It has been 5 months since I left Barcelona and I'm itching to travel again. My summer lacked travel due to my recent arrival back in the U.S., my 3 classes, and the removal of my tonsils. So here I am in D.C. waiting patiently for this year to be over so I can run around this planet of ours. Current plans include Panama both during spring break and during the early stages of the summer, possibly Malta sometime during June or July, and Helsinki, Finland in August with Spirit of Place.
Luckily, I don't have to wait until Spring Break to travel. A friend and I are going to Burlington Vermont this winter to get in a little quality time with the slopes and our boards.
But to occupy my time until then I've been busting my butt in studio and going to a few concerts (Disco Biscuits and Dark Star Orchestra). I'm just looking forward to the time after this year.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
This Is For Cece
This is our analysis of La Rambla del Raval.
Group: Chris Corneal, Chris Gordon, Adrian Negron, Teresa Taylor
Group: Chris Corneal, Chris Gordon, Adrian Negron, Teresa Taylor
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Architectural Disneyland!
On Friday, April 17th, we went on an extra credit sketching walk. We walked La Rambla de Poble Nou and through some parts of Barcelona we never knew existed. We saw many new structures as well as many old ones.
The photos explain it better than I ever could.
This day was an excellent adventure.
The photos explain it better than I ever could.
This day was an excellent adventure.
HAIL!!
Last week it hailed. HAILED!!!
Here are evidential photos...
I was scared to leave the apartment.
Here are evidential photos...
I was scared to leave the apartment.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Roma para Semana Santa!
For Easter, I decided to visit Rome. Not only was there free lodging with friends studying abroad, but why not go chill with the Pope for Easter. Getting there was quite the adventure, but once we were there, all the stress was lifted. We had nothing to do but enjoy ourselves. Lauren was nice enough to let us stay in her apartment, which is located in Campo de Fiore. Although the area is quite touristy, it was nice to see the campo transform into a temporary market every morning and to see the locals enjoying meals at the outdoor cafes.
The first evening in Rome, Dave Pilkenton took Kaety and I to Piazza Navona before going to the Old Bear for dinner. We then visited Dave's apartment. It was nice to see Jon and Alex.
The next day, Kaety disappeared quite early to see the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and all of the Piazza del San Pietro. Dave and I took a nice long walk down to the Tiber, past the Colosseum and Roman Forum, and the Pantheon. We enjoyed some natural gelato and had the most delicious pizza in the area. That night Dave cooked a wonderful meal of pasta and eggplant for us.
On Saturday, I spent the morning sketching and relaxing in the campo. I did a little shopping as well. Lauren and I had lunch with Matt and Pat at Magnolia, while watching the futbol game. That night I cooked my grandmother's secret meatball recipe and pasta for Kaety, Lauren and Dave.
Sunday morning, we startd early and walked over to the Vatican with Pat and Matt at 7:30am. We had tickets for the mass and wanted to make sure we got a decent seat, which we certainly did. The mass, despite the fact that it was very chilly, was beautiful and it was so nice to have mass with the Pope again. Between groups of asians getting communion 3 times, an Italian man on his cell phone all throughout the mass, and a couple passing their 5-year-old daughter over 2 rows of chairs several times to some family members, we definitely had an interesting experience. The rest of Easter was spent warming up in the apartment, napping, and watching "Funny Face" with Audrey Hepburn. For a goodbye Easter dinner, we went back to the Old Bear and had a relaxing meal.
Kaety and I left separately the next day and it was definitely a long travel day. But visiting Rome was a great last trip for me. I really enjoyed seeing everyone studying there and talking about what we liked and didn't like about our programs. It was a nice change for the weekend.
The first evening in Rome, Dave Pilkenton took Kaety and I to Piazza Navona before going to the Old Bear for dinner. We then visited Dave's apartment. It was nice to see Jon and Alex.
The next day, Kaety disappeared quite early to see the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel, and all of the Piazza del San Pietro. Dave and I took a nice long walk down to the Tiber, past the Colosseum and Roman Forum, and the Pantheon. We enjoyed some natural gelato and had the most delicious pizza in the area. That night Dave cooked a wonderful meal of pasta and eggplant for us.
On Saturday, I spent the morning sketching and relaxing in the campo. I did a little shopping as well. Lauren and I had lunch with Matt and Pat at Magnolia, while watching the futbol game. That night I cooked my grandmother's secret meatball recipe and pasta for Kaety, Lauren and Dave.
Sunday morning, we startd early and walked over to the Vatican with Pat and Matt at 7:30am. We had tickets for the mass and wanted to make sure we got a decent seat, which we certainly did. The mass, despite the fact that it was very chilly, was beautiful and it was so nice to have mass with the Pope again. Between groups of asians getting communion 3 times, an Italian man on his cell phone all throughout the mass, and a couple passing their 5-year-old daughter over 2 rows of chairs several times to some family members, we definitely had an interesting experience. The rest of Easter was spent warming up in the apartment, napping, and watching "Funny Face" with Audrey Hepburn. For a goodbye Easter dinner, we went back to the Old Bear and had a relaxing meal.
Kaety and I left separately the next day and it was definitely a long travel day. But visiting Rome was a great last trip for me. I really enjoyed seeing everyone studying there and talking about what we liked and didn't like about our programs. It was a nice change for the weekend.
Hey! I'm in Fes!
Africa. Not what I expected. Then again, we were in the northern-most country of Africa, therefore, the weather and landscape was much like southern Spain. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed Fes, but it was nothing like I expected. Morocco is an Islamic country. French and Arabic are the major languages, but many people speak English. Fes is very dry and sandy, but unfortunately it rained most of the time that we were there.
