McDonald's Around the World

China

McDonald's has come a long way since it opened its first store in Des Plaines, Ill. With restaurants now in 119 countries, McDonald’s is omnipresent and, well, unavoidable. As a traveler, you can sniff at the spread of Americanized fast food, or you can embrace it. How many of us have wandered into a McDonald’s overseas just to find a taste of home? What we find is sometimes surprising: Stop by a restaurant in Germany and order a beer. In Canada you may find a lobster roll. In Hawaii, order a deluxe breakfast that has rice with a side of spam. Burgers, fries and shakes are almost always on the menu, but if you look, you’ll see differences in the menu, the architecture and even good ol' Ronald the clown.

 In China, it’s Ronald McDonald versus Colonel Sanders as McDonald’s and KFC fight it out for fast-food dominance. (KFC is so ubiquitous here you’ll see it on the corner of Tiananmen Square.) McDonald’s reportedly plans to expand to 2,000 restaurants in the country by 2013. There’s definitely an appetite for Western-style food in Beijing, Shanghai and beyond, as the menu features many of the most familiar items, such as Big Macs and fries. There’s a strong focus on chicken and fish as well, and you can order a McFlurry at the Express window.

Americans are used to seeing a waving Ronald McDonald, but in Thailand the clown mascot offers a more traditional greeting. Stop in for breakfast and you can order Bubur Ayam, hearty breakfast porridge with chicken, chilies and onions. Lunch could be a samurai pork burger, a double Big Mac (think four patties, super tall) or a McSalad Shaker — put all the ingredients in a cup with a lid, add dressing and shake. Voila! If you’re in Bangkok and don’t feel like fighting the traffic from your hotel, you’re in luck: Thailand is one of the handful of countries where McDonald’s delivers.

Namaste in Thailand

Why order a regular McChicken when you can get a towering Chicken Maharaja-Mac? Or perhaps a McVeggie, a fried patty of peas, carrots, potatoes and savory Indian spices? Or the potato-based McAloo Tikka? All are standard menu items at McDonald’s in India, where the entire menu is beef-free. In the next few years, the company hopes to have as many as 250 restaurants throughout India, where there are 700 million hungry potential customers under 30 — many of whom take advantage of the online ordering and delivery service.

McDonald’s has been a longtime supporter of the Olympic Games since 1968, when the company first flew food to American athletes homesick for burgers in Grenoble, France. These days, as a sponsor of the London Olympics, McDonald’s is celebrating by rolling out Happy Meal toys of the Olympic and Paralympic mascots, and is opening what will be the biggest and busiest McDonald's restaurant in the world — a two-story building that seats 1,500 customers, ten times the average McDonald's. If you're lucky enough to visit there during the Games (this temporary restaurant is for the Olympics only), try a Cadbury Crème Egg McFlurry or that most classic of English breakfasts: porridge.

Pull into any of the prevalent McDonald’s in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and try the localized version of a burger: The McArabia sandwich, grilled chicken on pita bread with black seeds, covered in traditional mayonnaise garlic sauce. The Chicken Big Mac is also popular. Dubai McDonald's also deliver, with a "green" twist: The vegetable oil from area's restaurants are converted into biodiesel that fuels their delivery vehicles.

When Russia’s first McDonald’s opened in 1990 on Pushkin Square in Moscow, it made international headlines. It served 30,000 customers that day — a record — and it remains one of the 10 busiest McDonald’s in the world. (The Pushkin McDonald’s is also huge, with 28 registers and seating for 700.) McDonald's has since expanded to other cities in Russia, and customers flock for hamburgers, shakes, the McTasty and of course, cabbage pies.

Looking for the nearest McDonald’s in Tokyo? Ask for directions to Ma-ku-do. They’re easy to find: After the United States, Japan has the most Ma-ku-dos of any country in the world. (America still dominates with 14,000-plus.) Along with your green tea, you can order an Ebi Burger (a panko-crumb encrusted shrimp deep fried into a burger patty), or the Mega Tamago, a promotional burger that has a fried egg on it. The McHotDog Chili is — you guessed it — a chili dog. One blogger in Japan reported on a new item that (hint, hint!) would also be a hit in the U.S.: a bacon and mashed potato pie.

 

Japan

Passers-by have to look closely to see the golden arches on this unassuming white building on a street near Fish Square in Bergen, Norway. Many of the menu items inside are familiar, but one popular item some years ago was the Lakse fish wrap with your choice of wasabi or honey sauce. While the food is modern, the building dates to the 1800s, and the company made sure the exterior was preserved to blend in with the surrounding historic buildings.

