't have use as many labor hours. I remember our doughnut sales
really dropped after that. Believe me, there's a difference between a
doughnut that's been made, proofed, fried, and glazed right there at the store
and one that's just been pulled from the freezer and defrosted. Perhaps the
original poster meant "made from scratch" or "tastes like homemade" when they
said "homemade".

sd wrote:
> In article <akXGb.140408$8y1.419810@attbi_s52>,
> Eddie > wrote:
>
>
>>Not even sex is better than a great bagel fresh out of the oven.
>
>
> I'm so sorry for you ... :-)
>
> sd, who also finds KKs the most over-hyped donuts on the planet

KK opens its first store in UK in Harrods.

At the end of the day a donut is just a bakery product. Why would one wants to
get one from an expensive department store? It's like demanding a non-stick pan
from Chanel.

A shop that sells simple products plant its first outlet in UK in Harrods is a
big turn-off for me. I think donut is one of those food that need a bit of
street-cred to make it glamorous.

"Ada Ma" > wrote in message
...
>
> KK opens its first store in UK in Harrods.
>
> At the end of the day a donut is just a bakery product. Why would one
wants to
> get one from an expensive department store? It's like demanding a
non-stick pan
> from Chanel.
>
<snip>

expensive department stores--some of my favourite memories of Japan are
of time spent in the basements of expensive department stores, cruising the
food. Some of the best bakeries (Fauchon, for example) are located in these
department stores and I've bought more than one doughnut at a department
store--not from Fauchon, of course. I've never been to Harrod's but as I
understand it, their food sections are right up there with those in Japan.

But KK doesn't really fit up there with Fauchon, does it :-)?

rona

--
***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the inconvenience!***

Ada Ma wrote:
>
> sd wrote:
> > In article <akXGb.140408$8y1.419810@attbi_s52>,
> > Eddie > wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Not even sex is better than a great bagel fresh out of the oven.
> >
> >
> > I'm so sorry for you ... :-)
> >
> > sd, who also finds KKs the most over-hyped donuts on the planet
>
> KK opens its first store in UK in Harrods.
>
> At the end of the day a donut is just a bakery product. Why would one wants to
> get one from an expensive department store? It's like demanding a non-stick pan
> from Chanel.
>
> A shop that sells simple products plant its first outlet in UK in Harrods is a
> big turn-off for me. I think donut is one of those food that need a bit of
> street-cred to make it glamorous.

It's logical though. Right now a lot of visitors to Harrod's are
American tourists. They will buy the KK doughnuts and think it's 'cute'.

KKs, are highly overrated!

Just a Jeanie

Arri London wrote:
> It's logical though. Right now a lot of visitors to Harrod's are
> American tourists. They will buy the KK doughnuts and think it's 'cute'.

This is insane... go all the way to London and buy something American?

But then I saw Americans queuing for cheap play tickets played by American
actors (the guy in Natural born killer and the younger brother in Frasers) in
Leicester Square. So it's not so out of normal after all.

There must be some logic behind it but I'd like to remain oblivious to them so
that I can think it's weird and laugh! HA HA HA!

A

Ada Ma > wrote:
> Arri London wrote:
>> It's logical though. Right now a lot of visitors to Harrod's are
>> American tourists. They will buy the KK doughnuts and think it's 'cute'.

> This is insane... go all the way to London and buy something American?

> But then I saw Americans queuing for cheap play tickets played by American
> actors (the guy in Natural born killer and the younger brother in Frasers) in
> Leicester Square. So it's not so out of normal after all.

Exactly. I am American and I don't understand this behavior either.
Why travel so far only to do (or eat) the same stuff you can at home?
This defies logic.

stan@heinzketchup typed:
> Ada Ma > wrote:
>> Arri London wrote:
>>> It's logical though. Right now a lot of visitors to Harrod's are
>>> American tourists. They will buy the KK doughnuts and think it's 'cute'.
>
>> This is insane... go all the way to London and buy something American?
>
>> But then I saw Americans queuing for cheap play tickets played by American
>> actors (the guy in Natural born killer and the younger brother in Frasers)
in
>> Leicester Square. So it's not so out of normal after all.
>
> Exactly. I am American and I don't understand this behavior either.
> Why travel so far only to do (or eat) the same stuff you can at home?
> This defies logic.

