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Tube: Knightsbridge. Knightsbridge is irredeemably snobbish, revelling in its reputation as the swankiest shopping area in London, a status epitomized by Harrods (Mon, Tues & Sat 10am-6pm, Wed-Fri 10am-7pm; www.harrods.com) on Brompton Road. London's most famous department store started out as a family-run grocery store in 1849, with a staff of two. The current 1905 terracotta building is owned by the Egyptian Mohammed Al Fayed and employs in excess of 3000 staff. Tourists flock to Harrods - it's thought to be one of the city's top-ranking tourist attractions - though if you can do without the Harrods carrier bag, you can buy most of what the shop stocks more cheaply elsewhere. The store does, however, have a few sections that are architectural sights in their own right: the Food Hall, with its exquisite Arts and Crafts tiling, and the Egyptian Hall, with its pseudo-hieroglyphs and sphinxes, are particularly striking. Now that a fountain dedicated to Di and Dodi is in place, the Egyptian-style escalators are an added attraction, but don't bother taking them to the first floor "washrooms", unless you want to pay GBP1 for the privilege of relieving yourself. Note, too, that the store has a draconian dress code: no shorts, no ripped jeans, no vest T-shirts and no backpacks
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