tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8653906827333637652023-11-16T07:32:23.755-08:00Tabula Rasa<i>Blank Slate</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-14358158931474892902011-05-23T21:16:00.000-07:002011-05-23T21:16:26.598-07:00The End Where I BeginI’ve been putting off blogging about Munich because it was the last city of study abroad, which means that the end was near.<br />
Sadly we only had one day/two nights in Munich. From what we saw and experienced, it was only the tip of the iceberg of what the city had to offer. Like all other cities I visited, I wish I had more time to explore and observe the culture.<br />
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By the time we arrived in Munich, it was already 7pm, so we were all starving. We tried our best to settle in as quickly as possible, but that ended up taking longer than I wanted it to. First, all of the Berliners had to get our large suitcases that had arrived from Berlin. As I mentioned before, we had packed our suitcases and left them in Berlin before we flew out to Italy. Unfortunately for all 50ish of us, there was only one small elevator and too many suitcases. Fortunately, we also had some muscular boys with us, so my 70+ pounds suitcase was carried by one of them.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3315.JPG" width="200" /></a>Everybody decided to go to a beer garden for the night, so we spent the next hour trying to round people up, figure out which beer garden to go to, wait around for people to get ready, wait around some more for people to get dinner... needless to say, I was getting cranky and impatient. We arrived around 9:30pm at Munich's largest, most famous, most touristy beer garden and hall: Hofbräuhaus. So imagine this: group of 44 students, split into smaller groups, and split again, but still all trying to sit together. It was chaotic, and I was getting more and more aggravated by the minute. Finally I just picked a table and sat down and let everybody else argue and discuss how to get themselves situated.<br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3352.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3320.JPG" width="200" /></a>Eventually everybody stopped bitching, and so we finally ordered liters of bier and brezen (pretzels) and varieties of wurst (sausage). Once I had some substance in my stomach, I was in a much better mood. We spent the rest of the night socializing and eating and enjoying the perfect weather. One of the other tables ended up playing a drinking game called Thumper, and because they were so loud, they attracted the attention of a couple of young German guys. They ended up joining in the game and played for the rest of the night.<br />
I was feeling antisocial, so I left earlier than most people and hung out in the hotel room until I passed out for the night. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3400.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3456.JPG" width="200" /></a>Saturday was an eventful day. We started off bright and early with breakfast at the hotel and then headed out on the U-Bahn to Olympiapark, designed by none other than Gunter Behnisch. The whole park is incredible. Frei Otto, the engineer of the project, was the master of tensile structures. When you see the complex, it's almost impossible to wrap your head around this massive project. It's so impressive. We were lucky enough to get a private tour of the park by two guides. We split into groups and toured around the different event halls and were given a history of the park itself. The area where the park now sits had gone through so many changes in the past century. The most amazing fact to me is that the hills in the park are covering all the debris of WWII. When we finished the tour, we sat/laid out on the grass and sunbathed by the man-made lake for a bit.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/olympicstadium_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/olympicstadium_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3486.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3493.JPG" width="200" /></a>Our next stop was the Olympic tower. We got tickets to go up to the observation deck and see Munich from the top. The view was incredible. Unlike Berlin's TV Tower, we were able to go outdoors instead of taking pictures of awful reflections behind glass. Olympiapark is even more overwhelming when you can see it in its entirety. It couldn't have been a more perfect day. The sun was shining, the skies were blue, and I was with some of my best friends. I was so thankful that I had my friend Taylor with me. During the morning, I was in an off-mood because I kept thinking about Christmastime when Behnisch's Boston office got to fly out to Munich while the LA office stayed in LA... and it didn't help that Tyler kept talking about it (he interned this past fall in the Boston office), so you could say I was a bit jealous and annoyed. But after talking with Taylor, I was thankfully back to normal.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3525.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3541.JPG" width="133" /></a>From the tower, we walked over to the BMW Welt (world) which was designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au. The architecture was pretty amazing, but I was more fascinated by the function of this building itself. It acts as a showroom, an exhibit space, a cafe (where we had our lunch break actually) and a store. People could test drive the cars or just drive off with a brand new BMW. Getting back to the architecture, I thought it was a nice space for what the program was. I was much more impressed with this building than their high school in LA.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3554.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3564.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3618.JPG" width="200" /></a>Our final stop for the day was probably my favorite attraction of our Munich trip. We took the U-Bahn again and ended up at the Brandhorst Museum, designed by Sauerbruch Hutton. I have to say, after seeing two other buildings designed by this husband and wife team, I'm becoming rather fond of their work. If you look at the building in plan, it's rather simple, but if you look at the details in section and elevation, the building is amazing. The facade is made up of horizontal metal mesh strips that are slightly angled to create a zigzag effect. Mounted in front of the strips is a layer of colorful vertical rods. Aside from looking like a mass of pretty colors, the best is when the sun shines and creates shadows. It almost looks like the building is moving.<br />
The interior of the museum is simple yet elegant. All the walls are white and the floors are wood, but on the top floor, the roof is covered in an opaque glass that diffuses the light and creates this beautiful quality of light in the gallery spaces. <br />
As for the artwork, it was fantastic. I love contemporary art, so this was exactly my kind of museum. I was happy to discover an artist that I had never known about. Cy Twombly's paintings are actually part of the permanent exhibit. His work reminded me a lot of Jackson Pollock's paintings. It may seem random, but if you look closely, there's a method to his madness.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/brandhorstmuseum_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/brandhorstmuseum_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3619.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3667.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3644.JPG" width="200" /></a>When we finished looking around, our professors all had a surprise for us. We gathered in the open green space near the museum where they brought out cakes and Prosecco (wine) and a bag of frisbees. You can't even imagine how happy all the boys were. It was like watching elementary school kids play with a ball; they threw their bags and cameras down, ran out onto the grass, and started throwing frisbees to each other. We called them back in for the snacks, where the professors made a toast and we all drank to the end of study abroad. Afterward, everybody hung around and played frisbee in a huge circle. Some of the professors even joined in!<br />
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As the day slowly turned into the evening, we walked back to our hotel and repacked all of our luggage. After being in Europe for three months, I accrued quite the amount of stuff. Everybody was trying to make sure their bags were underweight to avoid the overcharge, so everything was being shuffled around from bag to bag. I bought far too many travel books (I love my Frommer's) and architecture books that weighed my bag down. I also bought a lot of souvenirs from every city, and the most difficult to pack was all the alcohol I had bought. But have no fear; everything survived the flight.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3691.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3745.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/DSC_3706.JPG" width="200" /></a>After we finished packing, a smaller group of us (well, smaller than the night before) headed out to another beer garden: Augustiner. When we got there, it seemed that everybody else in our study abroad group was there as well. Regardless, our group found two tables outside and ordered bier and wurst and goulash (oh, how I miss the goulash). About half an hour in, we saw some familiar German boys walk into the garden. What a small world! We continued eating our food and drinking our liters of beers until we started playing some drinking games. First, we started off with "never have I ever..." Let me warn you; that is a dangerous game if you're not playing with a group of people you trust. After we ran out of ideas, we moved on to play Thumper, at which point we invited the Germans over to relive the night before. We ended up playing until they kicked us out. They turned off the lights, cleaned up the tables (including the table cloths) and then finally told us to leave. Reluctantly, we all left the beer garden, but not before everybody grabbed a beer stein (except me; I had enough crap in my baggage).<br />
