In talking about Expo 2015 in his article "Where to Head Next" [Dec. 28], Christopher Reynolds asserts that "world's fairs aren't the world-shaking spectacles they used to be." I respectfully disagree.

Universal expositions, which are held every five years, are as relevant and popular as ever. In fact, the last fair, in Shanghai in 2010, attracted 73 million people. Compare that with the number of people who attended the London 2012 Olympics just over 9 million.

Because our country let its membership lapse in the Bureau of International Expositions the equivalent of the Olympic Committee and the fact that a fair hasn't happened in our country since 1984, Americans have largely forgotten about world's fairs.

That 147 nations are participating in Milan, Italy, proves that, indeed, bringing people together to showcase a country's people, industry and most of all, their ideals, remains relevant.

Todd Duncan

Aliso Viejo

London letdown

Good article on London at the holidays and accurate, but you owe it to your readers to warn them that London is stone dead around Christmas ["London Glows at Christmas" by Darren Loucaides, Dec. 21]. Many restaurants are closed, except at some of the larger hotels.

The streets are empty, and there are very few taxis to be found. No concerts.

We visited during Christmas years ago and stayed at a hotel near the American Embassy in Mayfair. Its only restaurant open had all the charm of your local Denny's, and the menu was pretty sparse.

Originally posted here:

Travel letters: World's fairs remain a universal delight