We arrived to the tiny Fes airport and waited in the longest customs line I'd ever been in. We then took vans to the riad - Dar al Andalous. This is where we'd be staying for the week. The riad was the equivalent of a mansion. Huge, highly decorated, and gorgeous. Our room was enormous and had a jacuzzi tub and everything. We were living in luxury. That first night, we had a 5-course dinner and apparently ate pigeon - who knew! Needless to say, we went to sleep delighted.
The next morning, we ventured out with our guide - Momo. We saw the Bab Bou Jeloud Gate, a medersa, the Kiad Alkantara, a mosoleum, and we also visited a traditional textile weavers factory and a traditional Berber pharmacy. At the pharmacy, we were given a demonstration and sample of 10 different products. All of the pharmaceuticals are natural herbs and oils.
The second day, we went to another Riad - the Riad Mokri, which actually was a 20th century Ksar Palace. We visited the Medersa Sherratine and the Nejjarine Fondouq, the tannery.
The third day, we went to a nearby town called Meknes. Although it was pouring all day, we saw the imperial gate, the reservoir and royal horse stables, and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ishmael. We then visited the El-Hidm Square Market and the Bab Mansour (the main gate of the city).
The fourth day, we saw a ceramics factory. All of the processes of making ceramics were explained. It was very interesting too see.
I think my pictures speak louder than my words. Enjoy.
We arrived to the tiny Fes airport and waited in the longest customs line I'd ever been in. We then took vans to the riad - Dar al Andalous. This is where we'd be staying for the week. The riad was the equivalent of a mansion. Huge, highly decorated, and gorgeous. Our room was enormous and had a jacuzzi tub and everything. We were living in luxury. That first night, we had a 5-course dinner and apparently ate pigeon - who knew! Needless to say, we went to sleep delighted.
The next morning, we ventured out with our guide - Momo. We saw the Bab Bou Jeloud Gate, a medersa, the Kiad Alkantara, a mosoleum, and we also visited a traditional textile weavers factory and a traditional Berber pharmacy. At the pharmacy, we were given a demonstration and sample of 10 different products. All of the pharmaceuticals are natural herbs and oils.
The second day, we went to another Riad - the Riad Mokri, which actually was a 20th century Ksar Palace. We visited the Medersa Sherratine and the Nejjarine Fondouq, the tannery.
The third day, we went to a nearby town called Meknes. Although it was pouring all day, we saw the imperial gate, the reservoir and royal horse stables, and the Mausoleum of Moulay Ishmael. We then visited the El-Hidm Square Market and the Bab Mansour (the main gate of the city).
The fourth day, we saw a ceramics factory. All of the processes of making ceramics were explained. It was very interesting too see.
I think my pictures speak louder than my words. Enjoy.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Bilbao and 3 Wineries of Rioja
Day 1
Early departure and arrival in Bilbao. For the first few hours in Bilbao, we took a walking tour along the river. We saw a sculpture by Eduardo Chillida, a basque sculptor and the bridge by Santiago Calatrava. The structure underneath the bridge looks like a spine.
We then took the long way around to get the most picturesque view of the Guggenheim. From a block away, the Guggenheim seems mediocre at best, like a small, metal sculpture in the distance. But as you approach the museum, it seems to grow. Even when you are directly in front of it, it continues to grow and tower above you. The interior and exterior mimic the movement of fish and dances around you.
The exhibits inside were exceptional and very modern. One of the permanent installations by Richard Serra, "The Matter of Time" (2005), was a constant exploration and that is where i spent most of my time. The rest of the day was spent exploring and enjoying each others' company.
Day 2
We begin our wine-tasting journey with a bus ride through the countryside. The first winery was the oldest of the three and uses all traditional methods and machinery for wine-making. The tasting pavilion was designed by Zaha Hadid and was very interesting in form.
The second winery was very fancy and included a high class hotel designed by Frank Gehry. The hotel looks like pouring wine with white and purple titanium representative of that.
The third and final winery was a pristine structure by Santiago Calatrava. The building felt like a museum rather than a winery. But the structure is very impressive.
Overall, the trip was a success. We saw some great works of architecture and spent some quality time with each other.
Trip Playlist:
March 12th - The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid, The Decemberists
March 13th - Salty Eyes, The Matches
March 14th - In the Backseat, The Arcade Fire
Early departure and arrival in Bilbao. For the first few hours in Bilbao, we took a walking tour along the river. We saw a sculpture by Eduardo Chillida, a basque sculptor and the bridge by Santiago Calatrava. The structure underneath the bridge looks like a spine.
We then took the long way around to get the most picturesque view of the Guggenheim. From a block away, the Guggenheim seems mediocre at best, like a small, metal sculpture in the distance. But as you approach the museum, it seems to grow. Even when you are directly in front of it, it continues to grow and tower above you. The interior and exterior mimic the movement of fish and dances around you.
The exhibits inside were exceptional and very modern. One of the permanent installations by Richard Serra, "The Matter of Time" (2005), was a constant exploration and that is where i spent most of my time. The rest of the day was spent exploring and enjoying each others' company.
Day 2
We begin our wine-tasting journey with a bus ride through the countryside. The first winery was the oldest of the three and uses all traditional methods and machinery for wine-making. The tasting pavilion was designed by Zaha Hadid and was very interesting in form.
The second winery was very fancy and included a high class hotel designed by Frank Gehry. The hotel looks like pouring wine with white and purple titanium representative of that.
The third and final winery was a pristine structure by Santiago Calatrava. The building felt like a museum rather than a winery. But the structure is very impressive.
Overall, the trip was a success. We saw some great works of architecture and spent some quality time with each other.
Trip Playlist:
March 12th - The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid, The Decemberists
March 13th - Salty Eyes, The Matches
March 14th - In the Backseat, The Arcade Fire
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