The night continued back at the hotel where we enjoyed our last hours of Europe. I ended up caking one of the boys (who I won't name) who kept insisting that he wanted to have a cake thrown in his face, so that's what happened, haha. A handful of the boys went out afterwards, but I surrendered for the night and finally went to bed.<br />
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In the morning, we woke up with the harsh reality of the end. With every step, we dragged our feet, hoping to stay just a little bit longer. We started off the morning with breakfast at the hotel, savoring each bite and eating slower than usual just to enjoy the company and the food. With our free morning, we walked around the area for a while before a few people wanted to get their last meal in Germany... which ended up being doner (us Berliners grew quite fond of Turkish food since we lived in the Turkish area of Berlin). I refrained from eating doner in Munich because I didn't want to taint the perfect memory of the doner we had in Berlin.<br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/IMG_2508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/IMG_2508.JPG" width="200" /></a>After that, it was back to the hotel to check out and move all of our luggage on to the bus. This was quite the task. With a tiny elevator, everybody was trying to move all their stuff at the same time. I ended up jumping into the elevator and stacking everybody's luggage in the elevator with me, so I went from floor to floor, rolling large suitcases in, and then meeting people at the lobby to take it all out. Quite an operation we had going.<br />
Getting everything to fit on/in/under the bus was like a puzzle. We took up every inch of free space there was and then had to fit the rest in the aisles with us.<br />
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The airport was a mess. It took forever for everybody to check in, and then there was an issue with carry-ons and personal items and checked baggage. People were afraid they were going to get charged extra for having a backpack and a carry-on (Nicole got the shit end of the stick; she was forced to pay an extra 40 Euros for having her backpack. Everybody felt so bad.). In the end, we all just took our backpacks off, left them in a pile, and checked in without them so they wouldn't see the backpack. After two hours of all that nonsense, it was time to say goodbye to Rolf and Joachim. They were awesome professors, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience in Berlin.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/IMG_2536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theendwhereibegin/IMG_2536.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>After going through security, everybody spent the remainder of the time in the gift shop, trying to spend the last of their Euros.<br />
Finally we boarded our plane and spent the next eight hours flying backwards in time. I watched a movie, listened to music, napped here and there. Before you knew it, we were back in the states and back home.<br />
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Eight months later and I'm back in Boston.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-122005730459031082011-05-16T18:56:00.000-07:002011-05-16T18:56:29.759-07:00The LuckiestThe next/last two days in Italy flew by in an instant. We kept moving around so much that it was difficult to take it all in and enjoy where we were. I wish we could have spent more time in Verona, but I'm glad that we got to visit it briefly at least.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_2957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_2957.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_2969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_2969.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_2960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_2960.JPG" width="200" /></a>The morning we left Venice, all 50ish of us boarded a coach bus and headed to Vicenza to visit one very specific building: Villa Rotunda. Since freshmen year, this house has been drilled into our brains. Palladio designed a perfectly symmetrical villa situated on top of a hill. He used perfect geometries (squares, circles) to create this classic form. I loved the framing of views and the connection to the town and to nature. There were a few things that surprised me though. One: I thought the villa would have been dead center on top of the hill, but on all four sides, the portico opens out into something different. Specifically in the back, the portico comes out but then there's only maybe five feet of space before you hit the wall that surrounds the area. Two: the gate from the street isn't on center/parallel with the front of the villa. However, it lived up to my expectations (at least from the exterior). Unfortunately the interior wasn't open to the public that day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/villarotunda_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/villarotunda_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
After sketching and photographing, we all got back on the bus and drove towards Verona. We made a quick stop at a random gas station/bus stop to grab lunch and kept going. When we arrived, we quickly checked in, dropped off our stuff, and headed out to the piazzas to sketch and analyze.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3015.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3017.JPG" width="133" /></a>Our first piazza was Piazza delle Erbe, the oldest square in Verona. It was actually a great space. In the center is an "island" where all the markets are set up, and then along one edge are cafes and restaurants. The other edge is dedicated to vehicular traffic going through the space. There are also monuments and roads which create a major and minor axes through the square.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3019.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3025.JPG" width="200" /></a>From there, we followed the minor axis and went through two archways into Piazza dei Signori. Side note about the archway: hanging from one of the arches (the one closest to Piazza delle Erbe) is a rib bone of a whale. Legend says that the bone will fall when someone who has never told a lie walks under it. That'll be the day... Anyway, Piazza dei Signori was a much quieter space. I actually enjoyed it more because it was less chaotic and much more formal. Each entrance into the square was covered by an archway. All the buildings that enclose the square are historic buildings (I believe they're government buildings) and in the center is a statue of Dante (author of <i>Dante's Inferno</i> and <i>Divine Comedy</i>). When Dante was exiled in Florence, he fled to Verona and sought protection from Cangrande I during the early 1300s. He actually lived in one of the buildings that faces the piazza.<br />
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Time for a funny/gross story. Just as we sat down around Dante's statue and started sketching, a pigeon shit ALL OVER Sarah. It wasn't even like one plop or anything; no, this pigeon was messed up. The poop was bright, mustard yellow, and it was like a shotgun went off on the back of Sarah's head. It got all over her hair (poor Jeri helped to clean it up and gagged the whole time) and on her backpack. I missed the attack by mere centimeters because I was RIGHT next to Sarah. The minute I heard the noise and saw yellow on Sarah, I jumped away from Dante's statue. Ughhhh it was so gross, but I could not stop laughing. The ironic part is that Sarah HATES birds, and out of all the people to poop on, this pigeon singled out Sarah. Needless to say, Sarah headed straight back to the hotel and showered as thoroughly as possible. I took pictures, but I won't post them to save Sarah from embarrassment. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3047.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3087.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3071.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3083.JPG" width="200" /></a>Once Sarah returned, we finished sketching and just hung out around Piazza delle Erbe. I did some souvenir shopping and ate a fruit cup as I wandered around. Once everybody was finished, we walked a few steps over to Juliet (Giulietta)'s house which is completely touristy. As you enter the courtyard, the walls of the entrance are covered in names of "lovers" (such a funny word to me). Supposedly by writing each person's name, their love is supposed to be everlasting. To the right side of the tunnel is a metal enclosure with little holes where people can drop off their letters to Juliet, and to the left is some sort of photo viewer (the description/instructions were covered by peoples' names). In the courtyard is Juliet's balcony (where she famously asked "O Romeo, O Romeo, wherefort art thou Romeo?") as well as a statue of Giulietta herself. Legend says if you rub her right breast, you're supposed to have good luck in love. So naturally, we made like tourists and posed with Giulietta. On the opposite side of the balcony is a gate that's covered by locks. I've seen locks on various objects (usually bridges) in a few cities around Europe, and they're supposed to represent a couple's love. Usually names are written/engraved on the lock and the key is thrown into the river/ocean/something. And conveniently next to the gate is a gift shop, where a lock is 7 Euros! Silly.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3109.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>We went back to the hotel to rest up for a bit and round up some people for dinner. It ended up being a small, intimate group, and we went to a very random restaurant off of Via Mazzini (one of the main streets). I finally tried prosciutto and melon, and after thinking about it for two weeks, I've decided that I don't actually like it. It was a very strange mix of flavors and textures, and I usually hate mixing fruits with meats (like Hawaiian pizza). Anyway, we had a fun night just talking and telling stories (and venting about our respective study abroad groups). We also chatted up our waiter and exchanged info with him.<br />
