Most under/over whelming touristy thing you have seen ?

[Hill Wimp]

The Taj Mahal was truly spectacular. I was a bit hesitant at seeing it as I was worried it wouldn't be a beautiful as I thought but it exceeded all expectations.

The Camel Fair at Pushkar in Rajasthan was a spectacular sight too. The colours of the tents, clothes, flags and just everything was stunning along with about 1000 camels made it truly memorable.

Whale watching off Frazer Island Australia. The most jaw dropping experience of my life.

 

[John the Monkey]

Lu and I were in Paris for a gig during a cold January. We went to the Louvre because there were no tourists and you could actually see stuff. The Venus de Milo was really quite impressive, as it is shown in context with contemporary statues and the artistry stands out. The Mona Lisa however, is small, dark and very uninspiring, I really don't get the fuss. Particularly confusing is that whilst moody Liz gets a room of her own, in the next gallery is The Raft of the Medusa which is jaw dropping, no photo of it can do justice to the drama and the quality of the work.

On a similar note, the Haywain appears on countless table mats and is perhaps the most boringly recognisable British painting. However, the real thing is very, very impressive. Like the Medusa, so much is lost in reproduction.

This talk on the Haywain, and how radical it is is interesting;

View: https://youtu.be/aJVLyuk2cxI

 

[TVC]

This talk on the Haywain, and how radical it is is interesting;

View: https://youtu.be/aJVLyuk2cxI

Very good, thankyou.

 

[Mr Celine]

Mother Shipton's 'cave' at Knaresborough.

Who knew there was such a thing as an open air cave.

 

[MarkF]

Malham - Janets Foss - Gordale Scar - walk.

"This spectacular walk is the southern Yorkshire Dales classic and probably the most popular of all walks in the National Park. And that includes the Three Peaks"

I did this last Saturday, it was a typical Dales day, a slate grey sky with b.l.e.a.k surroundings, one tree per mile, weirdos galore putting their Jack Wolkskin gear into action, creaking their aged limbs over stiles at 1 metre per minute (there were queues) and the whole thing just pissing me off. I counted down the minutes to Skipton pub time.

 

[John the Monkey]

Not sure that it would count as "touristy", but seeing Stubbs' Whistlejacket, and all the Turners at the National Gallery and Tate fundamentally changed my opinion of them. Seeing them on a screen does nothing to prepare you for the power they have as physical things. The Tate's collection of Canalettos are also quite something to see with your own eyes.

Although I'd also, unfashionably, always liked John Singer-Sargent, seeing his work (and that strange alchemy of quite rough, visible brushstrokes transforming into exquisitely observed portraits and landscapes) powerfully reinforced my affection for it.

Underwhelming - I think visiting Blackpool illuminations as an adult - a trip I'd always loved as a kid.

 

[Beebo]

Not sure that it would count as "touristy", but seeing Stubbs' Whistlejacket, and all the Turners at the National Gallery and Tate fundamentally changed my opinion of them. Seeing them on a screen does nothing to prepare you for the power they have as physical things. The Tate's collection of Canalettos are also quite something to see with your own eyes.

Although I'd also, unfashionably, always liked John Singer-Sargent, seeing his work (and that strange alchemy of quite rough, visible brushstrokes transforming into exquisitely observed portraits and landscapes) powerfully reinforced my affection for it.

Underwhelming - I think visiting Blackpool illuminations as an adult - a trip I'd always loved as a kid.

Whistle Jacket made my jaw drop when I walking into the room.
The scale and majesty of the horse has to be seen to be appreciated.

 

[TVC]

Not sure that it would count as "touristy", but seeing Stubbs' Whistlejacket, and all the Turners at the National Gallery and Tate fundamentally changed my opinion of them. Seeing them on a screen does nothing to prepare you for the power they have as physical things. The Tate's collection of Canalettos are also quite something to see with your own eyes.

Although I'd also, unfashionably, always liked John Singer-Sargent, seeing his work (and that strange alchemy of quite rough, visible brushstrokes transforming into exquisitely observed portraits and landscapes) powerfully reinforced my affection for it.

Underwhelming - I think visiting Blackpool illuminations as an adult - a trip I'd always loved as a kid.

Turner left me shrugging, but the Canalettos at the National Gallery had me slack jawed, I spent longer in front of them than anything else.

Blackpool illuminations, even as a kid I wasn't impressed.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Back in 2010 I drove over the Hoover Dam. I wasn't that impressed, as it didn't seem that big.

 

[Bollo]

Outstanding. The Alhambra in Granada. Get past the slightly bureaucratic ticketing system and the fake parking and it's spectacular, only spoiled by the Carlos V bit.

Disappointing. I always feel a bit shortchanged by the Tate Modern. I've enjoyed the Saatchi gallery on the Kings Road more, despite the unpleasant ownership.

 

[Fnaar]

[QUOTE 5055530, member: 9609"]not really a tourist attraction, but the London Underground - just bewildering, How fast do they go, I think I went about 6 mile as the crow flies and it just seemed like a few minutes, I reckon space travel in worm holes must be similar. get battered about in this little cyclinder stotting about in a dark tunnel, then all of a sudden you pop out somewhere else completely disorientated - just one brilliant experiance.[/QUOTE]
It's great that you came away with a positive impression of London!. I love the place, and lived and worked there for many years, all my kids were born there, one lives there now, and I love getting the occasional 'London-fix'. Always happy to return to the tranquility of Northumberland though

Talking of which: Holy Island/Lindisfarne: when not packed with tourists, it's just beautiful. Stay overnight if you can, take a walk out towards the casle and listen to the eerie sound of the seals.

 

[snorri]

I wasn't at all keen on the Anne Frank House, Amsterdam. It didn't rest easily with tourism on a massive scale.

I've passed it many times but have never been able to drag myself in for a look.

 

[MontyVeda]

A visit to the MOMA in New York:

Underwhelming:

Overwhelming:

 

[Andy_R]

........Talking of which: Holy Island/Lindisfarne: when not packed with tourists, it's just beautiful. Stay overnight if you can, take a walk out towards the casle and listen to the eerie sound of the seals.

Take a walk over from Beal along the pilgrim's route and it's even better.

 

[nickyboy]

This talk on the Haywain, and how radical it is is interesting;

View: https://youtu.be/aJVLyuk2cxI

Didn't you post that once before @John the Monkey ?

I remember watching this and found it fascinating, despite me not really being into this sort of painting