Kind of brings to mind Alan Zelt's signature line:

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and
avoid the people, you might better stay home."
--James Michener

BOB

wrote in :

> Ada Ma > wrote:
>> Arri London wrote:
>>> It's logical though. Right now a lot of visitors to Harrod's are
>>> American tourists. They will buy the KK doughnuts and think it's
>>> 'cute'.
>
>> This is insane... go all the way to London and buy something
>> American?
>
>> But then I saw Americans queuing for cheap play tickets played by
>> American actors (the guy in Natural born killer and the younger
>> brother in Frasers) in Leicester Square. So it's not so out of
>> normal after all.

That's not all that strange. In the US, if they wanted to see a certain
American actor in a play on Broadway, they might have to travel ~3000 miles
from California to do so. It's all relative, isn't it?

> Exactly. I am American and I don't understand this behavior either.
> Why travel so far only to do (or eat) the same stuff you can at home?
> This defies logic.

wrote:
>
> Ada Ma > wrote:

> > This is insane... go all the way to London and buy something American?
>
> > But then I saw Americans queuing for cheap play tickets played by American
> > actors (the guy in Natural born killer and the younger brother in Frasers) in
> > Leicester Square. So it's not so out of normal after all.
>
> Exactly. I am American and I don't understand this behavior either.
> Why travel so far only to do (or eat) the same stuff you can at home?
> This defies logic.

I think this is a really bad example. I don't know about where you
live, but I don't get the chance to see David Hyde Pierce (?) and
whoever else live just around the corner every day. I'd go see them
if I happened to be in London. It's not like it's Burger King.
Many people around the states do not have Broadway quality productions
nearby.

nancy

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> That's not all that strange. In the US, if they wanted to see a certain
> American actor in a play on Broadway, they might have to travel ~3000 miles
> from California to do so. It's all relative, isn't it?

Woah, Wayne is channeling me. Stop that.

(laugh) nancy

Nancy Young > wrote in
:

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> That's not all that strange. In the US, if they wanted to see a
>> certain American actor in a play on Broadway, they might have to
>> travel ~3000 miles from California to do so. It's all relative,
>> isn't it?
>
> Woah, Wayne is channeling me. Stop that.
>
> (laugh) nancy

Hehehe... That would also be me!

On 4 Jan 2004 17:05:26 GMT, wrote:

>Ada Ma > wrote:
>> Arri London wrote:
>>> It's logical though. Right now a lot of visitors to Harrod's are
>>> American tourists. They will buy the KK doughnuts and think it's 'cute'.
>
>> This is insane... go all the way to London and buy something American?
>
>> But then I saw Americans queuing for cheap play tickets played by American
>> actors (the guy in Natural born killer and the younger brother in Frasers) in
>> Leicester Square. So it's not so out of normal after all.
>
>Exactly. I am American and I don't understand this behavior either.
>Why travel so far only to do (or eat) the same stuff you can at home?
>This defies logic.

Oh, Leicester Sq. -- Ian McKellen, Alec Guinness (and Edward Hermann),
Jeremy Brett -- heaven! (Where 2 of them are now). As to familiar
foods, not all want dining 'adventures' abroad. It's no crime to seek
out Burger King after a foul 'pub grub' experience. Particularly if
you travel with children. (I didn't look for McDonald's, but then I
didn't seek out jellied eel, either.)

Stan, not everyone travels for food experiences. Scenery, history,
archeology, adventure, eco-pursuits, and art figure prominently in
travel destinations. Do you go to Hawaii for dinner? Well, some may,
but many want a warm sandy beach in mid-winter. And drinks with little
umbrellas. :-)

wrote:
>
> Ada Ma > wrote:
> > Arri London wrote:
> >> It's logical though. Right now a lot of visitors to Harrod's are
> >> American tourists. They will buy the KK doughnuts and think it's 'cute'.
>
> > This is insane... go all the way to London and buy something American?

It's common enough. Of course they aren't the only ones to do that. All
the Japanese restaurants in London I've been to cater to *busloads* of
Japanese tourists.
Sometimes there is a limit to how 'foreign' people want their foreign
experience to be

>
> > But then I saw Americans queuing for cheap play tickets played by American
> > actors (the guy in Natural born killer and the younger brother in Frasers) in
> > Leicester Square. So it's not so out of normal after all.
>
> Exactly. I am American and I don't understand this behavior either.
> Why travel so far only to do (or eat) the same stuff you can at home?
> This defies logic.

Perhaps to you it isn't logical. However, most of the American fast-food
places in London are heavily frequented by American tourists. Most would
go out of business if that segment stopped visiting.