To end the night, we all went to our hotel rooms and sketched... lame; I know, but our sketchbooks were getting graded the next day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3250.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3228.JPG" width="200" /></a>In the morning, we only had one destination: Castelvecchio. This is a castle-converted-into-a-museum, renovated by Carlo Scarpa around the 60s. Just like the Querini Stampalia Museum, there are fantastic details all around. My favorite design is a set of steel stairs. Each step is the shape of a J. The short side is bolted into the wall, and the long side is bolted at the top into the floor plate. The first three steps before the landing are mirrored vertically; the long end goes straight to the floor and the short end is again bolted to the wall. Plain and simple, it was sexy.<span id="goog_186770709"></span><span id="goog_186770710"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3289.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3289.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/theluckiest/DSC_3293.JPG" width="200" /></a>We had some free time after exploring the castle, so we finished souvenir shopping (I bought a mini statue of Giulietta!) and bought some snacks for our afternoon bus ride which would last seven hours...<br />
In the middle of our commute, we stopped by a town in northern Italy (no idea what it was called). It was a nice little town, not really touristy. I found it interesting that most of the people spoke German, which was comforting to hear after being away from Berlin for a week.<br />
Finally, we arrived at our final European city: Munich.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-29007173637433540712011-05-14T19:07:00.000-07:002011-05-14T19:20:24.344-07:00Save TonightFrom one Venice to another... funny how life works.<br />
I have to admit; of all the places I visited, Venice is in the top five. There's something so magical about being surrounded by canals without a single whisper of a car or scooter. Nighttime's my favorite because of all the reflections of light along the canals. The whole city is completely walkable too, which is an added bonus. But of course, if you're tired, there's public transportation (called the Vaporetto) in the form of boats! A truly romantic, fascinating (albeit touristy/fake) city. On to my visit!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2036.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>By the time we arrived in Venice by train from Rome, it was already 5pm. All 22 of us (20 students, 2 professors) hopped on a Vaporetto towards Ca'd'Oro and made our way towards the hotel (Hotel Bernardi's). As we all waited in the alleyway, we saw a couple of our friends from the Montpellier study abroad group pop their heads out of the windows. Yes, the 22 of us plus the 24 of them would all be together until the end of our trip.<br />
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Once we checked in, Jeri, Sarah, and I were on a hunt to find our friends from the France group. Unfortunately, the France group was split between two buildings owned by the hotel, and all the people we love were in the other building. We followed a map that was in the hotel lobby and managed to find the building... but we didn't know how to get in or contact them. We stood there like idiots for a few minutes, occasionally calling out some names. Then, as I turned the corner of the building, I saw Taylor and Tyler come out from the door, and I screamed and ran/jumped into Taylor's arms. That's some shit you see in movies... but after spending 2.75 months with the same people in Berlin (I was reaching the end of my rope), it was such a relief to finally be with new people, especially some of my best friends.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2074.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>The three of us followed the two boys as they went in search for some alcohol. When we returned, Tyler entered the hotel room first (where the rest of our French group friends were), and introduced us with "we got a surprise for you guys..." Cue lots of girls screaming and hugging. At last, we were reunited. Bottles of champagne were popped and drinks were shared as we quickly caught up.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2115.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2131.JPG" width="200" /></a>Eventually we made our way out to dinner as a group of 13. We somehow managed to find a restaurant that could seat all of us outside, and we just binged on pizzas and pastas and lots of wine. At the end of our dinner, more Berlin/Montpellier students found us and our group just expanded. We ended up getting gelato (naturally) and spending most of our time outside in a random square. There were lots of stories being shared, games being played, ridiculous photos being taken... definitely one of the best nights of the trip for me.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2229.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>The next morning, we were up and out by 8:30am. The first thing we did? Take a gondola for 50 Euro cents to cross the canal! The ride only lasted maybe a minute and the gondolier didn't serenade us, but still nice to experience the gondola in addition to the Vaporetto.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2277.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>First destination to analyze and sketch: Piazza San Stefano. It was much like all the other squares we saw in Rome, but there was definitely a hierarchy among spaces. For instance, two facades of one building conveyed a completely different language depending on what it was facing. I didn't find anything too significant so I don't remember a lot about it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2340.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Our next stop was Andrea Palladio's Church of San Giorgio Maggiore. What's special about this church is the facade. For a Christian church, Palladio used the form of a classic temple. The facade contains two pediments: the larger covering the side aisles, the smaller covering the area of the nave. As for the interior, the only thing I distinctly remember is the way he played with perspective using the floor tiles. We were fortunate enough to go up to the cupola and see a view of Venice from a high point. From the top, you can clearly see the canals and how the whole city works.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/sangiorgio_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/sangiorgio_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2457.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2398.JPG" width="200" /></a>After a brief lunch break (more pizza sandwiches and gelato for me), we went and checked out Piazza San Marco, the most famous square in Venice. Before entering, we spent some time in the Piazzetta di San Marco (the square next to the canal). We discussed the two enormous columns that acted as a gate into Venice as well as the facade of the Doge's palace. Finally we mustered up the strength to break through the crowds and get to Piazza San Marco. The area was packed with tourists and all sorts of vendors. Initially we were supposed to sketch and analyze the space, but it was just too hectic. Children were running around chasing large flocks of pigeons (flying rats) while vendors were coming up to strangers and selling who knows what and other tourists are asking you to take their picture with all the chaos that's happening. It was just too much. Instead, we just admired the Basilica and Campanile.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/sanmarco_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/sanmarco_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/sanmarco_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/sanmarco_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2528.JPG" width="200" /></a>From there, we made our way to Campo S.S. Giovanni e Paolo, our last stop of the day. Of course, we sketched and analyzed again, but this was probably my favorite space in Venice. The shape is actually a backwards L, and because of that, it creates two very distinct spaces. One space, along the canal, belongs to the church, and the other belongs to the neighborhood. Then there's a statue that's placed just between the two spaces to connect them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2510.