Monday, 02 November 2009

• Dreaming of McDonalds at the Spanish Steps in Rome

  The Spanish Steps in Italian means "Scalinata".  These are famous set of steps in one of the most well known areas of Rome. Despite of its name, the famous Spanish Steps were actually built by the French. The monumental stairway of 138 steps, "Scalinata di Spagna" or  "Spanish Steps" were constructed between 1723 and 1725 with French diplomat Étienne Gueffier.
  
  They can be easily found and recognized at the Piazza di Spagna square rectangle like shape. The Piazza di Spagna is one of the most popular tourist sites in Rome. The Scalinata  is without a doubt the longest and widest staircase in all Europe. She is floated by crowds everyday as you can see from the picture. 

  

  At the base of the Piazza is the Early Baroque fountain called "La Fontana della Barcaccia" ("Fountain of the Old Boat"), built in 1627-29 by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Legend has it that, Pope Urban VIII had the fountain installed after he had been impressed by a boat brought here by a flood of the Tiber river. Most people seem to think that Bernini used the Boat as a sign of safety from the common floods once roam the Square from the Tiber River.

  

  The weather in Rome can get quite hot, even in the Fall. The many cafes, shops and restaurants near the Spanish Steps are always popular and full of people absorbing this fine, elegant atmosphere. The steps are not a place for eating lunch, being forbidden by Roman regulations, but in Rome where everything is calm and peaceful, it's likely you will still see some people snacking on a sandwich or "tramezzino" (Typical Roman Sandwich) sipping up on a cold drink.
  

  Lexson and I rested at the stairs for hours. Indulging the weather, the environment, the ancient and classic buildings, the busy crowds, and the mouth-watering Gelato (Italian ice-cream) recommended as the best in the world by many experts!

  

  Events happened at Spanish Stairs:

  (1) On June 13, 2007, a 24-year-old Colombian man attempted to drive a Toyota Celica down the Spanish Steps. No one was hurt, but several of the 200-year-old steps were chipped and scuffed. The driver was arrested and a breath test showed his blood alcohol content to be twice the legal limit for driving.

  

  (2) On January 16, 2008, Graziano Cecchini, a right-wing artist, covered the steps with hundreds of thousands of multicolored plastic balls. He claimed that it was done to make the world notice the situation of the Karen people in Myanmar, and as a protest against the conditions of artists in Italy.

  

  (3) It is rooted in the Slow Food Movement, which began in Italy in 1986 when food writer Carlo Petrini organized a protest of the construction of the first McDonald's near the Spanish Steps in Rome. His protesters were armed with bowls of penne paste, to stress the importance of local food over fast food.

  

  Italians are the conscious group who have very strong attitudes towards healthy eating habits, food quality and ingredients. Italians are willing to spend 2 to 3 hours to enjoy a good dish rather than a fast foods. We can't really find McDonald's everywhere in Italy like others country.
  

  The Italian government doesn't encourage fast food. Fast foods are unhealthy and rubbish food for Italians. Besides, the government believes that fast foods will affect the life style and living habits of the locals as well. Nevertheless, they don't admire the look of people consuming a fast foods.

  This reminds me the stories that I read about the McDonald's. There were another protest for McDonald's when the first announcement of McDonald's in Bologna was made. They believed that the corporate color of McDonald's, which are red and yellow, don't match with classic image of Italy as a whole.
  

  As a result, McDonald's changed its logo color to brown and blue. And, McDonald's keeps the original classical design of the building without huge alternation. A "Classical McDonald's" in Bologna town.

  

  Besides, there is another interesting McDonald's outlet located inside the football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkey is one of the countries who fall violently crazy for football. Turkey's biggest competitor is in red and yellow! It is impossible to have a "red + yellow" McDonald's outlet inside the Istanbul's football stadium. As a result, this is how a Turkey's football image color, black and white, McDonald's emerged. I called it "Prisoner-like" McDonald's. Don't kill me!!

  These really fascinated me! I would definitely pay a visit to these "The Classical McDonald's" and "The Prisoner-like McDonald's" outlets if I would have the chance to go to Bologna and Istanbul. I don't have any experience to come across these two versions of McDonald's yet. So I try to imagine...

  

  Last but not least, I would like to apologize for my primary standard's drawing *shy*

  Have you ever or wanted to visit the Spanish Steps? Have you seen any unique McDonald's in your travels?
  

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