Norway

Italy, famous for its Slow Food movement that promotes home cooking with organic, regional ingredients, opened its first McDonald’s in Rome in 1986 near the legendary Spanish Steps. It was the opening of that restaurant, in fact, that launched the whole movement — but it didn’t stop hungry tourists and locals from visiting McDonald’s restaurants as they grew across the country. Some, like this one in Sicily, sport the chain’s familiar red and yellow colors, but others are decidedly sleeker — appropriate, say, for fashionable Milan. Also appropriate? The Parmigiano Reggiano burger made with ciabatta bread and a slide of the famous Italian cheese.

The arrival of McDonald's at Berlin's famous Checkpoint Charlie in 2010 caused some to nickname it Snackpoint Charlie. (There's also a Starbucks, pizzeria, sushi bar and more in the area.) Regardless, it seems the perfect bookend to a story of a divided city, where American and Russian tanks once squared off, and where a large stone wall was a dark daily reminder of the Cold War.

by Heidi Schuessler

Checkpoint Charlie

Istanbul

Istanbul

I experienced one of the most wonderful visits to one of the most historically significant cities in the world. I chocked as much into a day and a half as is possible and found every minute invigorating. For 2 days, we visited Istanbul, the only city in the world, which straddles both Asia and Europe (split in two by the Bosporus Straights).

A special aspect of the visit was having spectacular views (from our ship) overlooking the Bosporus Straight (and Golden Horn) of key sites including Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, and The Blue Mosque with its 6 minarets. I had breakfast and dinner overlooking this spectacular water view.

Because Istanbul IS a port city, we had easy access from the ship. Within minutes (or a short tram ride) a cruise passenger can enjoy major sites. On our second day, I took the tram from Trophane to Eminonu, to begin my tour. I loved the frenetic energy of the city and felt comfortable touring around on my own, day 2.

Touring around, I felt the glory/power of this once mighty city that served as capital of two of the world’s most powerful empires Byzantine (for 900+ years) and Ottoman Empire (for 600+ years). The Ottoman Empire was an economic, military, and religious powerhouse that ruled a huge chunk of the world spanning, Europe, Asia, and Africa from the 14^th till the 20^th century.

As we docked in Istanbul in the early morning, we were greeted by a robust and lively folk band of musicians dressed in traditional Turkish decorative uniforms. I was able to zoom in and capture great close ups of them right from my private balcony.

I met my private tour group (of threee couples I met online) in our usual spot, across from the tour desk on deck 3.

We joined our tour guide, Ozlem (ozlemaydin33@gmail.com), who directed us to our bus, whose driver took us directly to the site-filled area: Sultanahmet. Sultanahmet is the Old Town, where the city’s top landmarks are concentrated---including Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, The Blue Mosque, The Basilica Cisterns, Hippodrome Square, and the nearby The Grand Bazaar.

Here are some comments/reflections about my time in Istanbul:

We only used the bus twice: at the beginning and end of our day. Traffic was very congested (a new James Bond movie was being filmed) and the Old Town is best explored on foot.

Sultanahmet Park, situated between the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, provides a great photo opp for both grand structures.

The Hagia Sophia is one of the most impressive buildings in the world and the crowning achievement of the Byzantine Empire. Constructed by Emperor Justinian during the 6^thcentury, it remained the largest basilica in the world for centuries and the remains the worlds 4^th largest ever built. It served as the Patriarchal church of Constantinople nearly a millennium until the Ottomans captured Constantinople in 1453. Although the Ottoman Turks were Muslim, they were so captivated by the cathedral’s grand scale and beauty, they chose to preserve rather than destroy it. Instead, they converted it to a mosque adding minarets, covering Christian mosaics and frescoes with Islamic artwork, and adding an imam’s pulpit and mihrab facing Mecca, among its many modifications. After the secular Republic of Turkey was established, the Hagia Sophia was converted to a museum in 1936. As a result, many (well-preserved), original Christian frescoes, which had been plastered over with whitewash, were uncovered and are now on display. The eight iconic 24-ft wide leather medallions with Arabic calligraphy continue to dominate the apse, center and arches above the imperial gate.

The Blue Mosque was the first mosque outside Mecca to have six minarets, likely a display of the Sultan’s wealth. In order to avoid upstaging the central mosque in Mecca, which had six minarets, Sultan Ahmet I financed construction of a seventh minaret there. Construction of this mosque marks the beginning of the Ottoman Empire’s decline because it exhausted the treasury that was never restored due to a succession of wars and incompetent rulers.

I saw the famous Medusa heads in the underground Basilica Cistern (the vast, dimly-lit, former underground water reservoir, built in the 6^th century).

