You know I was sitting in a restaurant the other night in France and it could have been a restaurant in any one of the cities I have visited in the past. It was beautiful and the fresh seafood was absolutely to die for (should really do a write up on the fantastic food I ate in the last week but I think Conor does that best) but I could have been anywhere.
Is it just me or does anyone else think that many restaurants / bars / hotels etc. that you visit when you are abroad just look the same? Also, many of the new buildings in most of the larger cities also all look alike. Globalisation is happening, and very quickly from what I can see. On one hand it's fantastic to be able to know what you are getting sometimes and it can offer a certain level of comfort if not everything is new or alien to the traveller. On the other hand, what's the point in travelling to gain new experiences if, when you get there, you could be anywhere in the world and there is nothing unique to the particular country's culture?
Just an observation and I do realise that the people, language etc all add to the experience and make it different but I just feel that globalisation is happening at a fairly rapid pace.
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1 comment:
Curly, just take a look around the UK. I challenge you to find a city centre or high street that doesn't have the same dozen stores, all looking the same where ever you are.
Its branding and product awareness, the mega corps pay a fortune to be recognised and when they are, uniformity here we come.
As you said, rampant globalisation in action.
I was in Rome in November 2004, specifically near the spanish steps, and there was the scrum of people trying to get into a building. Whats going on I asked myself.... then I noticed the golden arches. Talk about depressing.
K.
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