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>We actually got to go into the church and check out the interior. I was more impressed with this church than I was with Palladio's. The rib vaulting was beautiful and so was the apse. What's also funny is that Jeri had to wrap a red sheet around her legs because her shorts were too short. It was like <i>The Scarlet Letter </i>and she was Hester Prynne.<br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/sangiovanni_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/sangiovanni_pano.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2518.JPG" width="200" /></a>When we finished inside the church, we went back outside to sketch. While I sat and sketched, I saw some kid catch one of the several pigeons in the square. First I was impressed, but then I was a bit disgusted. Those birds are filthy. Anyways, we were done for the day, so a few of us sat down at a cafe and drank macchiatos as we sketched. How very Italian, don't you think?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2547.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2560.JPG" width="200" /></a>When we finished our coffees and the boys finished their cigars, we headed back to the hotel, making several pit stops at stores. We rested up for a bit, and then the usual five of us (Sarah, Jeri, Kemal, Erblin, and I) went in search of dinner. Along the way, we ran into Doug and Jake, who were also looking for food, so they tagged along with us. We ended up finding this off-the-road little restaurant that made delicious, authentic Italian food. I ordered a meal for 13 Euros that included grilled vegetables, pasta with cuttlefish ink, and pork covered with gravy. I also ordered a drink called spritz, which is a mixture of Prosecco, some bitters, and sparkling water, and tiramisu for dessert. It was all good. I felt bad though because Kemal ordered the same 13 Euro deal, but we didn't realize that it would be pork (it was called scallopini so we assumed it was scallops...) and Kemal can't eat pork because he's Muslim; he ended up taking a bite before I did and making that realization. Eeek. We didn't know!<br />
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After dinner, Jeri, Sarah, and I tried to hang out with our Frenchies, but they were already asleep at 10:30pm! So instead, Jeri and I hung out with some of our boys outside. We ended up just talking, drinking wine in the square next to our hotel. It was another fun night with good people.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2591.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2617.JPG" width="200" /></a>In the morning, we visited an old Venetian palace that was now a museum. Beautiful architecture and tile work. The view wasn't half bad either... I don't remember much about the art, but I do remember that they had some nice sculptures.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2658.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>From the palace, we took the gondola again to cross the canal. In the area where we get off the gondola is a market; they sold the freshest fruits I've ever smelled. A lot of people bought strawberries and shared with the class. They were perfectly sweet.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2683.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2699.JPG" width="200" /></a>Our next stop was the Querini Stampalia Museum which was renovated by Carlo Scarpa. The entrance was done by Mario Botta, which I should've guessed because the stairs reminded me of SFMoMA. The part renovated by Scarpa was the ground floor and the garden area. He also built a bridge on the exterior. I'm a huge fan of Scarpa because of his attention to details. Every door frame, joint, opening--they're all uniquely Scarpa. My favorite aspect is that he brought the water of the canal into the building. Whenever the water level rises, it fills in the lower part of the ground floor, creating this moat-like boundary around the walkable area.<br />
The rest of the museum was great too (no photos, of course) but the highlight was definitely the architecture.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2749.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>We had a couple hours of free time so the first thing we did was find lunch. We found a pizza shop and I got some random pie-esque thing with prosciutto and mozzarella. So good. From there, we did some shopping as we walked back to the hotel. I had to rest my legs (specifically my knees) so we took a quick break before going out again. We decided to head straight to our meeting point and spend the rest of our free time there.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2781.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>The area we ended up in was definitely not the touristy part. There were lots of residential buildings around and a large green space, which everybody took full advantage of. We all got gelati, and I got a cafe latte to help me get through the next part of the day.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2803.JPG" width="200" /></a>In the late afternoon, all of us (and by all, I mean the entire Berlin and Montpellier group) met up to go listen to a lecture. I forget the name of the lecturer, but he's a professor at the local university. He talked to us about the Venice we see versus the Venice he knows. He claimed that Venice is very fake (which I can agree with) and how it's just overrun by tourists. He has a point... The lecture was very good, and I even managed to stay awake through all of it (a true triumph). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2866.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>After the lecture, a small group of us Berliners went in search of dinner. We walked along the canal and found ourselves in the area of San Marco. I wanted to stay in the area to take night photos, but half of the group wanted to go to the restaurant we were at the night before, so we split up and I ended up with Sarah and Kemal. The first thing I was looking for was a mask. Souvenir shops were closing and I didn't want to leave Venice without buying a mask, so I was panicking a bit. I had found the perfect one earlier in the day, but it was scuffed in the corner, so I didn't buy it. I finally found one that was close enough to perfect, so then we continued our search for food. We didn't want to stay around San Marco because prices would be sky high, so we kept ducking into little side streets and found a small restaurant. I ordered calamari while Kemal and Sarah both ordered pizzas. It wasn't the best Italian food, but it was still decent.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2903.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2930.JPG" width="200" /></a>When we finished dinner, we walked over to Piazza San Marco and took some night pictures. I was expecting the Basilica and Campanile to be lit more than they were, so that was a little disappointing. It was a beautiful night though so I can't complain. We decided to walk back to the hotel instead of waiting for the Vaporetto. Of course, with so many little alleyways and bridges, we found ourselves going around in loops for a little while.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2938.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/savetonight/DSC_2938.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I had a quiet night in and watched a movie. The next morning, we briefly passed by Santiago Calatrava's new bridge as we were on the Vaporetto and on a bus to our next destination.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-16047448659134802132011-05-10T15:13:00.000-07:002011-05-10T15:22:20.820-07:00That's AmoreRome was a beautiful city, but we couldn't have picked a more hectic time to visit... Easter weekend. Granted, I'm sure Rome is always packed with tourists, but from what Rolf told us, it was even busier this time around. Regardless, I enjoyed every minute.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_0627cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_0627cropped.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Friday morning, we reluctantly said our goodbyes to Berlin. It couldn't have been a worse morning. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. We left a bit late, the buses took forever, we were the last of the group to meet at the airport... I was sweating and out of breath by the time we met up with everybody. But, we weren't even that late. And... (drum roll please...) we were on the same plane as Famke Janssen (aka Jean Grey/Phoenix from the X-Men movies). Celebrity sighting #5! It's actually funny how it all happened. First, Erblin noticed her and told Sarah that it was an actress (but he couldn't place her). Then Sarah exclaims "JEAN GREY!" and so, of course, being the paparazzi that I am, I walked up right behind her, and I conveniently looked at her plane ticket and confirmed it was her. I know; I'm a creeper. So then as we boarded the plane, I had to take some creeper shots. I was super jealous though because Jeri and Sarah actually sat behind her on the plane.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/pantheon_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/pantheon_pano03.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