Frogleg wrote:
>
> On 4 Jan 2004 17:05:26 GMT, wrote:
>
> >Ada Ma > wrote:
> >> Arri London wrote:
> >>> It's logical though. Right now a lot of visitors to Harrod's are
> >>> American tourists. They will buy the KK doughnuts and think it's 'cute'.
> >
> >> This is insane... go all the way to London and buy something American?
> >
> >> But then I saw Americans queuing for cheap play tickets played by American
> >> actors (the guy in Natural born killer and the younger brother in Frasers) in
> >> Leicester Square. So it's not so out of normal after all.

Also people queue up for particular shows, not necessarily for the
players. The Americans can see David Hyde Pierce on 'Frasier' any time
they choose.

> >
> >Exactly. I am American and I don't understand this behavior either.
> >Why travel so far only to do (or eat) the same stuff you can at home?
> >This defies logic.
>
> Oh, Leicester Sq. -- Ian McKellen, Alec Guinness (and Edward Hermann),
> Jeremy Brett -- heaven! (Where 2 of them are now).

LOL not as though you'd see Jeremy Brett in a production any time soon
is it?



As to familiar
> foods, not all want dining 'adventures' abroad. It's no crime to seek
> out Burger King after a foul 'pub grub' experience. Particularly if
> you travel with children. (I didn't look for McDonald's, but then I
> didn't seek out jellied eel, either.)
>
> Stan, not everyone travels for food experiences. Scenery, history,
> archeology, adventure, eco-pursuits, and art figure prominently in
> travel destinations. Do you go to Hawaii for dinner? Well, some may,
> but many want a warm sandy beach in mid-winter. And drinks with little
> umbrellas. :-)

Frogleg wrote:
>
> On 4 Jan 2004 17:05:26 GMT, wrote:
>
> >Ada Ma > wrote:
> >> Arri London wrote:
> >>> It's logical though. Right now a lot of visitors to Harrod's are
> >>> American tourists. They will buy the KK doughnuts and think it's 'cute'.
> >
> >> This is insane... go all the way to London and buy something American?
> >
> >> But then I saw Americans queuing for cheap play tickets played by American
> >> actors (the guy in Natural born killer and the younger brother in Frasers) in
> >> Leicester Square. So it's not so out of normal after all.

Also people queue up for particular shows, not necessarily for the
players. The Americans can see David Hyde Pierce on 'Frasier' any time
they choose.

> >
> >Exactly. I am American and I don't understand this behavior either.
> >Why travel so far only to do (or eat) the same stuff you can at home?
> >This defies logic.
>
> Oh, Leicester Sq. -- Ian McKellen, Alec Guinness (and Edward Hermann),
> Jeremy Brett -- heaven! (Where 2 of them are now).

*Sigh* Brett was certainly one of the best Sherlock Holmes's ever!



As to familiar
> foods, not all want dining 'adventures' abroad. It's no crime to seek
> out Burger King after a foul 'pub grub' experience. Particularly if
> you travel with children. (I didn't look for McDonald's, but then I
> didn't seek out jellied eel, either.)
>
> Stan, not everyone travels for food experiences. Scenery, history,
> archeology, adventure, eco-pursuits, and art figure prominently in
> travel destinations. Do you go to Hawaii for dinner? Well, some may,
> but many want a warm sandy beach in mid-winter. And drinks with little
> umbrellas. :-)

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 18:10:06 -0700, Arri London >
wrote:

>*Sigh* Brett was certainly one of the best Sherlock Holmes's ever!
>
I've never seen better, and I truly believe there was never a better
one -- seen or unseen. Brilliant and slightly mad, misogynist and
romantic, lucid and drug-addicted, confident and nervous as a speed
freak. What a pity he died before finishing the entire Holmes corpus.

OBFood: Central Market's bulk crystalized ginger soaked in vodka for
two weeks. Intoxicatingly delicious!

modom

>> On 4 Jan 2004 17:05:26 GMT, wrote:
>>
>> >> But then I saw Americans queuing for cheap play tickets played by American
>> >> actors (the guy in Natural born killer and the younger brother in Frasers) in
>> >> Leicester Square. So it's not so out of normal after all.

*Some* Americans, like self, may be queuing for discount tickets
because London and NYC are the great theater capitals of the world,
and we want to take every advantage when its available. I expect a
Brit in NYC would queue for Maggie Smith before an unfamiliar American
name. If I were a 'Frasier' fan and a London production would be my
only chance to see David Hyde Pierce live and in person, I'd probably
try to pick up a ticket. What would be the point of seeking out
something totally unfamiliar just for the sake of a "different"
experience, if it would mean foregoing another you are pretty sure
you're going to enjoy? I chose my 'playlist' with a combo of criteria:
who *wouldn't* want to see Alec Guinness? And in a play I knew was
good. Same with Brett and the Sherlock Holmes pastiche. I didn't know
who Ian McKellen was, but I knew I liked Alan Ayckbourn's plays. And a
trio of short Chekov pieces sounded interesting. If Dustin Hoffman in
'Salesman' had been in London at that time, I would have certainly fit
Stan's profile of Americans snapping up tickets to things with
American actors. Wouldn't you?

