Delphi Lodge & Fishery

I recently had a very picky freaks/James Ivory/sartoria(rea)listic experience in Ireland, precisely in Delphi, a small and reclusive mountainous region and North frontier of Connemara.
A typical large and classic mansion-lodge owned and run but some fly-fishing celebrity (who was busy fishing in the Bahamas during our stay), it opens year long a few bedrooms to fly-fishing enthousiasts. The landscape around is breathtaking. We arrived on a very grey day to witness three men, dressed head to toe in the proper fly-fishing attire (see below in Picky Freaks), struggling against rain and wind and strong currents on the river in front of the lodge's lawn, the "gullie" bravely driving the boat back in the current again & again until the salmon would accept to bite (apparently the salmon bites the bait because of some defense mechanism and not to eat the bait as salmon refrains from eating when swiming upcurrent in fresh waters-so I was told that evening by a Bavarian gentleman).
The house has a wet room for outdoors clothing (and toweling the dogs..) and tables to weight, clean and wrap your daily catch.
I didn't fish but I did take part in the evening drinks (7:30 pm by the fireplace) and dinner (8:30 around the large dinning room table) at which I was served the largest lobster I had ever seen.

Simrane

Simrane, located rue Jacob in Paris, sells all kinds of linen products made from Indian printed cotton. The quality and variety of prints are surprising, the shop stacks them from floor to ceiling, it's hard to pick among all the "pareos" (sarongs) and tableclothes, dresses, bed covers. The clientele seems very faithful to the shop, which has been there for ages, at least for as long as I can remember. I have a pareo who's just travelled on it's 20th summer journey!

Korres Yogurt Gel

Korres -the first homeopathic pharmacy of Athens- makes wonderful natural products based on Greek flora. The cooling after sun yogurt gel is divine in texture and in smell.

Flip Flops

The French company La Sarraizienne was the original maker of the famous "méduse" (jellyfish) shoes worn by kids since the 50s and reproduced by others ever since. My mom had found the weirdest style, she would actually wear them with socks in the summer, and it looked quite interesting.
La Sarraizienne also manufactured these all rubber flip flops which are by far the finest I've found. The rubber is very soft and flexible, the sole is perfectly shaped, the colors are great. I bought my first pair, in all white, on a farmers market in Bretagne. The old man warned me that the company had closed since 2003 and these were the very last pairs. He didn't lie, it took me forever to find an old stock, sold by a British website (link included).