david west

This was inspired by the fact that Concorde flies over my office at 5pm every day. I am always very happy about this for three reasons. Firstly it is a beautiful aeroplane and I always get a little thrill every time I see it. Secondly it is a reminder that there are only three cities in the whole wide world where this would be a routine sight and I live in one of them and thirdly, it means it's time to go home.<BR><BR>Now…You cannot miss Concorde's overflights. It is a beautiful plane but it is a 1960''s plane and it is very noisy indeed. However when it flies over no one looks up, apart from little boys. It is a completely routine happening, and attracts no more attention than the Number 2 bus.<BR><BR>In all but two other places in the world this would be a major event that would make the evening news, yet in Sunny South West London it doesn't even raise an eyebrow.<BR><BR>So the question is; what is pretty spiffy where you live, or have visited, that simply doesn't merit comment from the natives?<BR><BR>On a similar line the Queen's Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace only attract local attention because of their impact on the traffic.<BR>

Eye Spy

The fact so many Parisians travel past the Louvre each day but never venture in or don't realize the significance of the structure from an architectural, historical or fine art perspective. Rather amazing.

elaine

Locally:<BR>I live in NYC, where the U.N. meets, where the President often stops by, where movies are very often filmed on the streets, where the United States Navy exhibits its ships in the harbor, etc.<BR><BR>As in London, the big events here are often judged by the traffic havoc caused rather than by pride of place.<BR><BR>And, as you would suspect, ask the NYC natives how often, if ever, ( or at least since the fourth grade) they have visited one or more of the following pretty spiffy places and you will find that it's relatively few:<BR>U.N. Headquarters<BR>Statue of Liberty<BR>Ellis Island<BR>the Bronx Zoo<BR>New York Botanical Gardens<BR>Brooklyn Botanical Gardens<BR>The Brooklyn Museum<BR>Staten Island<BR>The Cloisters<BR>Harlem<BR>QE II (when it's &quot;parked&quot; at one of the piers)<BR><BR>

Giovanna

David: The first thing that came to mind is the Golden Gate Bridge. There are several other things in my area that I think would apply, but the bridge is a well-known landmark, and would be a place visitors would ooh and aah, but those of us who live here take for granted.

Patrick

David, you are a truly remarkable person to be &quot;happy&quot; about an airplane flying over you every day. But I see your point.<BR><BR>I live in Naples, Florida and people save up all year to come and spend a week on the beach here. The vast majority of my friends haven't even seen the beach in the last year or so --even though many of them live within a couple blocks of it. I must admit I used to be the same -- living just two blocks away and going long periods without taking the time to get out and enjoy it. But at least since retirement I'm pretty good about doing a beach walk almost every day I'm here.<BR><BR>Along those same lines there's a place here -- a sort of zoo and gardens called Jungle Larry's Carribean Gardens. It attracts huge numbers of tourists. I've lived here 25 years and keep thinking that one of these days I'll have to go see what it's all about.

Lynn

David<BR><BR>I am an Australian currently living in Switzerland. I have been here for over a year but I still stare in fascination at the size of the rivers and the speed of the flow and how close buildings are to the banks. In Australia if a river was flowing as fast as european rivers normally flow it would be in flood and the buildings on the banks would have bits washing away! Mostly our rivers are slow flowing and not particularly large so European rivers to me are still a thrill.

Faina

I live in San Francisco, and very often I see the tourists taking pictures. I stop to see what is it they photograph. I wouldn't stop for that myself

martine

A simple dollarnote. Before leaving to the States we got dollars at the bank. Our youngest son (13) took one to school to show it to his friends. It was &quot;oooh, aaah, show me, can I touch it?...&quot; My son was very proud. <BR><BR>At the Sates we were amazed by lots of other (normal) things: trafficlights at the opposit of the crossing, the very large choise of soft drinks and big coloured pies in the supermarket and last but not least, the fireworks that we could buy the supermarket or in little tents along the road (forbidden in Belgium)<BR><BR>And really super: International Drive (Orlando), the 90 miles to Cuba bloc and Sloppy Joe's in Key West

anon

Cradle to grave care from the Government. I think this concept is stupid and amazing.

xxx

David,<BR>A plane flies overhead every day. Amazing. Stop the presses. A major event.