>> Arri London wrote:

>>> It's logical though. Right now a lot of visitors to Harrod's are
>>> American tourists.

Is this a problem?

>>> They will buy the KK doughnuts and think it's 'cute'.

They will also buy Belgian chocolates and Persian rugs and French
wines and Italian shoes, although I don't know if they consider them
"cute,"

Frogleg wrote:
>
> >> Arri London wrote:
>
> >>> It's logical though. Right now a lot of visitors to Harrod's are
> >>> American tourists.
>
> Is this a problem?

Depends on to whom one speaks. Harrod's is a department store, rather
than simply a tourist attraction to be photographed.
>
> >>> They will buy the KK doughnuts and think it's 'cute'.
>
> They will also buy Belgian chocolates and Persian rugs and French
> wines and Italian shoes, although I don't know if they consider them
> "cute,"

For the most part they don't buy those things. That's always been one of
al Fayeed's complaints. The big ticket customers aren't the Americans
according to him. He should know; it's his store.

"Arri London" > wrote in message
...
> Frogleg wrote:
> > They will also buy Belgian chocolates.

Oh yes, we buy Leonidas every time we pass through that store!!! (about
every 3 years).
Doug.
One other thing, get there just as they open and hit the food court, if you
are too late all the London office workers have gotten all the good
inexpensive items. You can get yourself a fabulous picnic lunch and latter
take it down to Green Park, and eat it on a park bench.

"Arri London" wrote:
> Depends on to whom one speaks. Harrod's is a department store, rather
> than simply a tourist attraction to be photographed.

Precisely. It's all relative. When I lived in NYC (and it's the same now
when I'm just visiting), I was mired in swamps foreign tourists all the
time. The Empire State Building is a office building, but a lot of people
sure do take photographs of it, wander through it, gaze off of it. The World
Trade Center had the same problem until recently.

The Statue of Liberty is just what its name says it is. It's a statue. It's
enormous. It has its own island.

The Circle Line jaunts over a polluted and stinky river and a polluted and
stinky seaway to circumscribe a different island (fairly nondescript in and
of itself) several times a day while passengers gaze at the nonfuctioning
mechanisms of a bunch of old bridges as they pass under them. Go figure.

One knew when one was behind a group of tourists, as one would be forced to
a sudden stop in midstride on crowded sidewalks by foreign bodies --
invariably looking up, pointing and gaping, oooohing and aaaaaahing, aiming
and snapping, assessing and critiquing -- lest one trample or topple over
them.

They crowd restaurants and museums. They crowd trendy department and food
stores. They crowd the sidewalks. They crowd into the Theater District, into
venues on- and off-. They go to movies. Their tour buses prowl the streets.
They are perfect strangers who ask us for directions and, not uncommonly,
ask to have their pictures taken. They crowd the Park and mass around
fountain and statuary like human pigeons. They take the subway. They
communicate with language and gestures and customs the natives don't
understand and may not cotton to. They're underfoot. They spend millions.

Miss Manners says: Suck it up. That's part of life in the Big City, and
therefore part of getting everything one asked for.

< Bloomingdale's is just a department store, too. >


> For the most part they don't buy those things. That's always been one of
> al Fayeed's complaints. The big ticket customers aren't the Americans
> according to him. He should know; it's his store.

True enough. We can get those things *here*, after all.