Our first day in Rome was relatively calm. We settled into our hotel rooms and searched for some lunch. Our first stop with the class (all of Italy was for our Urban Design class) was Piazza della Rotonda, where the Pantheon is now located. We studied the space, did some sketches, walked around, then discussed it as a class. We also went into the Pantheon which for me was surreal. Like I've mentioned in previous posts, it's always pretty crazy to see something that you've studied for years.<br />
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Our next space was Campo de Fiori. Unfortunately (or fortunately) all the market vendors were packing up, so Rolf decided we would go back the following day to sketch and discuss, so we were "dismissed' for the day. We went back to the hotel and rested for a bit before searching for dinner.<br />
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Jeri, Sarah, Kemal, Erblin, and I decided to get dinner in Campo de Fiori since it was so close to our hotel anyways. We ended up at some random restaurant and had some okay Italian food (what else can you expect in a touristy spot). However, the gelato I had afterward made up for it. I'm pretty sure I had at least one gelato a day for all the days I was in Italy...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_0930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_0930.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_0922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_0922.JPG" width="200" /></a>After dinner, Erblin, Kemal, Sarah, and I walked around the city for a bit and took some night photos. We ended up walking over to Il Vittoriano and then shopped around some souvenir vendors. Somehow we ended up in Piazza della Rotonda again, so we took a few more pictures before calling it a night.<br />
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The next morning, we stopped by Campo de Fiori briefly before doing a small city walk towards the Colosseum. We walked by Michaelangelo's Palazzo Farnese, a few piazzas, Michaelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio, and the old forum.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The Colosseum was indeed impressive. We spent about an hour exploring it on our own. I got some pretty sweet panoramas from inside. And by the end, the sun started to come out from behind the clouds! I wonder what it was like to see an event in the Colosseum... the whole time, I kept thinking of the movie <i>Gladiator</i>. Crazy, crazy.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/colosseum_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="324" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/colosseum_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1224.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
From the Colosseum, we took the tram to the newer area of Rome to visit the Museo della Civilta Romana (The Museum of Roman Culture). There were several models of everything from buildings to bigger models of ancient/present day Rome. There were also sculptures and replicas of columns and all that. An interesting museum, but I wasn't all too excited about it.<br />
We had a brief lunch break (I had some lasagna and of course a gelato) in the area before heading back to the center. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1290.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/spanishsteps_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/spanishsteps_pano.jpg" width="200" /></a>We spent the rest of our afternoon experiencing Piazza d'Espana, most known for the Spanish Steps. The square was completely packed with people; it was like playing <i>Where's Waldo?</i> if I was looking for somebody. Again, we analyzed the space, sketched it, and discussed it as a class. When we finished, we were free for the rest of the day. I stuck around with a few other people and checked out the space a bit more. From the top of the Spanish Steps, you can see the crowd of people and the street that they funnel in from. To the side is one of the main axes of ancient Rome that connects to Piazza del Popolo.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/trevifountain_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/trevifountain_pano02.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>We eventually made our way over to Trevi Fountain and made some wishes. I'm not hugely into superstitions, but I feel like it's appropriate in Rome. So I took some pictures, threw some coins into the fountain, and made some wishes. I kind of regret not going to see it at night; it probably would have been quieter and much more romantic.<br />
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From there, we made our way back to Piazza del Campidoglio since we didn't have enough time to absorb it in the morning. My favorite part is the way Michaelangelo worked with the stones on the ground. He created an oval with this sun/flower pattern on the inside with the statue in the center. It looks great in my panoramas. Unfortunately it started to rain so we didn't get to go back to the Forum. Instead, we went back to the hotel to rest for a little bit before going out to dinner.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/piazzadelcampidoglio_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/piazzadelcampidoglio_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/IMG_2495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/IMG_2495.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>This time, we headed in a different direction and ended up in Piazza Navona, where Sarah instantly recognized it from <i>Angels and Demons</i>. The space was filled with vendors, so Jeri asked one of them for recommendations for restaurants. We went off to a side street and found the restaurant (completely forgot what it was called) and had a fabulous dinner. The pizza I ordered was amazing, everybody's food looked great, and I had one of the best tiramisus there. Great night for food.<br />
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After dinner, we walked around Piazza Navona a bit more. Here's another side story. Around the touristy spots, there are always guys approaching you, trying to sell you something. On this night, there were guys who were launching lighted things into the air and they would float down towards the ground. Well, Tyler decided to steal one of these things when it landed and run with it. It was highly entertaining because at this point during the trip, Tyler's hair had grown out, so when he ran, the only thing you could focus on was his hair swishing in the wind. He ended up returning it to the vendor since he's such a nice guy.<br />
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We returned to the hotel, and I took a quick shower before going out for the night. Jeri and I kept going back and forth about going out, but finally concluded that we had to because we didn't go out the night before and wouldn't have the chance to any other night. We paid a 10 Euro cover to get into a nearby bar/lounge called Studio 18 where it was an open bar until midnight. It was 11:30 when we got there, so you can imagine how we tried to get our money's worth.<br />
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A little after midnight, we left and headed to a bar in Campo de Fiori called The Drunken Ship. I don't recall how long we spent in there, but it was a fun night. We kept getting harassed by a guy offering to take a Polaroid picture for 5 Euros... and since the boys recognized him from the night before (and he recognized our boys), John paid 5 Euros and we had two pictures taken <i>with</i> the seller himself. Those pictures are priceless. At some point, the bar had to close, so we wandered around the square and John ended up buying a megaphone for 7 Euros from another of those vendors. We spent a while just talking outside of our hotel, and I got a rose from another random drunk person. Oh, what a night.<br />
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The next morning (Easter Sunday), the class started off by visiting a few nearby churches, and of course we found ourselves in Piazza Navona once again. We were given about 20 minutes to explore the space, check out the main church, and analyze it all. Of all the piazzas, I think Navona was probably my favorite. There's a lot of open, public space with plenty of vendors selling crafts, paintings, souvenirs, etc. with lots of side cafes and restaurants... I guess it's no different than all the other squares, but this one just stuck with me. Maybe the company I was with the night before made it more memorable.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/piazzanavona_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/piazzanavona_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1465.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1446.JPG" width="200" /></a>From Piazza Navona, we walked over to Museo dell'Ara Pacis, designed by Richard Meier. As the title suggests, this was the museum that housed the Altar of Peace. I didn't really care about the altar, to be honest... I spent my time checking out the architecture. I've seen a few of Meier's works so far, and this was very much Richard Meier--everything from the materials, lighting, shadows, colors, etc. I liked it a lot.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1602.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/piazzadelpopolo_pano_polar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/piazzadelpopolo_pano_polar.jpg" width="200" /></a>We took a quick lunch break (another sandwich and gelato for me) and met up again in Piazza del Popolo. We (surprisingly) didn't analyze the space at all; we just met at the obelisk and went to our next destination by tram: MAXXI (Modern Art for the 21st Century).