Marilyn

I live in the west and we see antelope, buffalo, elk, etc. on a routine basis. We have to make camera stops for those visiting us, but we're around it so much we ignore it. M.

NYGirl

David, I think that if the Concorde flew ovehead each day where I live, that I would enjoy the sight also. I was lying by a friends pool one summer on Long Island, NY. when it flew over and I must say, it is a pretty sight!<BR>I have lived in NYC for 33 years now and should be ashamed to admit that while there are so many wonderful attractions in this city, I have not been inside the Empire State Building. I am glad that I did get to go up in the World Trade Center to have dinner a few times at Windows on the World.<BR> It is good that you enjoy these things, it is often when they are taken away, that we realize what we a wonderful thing we had.

Ira

I have always been amazed at how little children in Europe are able to speak foreign languages.

Alana

Elaine,<BR><BR>I absolutely agree about natives missing out on the Cloisters in NYC. I will go up there just to sit in one of the courtyards and look out over the Hudson. It is truly spectacular year round. It is my ace in the hole when I have return visitors who spent their first visit on Museum Mile.

Joe

Here's a reverse spin, something that we in Washington D.C. take for granted and that visitors seem to find surprising if not amazing - squirrels in the parks. A friend and I were talking about this last weekend, and she recalled talking to a Russian visitor about the squirrels. Similarly, we had an English couple stay with us recently, and they were fascinated by the squirrels on the Mall. Hmm,where do European squirrels hang out?

Marilyn

Both positive and negative...<BR><BR>Exotic fruits in SE Asia: rambutan, mangosteen, durian.<BR><BR>The produce at the supermarket in Tuscany: oh those tomatoes!<BR><BR>Inability to get an alcoholic drink after 11pm in London.<BR><BR>PS I live in the SF area and NEVER take the GG Bridge for granted. Every time I cross it I think how beautiful it is, especially lit up at night.

mjs

Joe, the fascination may be due to the fact that European squirrels (red squirrels) aren't the same as N. American squirrels (grey squirrels). I've had the same reaction from visitors, and finally figured out that must be it.

Andrea

David, I think it's wonderful that you have a special thing that makes you thankful every time you see it. <BR><BR>I don't have a specific item, but I experience the same type of thing you do. I'm an American living in Shanghai, and at least twice a week I see something in the city that makes me pause and take a moment of wonder and thanks that I live here.<BR><BR>When I lived in Europe, my friends often teased me about HOW MUCH I loved certain sights the first time I saw them(castles, the Arc de Triomphe). Not that they took them for granted, but I was really in AWE. Typical tourist, eyes wide in amazement, head cocked back, stupid grin on my face, staring in amazement. They teased me, but I tried to explain to them that I'm from the midwest where we just don't HAVE things like that!

kah

That they have the option to go by TRAIN!!! Oh how I wish we had more train options here in the US.

save the red form the

I do not understand the fascination for grey (North American) squirrels from Europeans, since we have more than enough over here. In fact the grey squirrel is squeezing out the native red squirels and the Isle of Wight has the only colony of red squirrels left in the UK. There was a scare on the island recently because grey squirels had been spotted and if that happens it curtains for the red squirrel - they will become extinct.<BR><BR>Re what leaves natives unmoved<BR><BR>I have lived in Wincheter for 32 years but have only managed to see Jane Austen's grave recently. There is also King Arthur's Roundtable ( only one of many of Winchester's attractions) which I have not managed to see because it always seems to be crowded out by tourists!!!!!!!!!!!!!!