Wednesday, October 03, 2007

The Best of Claude

Claude called last night and mentioned that he had been on NoCrowds but could not find himself.
You might have thought he was having an existential moment but actually it was a reasonable thing for him to say considering how often I have told this charismatic Frenchman that he was one of my main sources of NoCrowds inspiration.

Since the references were all buried in the archives, I promised to send him the links to the stories where his uncompromising attitude and good advice had been mentioned but after producing the list I thought, wow, these are some of my favourite posts, some dating as far back as June 2005. Why not produce a “Best of Claude” list for everyone to enjoy?

And so, I did:

Late Nights in London Museums

Jardin d’Acclimatation

Beyond Airports

And here are contributions from Claude’s wife, Fanny.

No Romantic Life with Gustave Moreau

The Museum of Romantic Life

I had so much fun looking through the archives that I'm glad I didn't mention to Claude to try the search function for NoCrowds which can be found on the upper left hand corner of the site but even if you are not looking for yourself, it's an easy way to find what you need.

3 comments:

  1. Do you have suggestions on where to shop in London (Paris) for fine china? I'm using Herend but want to switch to all white. I have some salad plates from Bernardaud in his Louvre pattern. But I don't like the motif on the dinner plate, etc. I tried Google to no avail; same for Shopping in your index. I can also ask at the Basil St. Hotel upon arrival. Thanks.

    John Chypre, Vermont

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  2. Hi John

    After having written such a dispariging story about Harrods, I feel a bit foolish about recommending it for fine china shopping but particularly if you are staying at the Basil Street Hotel (I thought it had closed. Have they reopened ???), I would have a look at Harrods. I have been told by a really knowledgable friend on china that Harrods prices are the equivalent of the Reject China Shop down the road. A good alternative to Harrods in terms of selection would be Selfridges.

    Also in London, I would check out the fabulously redone Fortnum & Mason which has a small but wonderful china section as well as Thomas Goode in Mayfair which is worth a visit if only just to admire the store and everything in it. I know Thomas Goode carries KPM (Koenigliche Porzellan Manufaktur)and from my years of living in Germany, I remember they make very beautiful white services.

    Along more contemporary lines, Jasper Conran has recently designed a white service for Wedgewood which Harrods or Selfridges should carry.

    In Paris, I would go to Le Bon Marche because their selection is exquisite and the experience much nicer than the large Right Bank emporiums like Galeries Lafayette.

    I hope you will let NoCrowd readers know what you found and what you liked and I hope the exchange rate doesn't stop you from acquiring some beautiful new china. In fact, I liked your question so much, I hope you won't mind if I turn it into an entire post.

    Also, I would love to know if the Basil Street Hotel has reopened? The neighborhood hasn't been the same without them.

    Have a great trip

    Kate

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  3. Is the Basil Street closed? Aucune idee Kate!! I wasn't planning on being there next week.

    About Harrods, completely agree with you. The Green Man Pub isn't half bad. A tad over done but clean and quiet. Good for a couple of bitters and a plate of cheeses. Then up Brompton past Nicholas is the Bunch of Grapes. Nothing fancy here but good for a pint of brew. . love your dedication to this blog, there's so much useful stuff.

    John

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