<br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/maxxi_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/maxxi_pano.jpg" width="200" /></a>As I think about it now, I read about the opening of MAXXI in the NY Times a few years ago, and that was the first time I learned of Zaha Hadid, the architect who converted this from a military barrack into a museum. I loved all of it. The exhibits were fantastic, especially the architecture ones that showed original drawings from architects like Corbu, Scarpa, and Rietveld; can you imagine drafting plans, sections, and elevations? I sometimes wish I had the time to go back to sophomore year and produce drawings like those. The building itself was also quite nice. I loved the circulation in the space. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed in the exhibits (boooo), but let me just say that Zaha definitely redeemed herself after the fire station at Vitra.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/maxxi_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/maxxi_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span id="goog_1448639016"></span><span id="goog_1448639017"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1626.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1657.JPG" width="133" /></a>After talking about the museum, we were dismissed for the day, so Jeri, Sarah, Kemal, Erblin, and I made our way back over to the Forum. At this point, my knees were killing me (they crack a lot after hours/days of walking), so I didn't spend too long photographing. I eventually broke off from the group and went back to the hotel to rest my legs. By the time everybody got back, it was about 8:30 and I was starving for dinner. We went to a very shabby place for dinner. Their kitchen had closed so I couldn't order a pizza, and all their pastas weren't made fresh; they were reheated. Thankfully, the gelato I got from next door cheered me up. It was topped off with whipped cream <i>and</i> a mini cone! I went to bed early that night to prepare for the early morning.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/stpeters_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/stpeters_pano03.jpg" width="73" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1745.JPG" width="200" /></a>Monday morning was our free time, so the usual 5 of us got up early and went to Vatican City around 7am. The weather was misty out but we didn't let that get us down. I'm so glad we went early. We didn't have to wait in any lines and there weren't crowds of people in my pictures.<br />
Our first stop was St. Peter's Basilica. Truly amazing. There are no words. All of us just photographed in awe. I hope my photos do it justice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/stpeters_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/stpeters_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/DSC_1868.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/stpeters_pano06_polar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thatsamore/stpeters_pano06_polar.jpg" width="200" /></a>When we left the Basilica, we saw signs up for the cupola and the tombs underneath. Immediately I pulled everybody into the cupola line. For 5 Euros, we climbed up hundreds of of stairs (my poor legs) to the top of the dome. First was were on the inside of the dome and could look down into the basilica. Then we got to go outside and see Rome from the top. The view was breath-taking. I couldn't believe where I was. We spent a good while up there taking photos and soaking it all in. Thankfully everybody was patient with me because I ended up going around the dome, making a panorama. I think it turned out quite nicely.<br />
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We wanted to go to Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel, but unfortunately, Jeri told us it was closed. I guess it was perfect timing though because it started to pour outside. Thankfully we weren't still at the top of the cupola. We walked back to the hotel in the rain (word of advice: bath tub laundry and rain do not mix well) and grabbed some lunch before meeting up with the rest of the group.<br />
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From Rome, we took a train to our next city: Venice!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-90591065825701061562011-05-06T18:12:00.000-07:002011-05-06T18:13:22.477-07:00More Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/reichstag_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/reichstag_pano02.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/reichstag_pano04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/reichstag_pano04.jpg" width="200" /></a>A few days after Prague, we finally got the chance to enter the Reichstag. Since day one, we had tried several times to enter, but for security reasons, you had to make reservations. Sarah had previously emailed them but was denied, so finally, she talked to Gabrielle, my studio professor, and she pulled some strings and got us in. We spent the first 45 minutes going through security screenings and then sitting through some informational lecture about Reichstag (I fell alseep). At last, we got to go up into the dome, designed by Lord Norman Foster. The center "cone" covered in mirrors brings light down into the building while a shading device tracks the sun and controls how much light gets into the dome. Unfortunately it was a cloudy day out, but nonetheless, it was awesome to experience. When we finished, it was back to studio.<br />
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After countless hours of AutoCAD, several energy drinks, and pulling all-nighter after all-nighter, the day of final crit had arrived... and I slept through most of it. But don't worry; I stayed awake for my presentation. Overall the entire class had decent critiques, but again, pretty much every person was sleeping if he/she wasn't presenting.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0519.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>After sitting through 20 presentations, studio was officially over. Most of the class booked it over to our favorite burger joint, Burgermeister. It's located underneath U-Bahn tracks (right by Schlesisches Tor), and it used to be an old public restroom. We indulged in burgers and fries and beer before heading back home.<br />
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While everybody else passed out for the night, I decided to make the most out of my time left in Berlin. I met up with Tess (the girl I met on our flight to Madrid back in February) at a bar called Tante Lisbeth close to our apartments. This wasn't the typical bar that I was expecting. When I walked in, there were people swing dancing all over the floor! Turns out, you can take swing dancing lessons here (which is what Tess was doing beforehand). The whole night, I drank my beer and watched people dance around me as I listened to the sounds of Duke Ellington and the like. It was a fun night, and I'm glad I got to rendezvous with Tess before departing. On my walk home, I walked through the most shady area (oooooops). At one point, some guy asked me (in German) for tissues, but of course I didn't understand him until he made the hand-motion of blowing his nose... and then I noticed his hands were bloody. I can only hope that he had a bloody nose and needed a tissue to clean his hands... And then as I walked faster, I passed by a bonfire with maybe 50 homeless people... eeeek! But have no fear, I made it home in one piece. Just don't tell my parents.<br />
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After the dark clouds of final crit passed, we only had two days left in Berlin. On Wednesday, we all had to go to studio and clean everything up. If you're not an architecture student and have never been one, you would not believe what a dump studio turns into. Sheets of chipboard and cardboard are all over the floor and walls, sticks of basswood scattered around as if the big bad wolf had come and blown all the houses down, supplies like straight-edges and glue and blades are found in the most random spots... it took a couple hours, but we finally left studio the way we found it.<br />
Afterward, we made our way to "soup lady" to take a group photo, went a few steps down to the print shop to take a group photo and shots of tequila, printed the photos and signed them, and said our goodbyes. Somewhere in between, I managed to record a very brief and distracted acceptance video for the Wentworth Bowl. I'm willing to bet that 75% of Wentworth doesn't even know what that even is... <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0428.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0483.JPG" width="200" /></a>In the afternoon, a few of us went to East Side Gallery, the longest remaining strip of the Berlin wall. The east side of the wall has several paintings done by a variety of artists from all over the world. We spent a while walking along the wall, admiring the paintings. It's pretty crazy to think that only 22 years ago, Berlin was completely different. A whole generation (my generation, actually) has grown up without knowing what east and west Berlin were.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0514.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>Somehow, after walking along the wall, we found ourselves at Burgermeister once again. It just so happened to be conveniently located nearby! We had our final burgers and chili cheese fries (oh, how I miss the cheese fries) and departed with a full stomach.<br />
