I agree with privatehudson - why would they have been to Stonehenge? Not everyone thinks it's very impressive. I wasn't very impressed with it and I was certainly very unimpressed by the utterly feeble presentation (two motorways and an underpass, as I recall). Perhaps they've improved it since then. At any rate, there are literally hundreds of stone circles and similar monuments in Britain, many of which are arguably more impressive than Stonehenge, and most of which are hardly ever visited
Wonders of the World
- Thread starter Taras Bulba
- Start date
Here's a quick listing of mine. Note I only count wonders that are still standing, and is visible as a structure (porn, electricity, this forum, etc doesn't count, nor does things like "the Incan Road System" or "the Mongol Postal Service".)
In no particular order:
7 Ancient Wonders (before AD 500)
1. Stonehenge
2. Great Pyramid, Giza
3. Parthenon, Athens
4. Abu Simbel
5. Persepolis
6. Terra Cotta Army, Xi'an
7. Petra
7 Medieval Wonders (AD500 - AD1500)
1. Great Wall of China
2. Alhambra, Granada
3. Borobudur
4. Angkor Wat
5. Temple of the Sun, Teotihuacan
6. Great Jaguar Pyramid, Tikal
7. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
7 Early Modern Wonders (AD1500 - AD1900)
1. Potala Palace
2. Hampi
3. Taj Mahal, Agra
4. St. Basil's, Moscow
5. Taktsang
6. Neuschwanstein
7. Eiffel Tower
7 Modern Wonders (AD1900 - )
1. Panama Canal
2. Sydney Opera House
3. Empire States Building, New York City
4. Palm Island, Dubai
5. Itaipu Dam
6. Sagrada Família, Barcelona
7. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
In no particular order:
7 Ancient Wonders (before AD 500)
1. Stonehenge
2. Great Pyramid, Giza
3. Parthenon, Athens
4. Abu Simbel
5. Persepolis
6. Terra Cotta Army, Xi'an
7. Petra
7 Medieval Wonders (AD500 - AD1500)
1. Great Wall of China
2. Alhambra, Granada
3. Borobudur
4. Angkor Wat
5. Temple of the Sun, Teotihuacan
6. Great Jaguar Pyramid, Tikal
7. Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
7 Early Modern Wonders (AD1500 - AD1900)
1. Potala Palace
2. Hampi
3. Taj Mahal, Agra
4. St. Basil's, Moscow
5. Taktsang
6. Neuschwanstein
7. Eiffel Tower
7 Modern Wonders (AD1900 - )
1. Panama Canal
2. Sydney Opera House
3. Empire States Building, New York City
4. Palm Island, Dubai
5. Itaipu Dam
6. Sagrada Família, Barcelona
7. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Hasdrubal Barca
Emperor
- Joined
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All crapy compared to these:
RavenKing
Warlord
Original quote by Plotinus
My comment was an observation and not a criticism of anyone. I agree Stonehenge isn't as wondrous as it could be if we could visit it without the crowds and the traffic and the motorways and the guards, but the reality of modern mass tourism is that the best places get completely overwhelmed with humanity. On the same trip we found a much smaller stone circle in Ireland, near my mother's home village, up on a hillside overlooking a valley, on a sunny day. It was just us and the sheep and the ancient stones. Utter magic. But it doesn't stop me from appreciating the enormous accomplishment of Stonehenge, nor from wanting to let my kids have a chance to see it. The first time I saw it, in the early 80s, there were fewer throngs of people and it was a better experience.
My point was that these Britons had travelled thousands of miles to visit a landscape that for me is almost invisible because I live here. Enormous mountains? Forests? Bears? Sparkling cascades? Ho hum. On the other hand, there are many tourists who have seen much more of my own province than I have. We don't always tend to appreciate what we have nearby. I have relatives who live at the edge of Philadelphia who were astonished when we visited them and indicated we wanted to go downtown and see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. "We haven't been downtown in years" they said as they drove us into town. It was like a trip to a foreign country for them. But they didn't stay to visit the sights with us. Yet for me, being up close and personal with the Liberty Bell, even with the crowds of schoolchildren, and even though I'm not American, was a great moment of connection with the river of human history. Like going up to the top of the Statue of Liberty. Crowded, sweaty, hot, ponderously long lines for a 6 second glimpse of the Manhatten skyline from her crown. A horrible experience by any sensible objective measure, but what a great day.
