Billions and billions served, it’s true. Sometimes the biggest fast food chain in the world makes an attempt to blend, but when they can get away with it, that yellow M towers over the scenery, a beacon of fake cheese and pressed meats, omnipresent, infinitely adaptable, and painfully conspicuous, no matter how thoroughly entrenched in centuries old architecture the branch may be.
The Economist claims that its Big Mac Index (which compares prices of the sandwich by nation) “is arguably the world’s most accurate financial indicator to be based on a fast-food item.” McDonald’s, it seems is everywhere, and not going away.
Welcome to McDonald’s. May I take your New World Order?
McDonalds at Luxor.
1. Egypt: Luxor Temple of ancient Thebes, constructed 1400 BC, court of Amenhotep III, and a prime view of the nearby McDonald's.
McDonalds at Pantheon.
2. Rome, Italy: We can't be sure. Is McDonald's directing us to the Pantheon or to itself? Both?
McDonalds in Yangshou.
3. Yangshuo, China: Ahhh. A beautiful day in a beautiful place by the side of a beautiful river with karsts, trees, birdsong, and a McDonald's.
McDonalds in Negev.
4. Negev Desert, Israel: Rich with history, inhabited for at least 4,000 years, once the Kingdom of Solomon then Kingdom of Judah and now home to a McDonald's.
McDonald's, Plaza de Armas Cusco, Peru
5. Cusco, Peru: Historic Plaza de Armas in Cusco was once capital of the Incan Empire, site where hero Túpac Amaru II was executed, and see those arches in the upper right? They're not quite golden, but maybe the rich Incan history makes up for that.
McDonald's, Piazza della Repubblica
6. Rome, Italy: Piazza della Repubblica where Naiads frolic, or maybe they're running to grab a McRoyale.
McDonald's towering over Beijing
7. Beijing, China: McDonald's towering over Beijing pedway. Photo: kenner116
Bavarian style McDonald's in Leavenworth, WA, USA
8. Leavenworth, Washington, USA: In 1962, a project was undertaken to transform the economically bereft Leavenworth into a Bavarian village to boost tourism. Witness perhaps the only Bavarian style McDonald's in existence, but I bet they're still serving Quarter Pounders instead of the Hamburger Royal TS.
McDonald's in the morning sky in Malaysia
9. Scenic roadside view from the Klang Valley in Selangor, Malaysia. With a McDonald's.
McDonald's Das Palais Wertheim in Vienna, Austria
10. Vienna, Austria: Palais Wertheim is the home to the first ever McDonald's in Austria.
McDonald's Valparaiso, Chile
11. ValparaÃso,Chile: Valpo camouflaged, but pink in the wrong part of town.
McDonald's Tempere, Finland's Commerce Building
12.Tempere, Finland: The Commerce Building is noteworthy architecturally and mentioned on several tourist sites for Tempere. It also houses a McDonald's.
McDonald's Aswan Dam
13.Aswan, Egypt: McDonald's on the Nile.
McDonald's at the Martinstor in Freiburg, Germany
14. Freiburg, Germany: My friend, trilingual translator extraordinaire Valeria Otero says of this Micky D's, "Martinstor is one of the gates to the Altstadt (the old city), Freiburg's old city center is very well preserved and they have very strict rules regarding building's façades: supposedly, they must remain untouched. That makes the McDonald's sign stand out even more!"
McDonald's Guantanamo
15. Guantanamo, Cuba: McDonald's Guantanamo, making an ugly situation just a little uglier.
McDonald's that was once a bank; Kristiansand, Norway
16. Kristiansand, Norway: A former bank, this is the most imposing McDonald's yet.
McDonalds at Ohrid.
17. Ohrid, Macedonia: Monumental statue, ubiquitous McDonald's.
(Link)