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A couple of us decided to go souvenir shopping (of course we left it until the final days to buy Berlin souvenirs) over by the Brandenburg Gate. To my surprise, Unter den Linden was in full bloom! It felt like just yesterday that I was walking under gray skies and leafless linden trees... it's hard to say goodbye to Berlin when the weather's beautiful and the trees are green.<br />
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At night, we all celebrated by drinking Germany's cheap (79 Euro cents for .5 liters!!) beer and attempting to pack all of our scheisse back into our bags.<br />
Actually, here's a funny story. When we were in Switzerland, I bought a cow horn that's surprisingly loud for its size. While I was packing it into my suitcase, one of the guys decided to blow the horn into the stairwell (and everything echoes in the stairwell). It lasted for a good 20 seconds before he-who-will-not-be-named came back into our apartment. Next thing you hear... everybody's doors open up and everybody's asking questions. Some of the girls were freaking out, thinking the noise was a girl screaming bloody murder. Meanwhile, we're all dying of laughter in my apartment.<br />
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The next day, we all slept in before getting up to clean our apartments. Rolf and the "housemaster" (landlord) both came by to check everybody's apartments and return our 50 Euro deposits. Meanwhile, Jeri, Sarah, and I were trying to eat the remainder of our food (we weren't very successful). They made crepes for our favorite boys while I lounged around for a while.<br />
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I finally mustered up the motivation to bring all of my plastic and glass bottles to Kaiser's to recycle. I ended up with 5 Euros, which barely compares to Shannon, Dan, and Barb's savings of 16 Euros! Recycling's a big deal in Berlin (and most of Europe).<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/IMG_2457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/IMG_2457.JPG" width="200" /></a>Next stop: Bier-Spezialitäten! Thanks to my Frommer's Day-by-Day guide, I found Berlin's best beer shop. This little place has more than 500 of the best beers from around the world. When I went abroad, my brother asked me to bring home a few beers that he couldn't find in America. I found one and improvised on the other. I'm such a good sister. I had to lug it around with me in Italy since I already sent my larger bag with Rolf to meet us in Munich (I'll explain later).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0546.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0547.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/DSC_0584.JPG" width="200" /></a>When I got back to the apartment, Jeri, Sarah, Kemal, and I headed out to the TV Tower. It was our last day in Berlin and we had to do one last touristy thing. We didn't realize that the tickets were done by numbers and time, so we ended up having to kill about 1.5 hours. Luckily Alexanderplatz was packed with vendors; it was like we were back in Prague! I stuffed myself with currywurst and fries and a waffle and a slushie. Oh my. Eventually we made our way to the top of the TV tower... it was alright. Nothing I didn't already see at the top of Berliner Dom.</div><br />
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<br />
When we got back to the apartment, my plan was to go to the bier garten with a small group of people... unfortunately, when you invite one person, that person invites another person and so on... so it turned out that the entire 20 of us went to the beer garden. Alright.<br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/IMG_2468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://angelango.com/blog/moretime/IMG_2468.JPG" width="200" /></a>We made our way to Prater (thank you, Frommer's) where I met up with my friend Gabriel, who I met at the hostel in Budapest. The rest of the group went and did their own thing (thankfully) while I drank my beer and ate my veal sausage with Gabriel, Sarah, Jeri, and Kemal. I highly recommend beer gardens. You get to drink and enjoy the beautiful weather under lights and trees! And if you're lucky, you get good German food. It was a perfect night to end our time in Berlin. Half of the group went out clubbing afterward, but I stayed in and reminisced before going to bed. Time really does fly when you're having fun.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-70626023652486649682011-05-02T10:00:00.000-07:002011-05-02T10:00:35.256-07:00Before the Worst<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><style>
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On the weekend of April 9<sup>th</sup> and 10<sup>th</sup>, nine of us took a train from Berlin (at 5am for four hours) to Prague to have one final awesome weekend before the hell week of our final project.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9256.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Prague couldn’t have been any better. The weather, the food, the sites, the people—the city was just perfect. The hostel I booked (Hostel Tyn) was in the best location. After we dropped off all of our stuff, we turned a corner and found the old town square where there was an Easter festival that had just started that day. The square was filled with food and souvenir stands. Our eyes bulged at the sight of shishkabobs and kielbasa. We filled ourselves with barbecued food and </span><span data-jsid="text" style="font-size: small;">trdelnik</span><span style="font-size: small;"> and ice cream. Food in Prague was super cheap compared to other touristy cities, and it was so good. We spent a while in the square just indulging in food and walking around to see the astronomical clock.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We didn’t have any plans for the weekend, so we wandered around and eventually hit the river and crossed the Charles Bridge (Prague’s most famous bridge). The bridge is only accessible to pedestrians, and it’s lined with several craft and souvenir vendors.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9416.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9441.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Once we crossed the bridge, we headed for Prazsky Hrad (Prague Castle). We entered the cathedral part of the castle (not sure if they're actually the same thing...?) and only went so far before they made people pay. The inside is beautiful--everything we've learned about in lectures, from the rose window to the rib vaults.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9494.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">After the cathedral, the group split into two. Four of the boys went off and rented a boat, and five of us hung around the castle area. Jeri, Sarah, and Kemal wanted to check out the castle's garden, so Erblin and I waited for them at the top exit. I sunbathed on a wall and took a nap (talk about relaxing!) as we waited. We ended up just sitting and and talking and taking it all in.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9526.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9562.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">As we made our way back across the bridge, we made several little pit stops to get snacks (like soft-served ice cream) and buy souvenirs. We were supposed to meet up with the other guys at 7pm back at the hostel, but as luck would have it, we spotted them by the river drinking beers at a restaurant/cafe, so we all went down and got some drinks and enjoyed the sunset. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9620.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">We stopped by our hostel briefly to freshen up and drop off some stuff before searching for dinner. We only made it as far as the old town square before we entered Dezerty (a restaurant attached to the Hotel U Prince). Prices were cheap and the food was decent enough. The desserts, however, were fantastic. They looked amazing and tasted amazing. By the time we finished dinner, we were exhausted (Erblin and me especially since we pulled an all-nighter before our train ride).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9628.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">The next day, we were out the door around 10am and ended up at the old town square again, eating from the vendors. A few people got crepes and shishkabobs, but I decided to try some potato pancakes. I can't emphasize enough how good their food is.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9674.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Two of the boys broke off from the group in search for a brewery (which they didn't make it to because of time constraints), so the rest of us crossed the bridge again in search of a tunnel (designed by Josef Pleskot) that we missed yesterday. We got side-tracked a few times along the way and ended up in some sort of garden.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9830.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9830.JPG" width="133" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Eventually we found the tunnel after going around in circles, and we somehow spent about in hour in there just admiring the brickwork and photographing everything. All of us were jumping off the walls, playing around in the little nook on the side. At one point, Kemal held me up so I could "write" on the ceiling with a piece of rock. Architects are silly; we find fun in the most random things.