The Waterway intersection of The Golden Horn, Bosporus Straight, and Sea of Marmara is one of the busiest in the world. There was a continuous flow of ferry, barge, commercial ship, cruise ship etc. traffic. With its spectacular views, it’s no wonder that Sultan Mehmet The Conqueror chose to this prime location on which to build his Topkapi palace.

We had a delectable and inexpensive lunch at Buhara 93 (Nakilbend Caddesi 15-near the Hippodrome). I ordered the chicken Kebab with rice and salad for 8 or 9TL. They have open wood-fired ovens where you can watch men baking the famous lavas (flat bread). (It really is mentioned in Rick Steve’s guide, as their sign says)

Ozlem (our tour guide) and Karla

I found the vendors at the Grand Bazaar (and Spice market) to be in-your-face aggressive. The whole experience can be a bit overwhelming at first, but, the loud, colorful, crowded covered malls grow on you after a while. The opening line in Turkish bazaars is always, “Where are you from”? I am always delighted when vendors cannot guess where I am from since they are generally skilled at discerning the heritage of tourists. My favorite line was, “How can I hassle you today?”. My favorite sign was “Real Fake Watches Sold Here”. There are more than 4000 stalls in a maze of streets in the grand bazaar selling carpets, ceramics, jewelry (gold, silver, precious/semi-precious stone, byzantine replicas), textiles, copperware, mosaics, spices, Turkish handicrafts, clothing, water pipes, Turkish delights, Evil eye merchandise, and of course, souvenirs, and more.

On my next visit, I will go to the bustling Taksim Square and Istikal Cadessi (Street) via the tram and funicular.

Santorini, Greece

Santorini

Today, I visited the Geek Island of Santorini where I saw some of the most exquisite natural beauty I have ever seen.  A popular reason for coming to Santorini is for its legendary views of sunsets, some of the most spectacular in the world

Santorini, named for St Irene, contains 13 communities perched atop cliffs formed by volcanos.  All feature white-washed buildings, blue domed churches, stepped streets, and sun-drenched terraces. The lush landscape is filled with vineyards, fig trees, caves, and churches

Ships tender passengers to the port of Skala Fira, a sheer 1000 feet below the capital of Fira.  To reach the top, one has 3 choices: climb (up or down later) the 588 zigzagging steps, ride one of the hundreds of mules up,  or take the cable car, (built only in 1982).  I was on the bus to Fira and opted to take the clean and modern cable car down to the ship.

Our tour began as we were tendered to the port of Athinios where we boarded buses to begin our tour.  Our first stop was a Cliffside vineyard that gives winemaking and wine tasting tours.  Most important were the spectacular views of the caldera and turquoise Mediterranean sea.  Our ship, The Equinox, featured prominently in views of the azure sea.

Oia

Next to drove to the village of Oia made world famous by the iconic photos of the blue-domed white washed church.  It is known for its breathtaking sunsets and stunning views and sun-kissed white-washed buildings. 

Fira

Fira is the capital,  whose white cobblestone streets bustle with shops, tavernas, hotels and cafes, while clinging to the rim of the caldera nine hundred feet above the its port.

As I explored Fira, I had one of the most delectable gyros ever!

Here are some facts about Santorini I learned from our tour guide:

It has more than 400 churches, many privately owned by families who only open them for special occasions.

Santorini is small with a population of only 15,000 residents who host one million tourists per year.

Santorini’s unemployment is close to zero.

The cable car linking the port to the Capital, Fira was constructed in 1982.  Prior to that year, there were 2 methods of climbing up : walking the 588steps or riding a donkey up

Known for its prolific wine industry producing dozens of varieties, Santorini is known to produce more wine than water. 

There is beautiful countryside where tradition still survives. Cave houses (both abandoned and occupied), gardens, vineyards, small family business, and tiny churches are there to be discovered.

Perhaps on my next visit, I will be brave enough to climb the 588 zigzagging steps to the top or to ride one of the fearless donkeys.

AZORES-PontaDelGada-Day 7 on a transatlantic cruise to Europe

Today, I took a private group tour of Ponta Delgada in the Azores, a Portuguese archipelago of 9 lush volcanic islands.  It is situated in the Atlantic Ocean and considered the Westernmost point of Europe.

We toured Azores’ lush mountainsides, hot springs, waterfalls, parks, blue& green lakes, and countryside populated by smiling cows..  Highlights were visits to Sete Cidades with its famous blue and green lake and Caldeira Velha, a warm waterfall tempting its visitors to take a bath, surrounded by fern trees and a hot spring with boiling water.

Photos will be posted later.