My comment was an observation and not a criticism of anyone. I agree Stonehenge isn't as wondrous as it could be if we could visit it without the crowds and the traffic and the motorways and the guards, but the reality of modern mass tourism is that the best places get completely overwhelmed with humanity. On the same trip we found a much smaller stone circle in Ireland, near my mother's home village, up on a hillside overlooking a valley, on a sunny day. It was just us and the sheep and the ancient stones. Utter magic. But it doesn't stop me from appreciating the enormous accomplishment of Stonehenge, nor from wanting to let my kids have a chance to see it. The first time I saw it, in the early 80s, there were fewer throngs of people and it was a better experience.
My point was that these Britons had travelled thousands of miles to visit a landscape that for me is almost invisible because I live here. Enormous mountains? Forests? Bears? Sparkling cascades? Ho hum. On the other hand, there are many tourists who have seen much more of my own province than I have. We don't always tend to appreciate what we have nearby. I have relatives who live at the edge of Philadelphia who were astonished when we visited them and indicated we wanted to go downtown and see Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. "We haven't been downtown in years" they said as they drove us into town. It was like a trip to a foreign country for them. But they didn't stay to visit the sights with us. Yet for me, being up close and personal with the Liberty Bell, even with the crowds of schoolchildren, and even though I'm not American, was a great moment of connection with the river of human history. Like going up to the top of the Statue of Liberty. Crowded, sweaty, hot, ponderously long lines for a 6 second glimpse of the Manhatten skyline from her crown. A horrible experience by any sensible objective measure, but what a great day.
It's true that people tend to be interested in what they don't have. I certainly wish I lived near mountains and forests, and conversely, I have met people in other countries who think London is a wonderful place, which absolutely baffles me. My criticism of Stonehenge hasn't got anything to do with crowds though - in fact I seem to recall that there was hardly anyone else there when I was there - it's more the fact that that there is a motorway and an A-road both right next to it, and no visitor information places or anything, simply a dingy underpass from the car park and then a rope around it. It seemed that no-one was very bothered about the monument at all. This was many years ago though, so perhaps it's different now.
This does remind me of the time when two Americans buttonholed me in Oxford and asked the way to Salisbury. I thought this was perhaps a college I hadn't heard of when they added, "To see Stonehenge!"
This does remind me of the time when two Americans buttonholed me in Oxford and asked the way to Salisbury. I thought this was perhaps a college I hadn't heard of when they added, "To see Stonehenge!"
RavenKing
Warlord
Aah London. It is a wonderful place... The spire of St. Martin in the Fields...the British Museum...St. Paul's...fabulous Indian food...the Tower...the National Gallery...the Inns of Court...
privatehudson
The Ultimate Badass
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2003
- Messages
- 4,821
I actually don't really have an opinion on Stonehenge either way. I think I've been there when I was a kid but I have no recollection of it. People don't necessarily not go to local places because they think they are boring (although there will always be some element of that). They tend to not go because they're too busy, or see the places so often that they're not really amazing or special to them. In some cases local people may well not be aware of just what there is in their area because the attraction just isn't that obvious. Some of the best churches in Liverpool are extremely plain on the outside but absolute gems on the inside.
On related issue the way listed building's are preserved in this country means that the ground level is usually quite bland and modern, but the upper floors usually retain their original splendour. As people don't tend to walk through town or city centres looking straight up at the buildings around them they frequently never notice the fantastic architecture that has survived.
On related issue the way listed building's are preserved in this country means that the ground level is usually quite bland and modern, but the upper floors usually retain their original splendour. As people don't tend to walk through town or city centres looking straight up at the buildings around them they frequently never notice the fantastic architecture that has survived.
Felix Luce
Warlord
Has anyone said Angkor Wat yet?
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