Pennyaline wrote:
>
> "Arri London" wrote:
> > Depends on to whom one speaks. Harrod's is a department store, rather
> > than simply a tourist attraction to be photographed.
>
> Precisely. It's all relative. When I lived in NYC (and it's the same now
> when I'm just visiting), I was mired in swamps foreign tourists all the
> time. The Empire State Building is a office building, but a lot of people
> sure do take photographs of it, wander through it, gaze off of it. The World
> Trade Center had the same problem until recently.
>
> The Statue of Liberty is just what its name says it is. It's a statue. It's
> enormous. It has its own island.
>
> The Circle Line jaunts over a polluted and stinky river and a polluted and
> stinky seaway to circumscribe a different island (fairly nondescript in and
> of itself) several times a day while passengers gaze at the nonfuctioning
> mechanisms of a bunch of old bridges as they pass under them. Go figure.
>
> One knew when one was behind a group of tourists, as one would be forced to
> a sudden stop in midstride on crowded sidewalks by foreign bodies --
> invariably looking up, pointing and gaping, oooohing and aaaaaahing, aiming
> and snapping, assessing and critiquing -- lest one trample or topple over
> them.
>
> They crowd restaurants and museums. They crowd trendy department and food
> stores. They crowd the sidewalks. They crowd into the Theater District, into
> venues on- and off-. They go to movies. Their tour buses prowl the streets.
> They are perfect strangers who ask us for directions and, not uncommonly,
> ask to have their pictures taken. They crowd the Park and mass around
> fountain and statuary like human pigeons. They take the subway. They
> communicate with language and gestures and customs the natives don't
> understand and may not cotton to. They're underfoot. They spend millions.
>
> Miss Manners says: Suck it up. That's part of life in the Big City, and
> therefore part of getting everything one asked for.
>
> < Bloomingdale's is just a department store, too. >
>
> > For the most part they don't buy those things. That's always been one of
> > al Fayeed's complaints. The big ticket customers aren't the Americans
> > according to him. He should know; it's his store.
>
> True enough. We can get those things *here*, after all.


Everyone can get those things *anywhere*, if it comes down to it. But
the foreigners, other than the Americans still spend a lot of money at
Harrods. The Americans just gawk according to al Fayeed.

Doug Cutler wrote:
>
> "Arri London" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Frogleg wrote:
> > > They will also buy Belgian chocolates.
>
> Oh yes, we buy Leonidas every time we pass through that store!!! (about
> every 3 years).
> Doug.
> One other thing, get there just as they open and hit the food court, if you
> are too late all the London office workers have gotten all the good
> inexpensive items. You can get yourself a fabulous picnic lunch and latter
> take it down to Green Park, and eat it on a park bench.

There's no food court at Harrods, but there are the Food Halls. Used to
be extremely nice, but now run down to something extremely ordinary.

BTW, Hyde Park is a lot closer to Harrods than Green Park, if one is
really hungry LOL!

"Arri London" wrote:
> Everyone can get those things *anywhere*, if it comes down to it. But
> the foreigners, other than the Americans still spend a lot of money at
> Harrods. The Americans just gawk according to al Fayeed.

Did you read all of my post or just jump to the end??

To types like al Fayed, if you're not spending money, you're loitering.

You strike me as someone as provincial as any bumpkin: limited in
perspective, distrustful and resentful of what is different (in this case,
of Americans). How very small of you. So Americans don't cough for what al
Fayeed the Elder shills. So what? Does that mean we can't admire it?
Ex-cuuuuuuuuuuse US!!!!

As Miss Manners stated previously: Suck it up.

<or move to where Americans don't go>

"Arri London" > wrote in message
...
>
> BTW, Hyde Park is a lot closer to Harrods than Green Park, if one is
> really hungry LOL!

Yesh. For a picnic at Green Park, one makes a stop at Fortnum's. (Though I
usually go to St. James park.)

Charlie

>Pennyaline wrote:

>> They crowd restaurants and museums. They crowd trendy department and food
>> stores. They crowd the sidewalks. They crowd into the Theater District, into
>> venues on- and off-. They go to movies. Their tour buses prowl the streets.
>> They are perfect strangers who ask us for directions and, not uncommonly,
>> ask to have their pictures taken. They crowd the Park and mass around
>> fountain and statuary like human pigeons. They take the subway. They
>> communicate with language and gestures and customs the natives don't
>> understand and may not cotton to. They're underfoot. They spend millions.

Geez! Why don't all tourists just drop dead, huh? Or stay at home
where they can sneer at *their* tourists. Tourism is a major, if not
the main, source of income for a good many cities, towns, and
countries. Many people like to travel, and the 'natives' are happy to
have customers. Just as 'natives' in any place are a mix of
personalities and habits, the same mix applies to those who travel. I
felt apologetic hearing a woman with an American accent loudly
repeating every other line to her husband(?) during a play, but I
shouldn't have. This isn't an *American* habit; it's a rude-person
habit. Tourists everywhere are cursed for spending too lavishly or
not enough; for being different or trying to fit in; for crowding
local restaurants or choosing familar foods; for crowding museums or
ignoring them; for over- or under-dressing; and on and on.

I have a friend who lived in northern Virginia for several years and
became familiar with (nearly) every public building, museum, and Metro
line in DC. She had only to see someone looking at a map or guidebook
with a puzzled expression to volunteer to help. Most of her 'clients'
were extremely grateful. Taking a picture of Mom, Dad, and the kids
blocking the view of some historical attraction isn't exactly hard
labor.

Lighten up!