In this post I wanted to talk about something I was disappointed with and somrsomet I was impressed by. One of the places I was disappointed by was Leicester Square. The area around Leicester Square is very lively with theaters, Chinatown, restaurants, and shops. While I thought the Lego Store was interesting, and M&M World might be worth looking at to get custon candy, I felt that the square itself was very Americanized, where I would rather see something a little more traditional British or a modern derivative of that. The TGI Fridays, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and Burger King seem invasive on this old London square. On the flip side, I was impressed by how well preserved the Magna Carta was at Salisbury Cathedral’s Chapter House. It looked like someone only wrote it years ago instead of centuries. It makes me wonder why the Declaration of Independence and Constitution in the National Archives in Washington DC are so washed out and barely readed, less the fanciful writing. The cathedrals themselves we have visited so far have also been quite impressive given all the details that make up those places and the technology used to construct them. This makes me excited to visit Westminster Abbey later in the trip.
I agree with you about Leicester square feeling “Americanized.” I am curious about how often the Brits actually visit the square, because it seems very touristy to me, and it makes me sad that a McDonald’s is a main focal point in the square. M&M World may be fun to some but it seemed overly crowded to me, and I would prefer to go to places unbeknownst to most tourists, where it is quieter. I am more interested in seeing how an average British person lives than to see all the cliché British attractions, such as the changing of the guards. On the flip side, I have also been impressed by the cathedrals so far. They have been absolutely stunning and it makes me wonder how they could have possibly been built without modern technology. It is baffling!
Nic,
It’s interesting to hear your perspective on Leicester Square. I hadn’t thought about it being really Americanized. The area is very touristy and has a lot of bright lights. I think it’s able to get away with it though since the city is so large and it seems like you are able to somewhat escape the crowds. It’s been awesome to see all the different cathedrals to be able to compare the different styles and detail in each. Salisbury Cathedral has been one of my favorites and I was super impressed by the condition of the Magna Carta. I am planning to go to law school in a year and it’s cool to see something that impacted America’s constitution. It’s incredible how a piece of history looks like it was written yesterday.