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_9920.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/beforetheworst/DSC_0015.JPG" width="133" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">We lounged around for most of the afternoon. We sunbathed on walls and on grass and didn't rush around. As our day was coming to an end, I rushed over to see Frank Gehry's Fred and Ginger building (I had to do something architectural. I wanted to see Adolf Loos' Mueller House, but no one else was interested). Unfortunately, it wasn't open, so I could only see it from the exterior. I enjoyed it much more than most of his other buildings though.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Finally, it was time to leave. John, Jeff, and I stopped by the square again for one last kielbasa before going to the hostel to pick up our stuff. All of us rushed to the train station (we were split into three groups at this point) and with our luck, we all found each other. We enjoyed our 5 hour train ride before arriving back in Berlin and pulling another all-nighter to catch up on our work.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-38526914978133052902011-04-26T15:09:00.000-07:002011-04-26T15:09:43.031-07:00Lifeboats<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><style>
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A few weeks ago on April 7<sup>th</sup>, our material studies class took a day trip to Hamburg to visit Hafen City (Harbor City). To be honest, I was all architecture-ed out at that point, so I wasn’t paying much attention to any of the buildings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/lifeboats/DSC_9111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://angelango.com/blog/lifeboats/DSC_9111.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/lifeboats/DSC_9003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/lifeboats/DSC_9003.JPG" width="133" /></a>We visited the Chilehaus (which I didn’t like) and got to go up to the roof and see a nice view of Hamburg. We walked by a lot of new residential/office buildings designed by a variety of architects. We also visited the Dockland Building by BRT Architekten. The building is on a 65 degree slant to mimic the form of a ship. We got a very brief tour of the interior and then we climbed the exterior stairs to the edge of the “ship.” Overall I liked the building.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/lifeboats/unilever_pano05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://angelango.com/blog/lifeboats/unilever_pano05.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/lifeboats/DSC_9108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/lifeboats/DSC_9108.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/lifeboats/DSC_9043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/lifeboats/DSC_9043.JPG" width="200" /></a>The highlight of the day for me was seeing two Behnisch buildings which I’ve only seen through pictures and heard about from my bosses. I finally made it to the Marco Polo Tower and the Unilever Headquarters. I didn’t go into Marco Polo, but it’s one of my favorite residential towers because of its form. Every floor is slightly different, so from the exterior the tower has this flow to it (much like the Aqua Tower in Chicago). Unilever was surreal. It’s that feeling of finally going somewhere after constantly hearing about it and studying it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Unfortunately I couldn’t go past the lobby, but nevertheless, I was ecstatic.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hamburg was a great city, but I wish I could have gone by myself to enjoy the city itself instead of studying it.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-81929378284517447272011-04-11T10:51:00.000-07:002011-05-13T12:19:30.741-07:00FireworkFour days in Budapest was exactly what I needed. I have been/am so stressed out from architecture and life in general; it was nice to go on vacation and forget about reality for a brief moment.<br />
<br />
Normally when I travel, I always plan out an itinerary that's detailed down to the hour. However, after the past couple of weekends, I am just exhausted with planning, so I just winged it. I had my trusty Frommer's Day by Day guide and just went with it.<br />
<br />
I left Berlin Wednesday night (March 30) after studio and arrived in Budapest around 10:15pm. From the airport, I took a bus that took me to the metro station. Little did I know that their metro system stops at 11:10pm... So I was stranded for a bit, running around, asking people if they knew how to get to Ferenciek Tere, and their response would be in Hungarian, to which I gave a confused and sorry look. At least they tried to help, which was actually really nice. Finally I managed to flag down a taxi and got a ride to my hostel (Maverick Hostel, best one I've been to so far--great location, huge facilities, friendly staff). The taxi ride cost me 4500 HUF (about 16 Euros, about $25).<br />
After checking in, I passed out for the night.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/heroessquare_pano_polar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/heroessquare_pano_polar.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I was up and out by 9am on Thursday. I decided to follow the tour that Frommer's had planned out in the guide book, so my first destination was Heroes Square. Heroes Square is very much like the Brandenburg Gate area, except it's at the entrance of a park. In the square are 14 Magyar tribe leaders, and the center column features the Archangel Gabriel. To the left and right of the square are the museum of fine arts and kunsthalle, and behind is Városliget Park (City Park).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_7699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_7699.JPG" width="134" /></a></div>After walking around and photographing the square, I walked down Andrassy Ut, one of the more popular boulevards of Budapest. It reminded me a lot of Unter den Linden in Berlin; it's lined with little restaurants, shops, squares, and villas, and it provides a generous amount of public space for circulation. I walked until I reached the Opera House and checked out the exterior. I meant to join a guided tour, but I ran out of time during my trip. From what I've heard, the interior is gorgeous. I guess that's something I'll have to see next time I visit.<br />
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Next door to the Opera House is a little cafe called Callas Cafe. I stopped by for a quick breakfast which consisted of a croissant and a caffe macchiato. I sat at their tables outside and people-watched as I sunbathed and ate. Nothing more relaxing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_7893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_7893.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>At some point I made my way down to St. Stephen's Basilica, Budapest's largest church. I paid 400 Forints to get access to the tower and see all of Budapest from a bird's eye view. Budapest is a gorgeous city.<br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/ststephensbasilica_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/ststephensbasilica_pano03.jpg" width="200" /></a>After the tower, I made my way down and into the church itself. The interior is like all of the other churches I've seen in Europe. The detail and lighting is absolutely beautiful. In one of the side rooms is the hand of St. Stephen himself (about 1000 years old!). Outside the church is a nice exterior plaza. Lots of people utilizing the public space and taking it all in.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/ststephensbasilica_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/ststephensbasilica_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_7912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_7912.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_7949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_7949.JPG" width="200" /></a>Next stop: Parliament. I had thought that the English tour of Parliament was at 2pm, so I walked along the Danube River and made it to Parliament around 1:30. To my disappointment, the tour wasn't until 3:15, so I found lunch at a random cafe. I'm not sure if there's a specific name for what it was that I ate, but it was pretty much a piece of bread with toppings on it (it reminded me of tapas actually). Whatever it was, it was cheap and delicious.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_7995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_7995.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/szabadsagter_pano_polar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/szabadsagter_pano_polar.jpg" width="200" /></a>I decided to fill in my time doing a mini-tour that Frommer's recommended of the Belvaros/Lipotvaros area. I walked around the Museum of Ethnography, the Agricultural Ministry, the Bridge Statute of Imre Nagy, and hung around Szabadsag Ter for a bit. I actually filled out some postcards while I was killing time. It was nice to check out the area and just lounge around a bit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/parliament_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/parliament_pano.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/parliament_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/parliament_pano02.jpg" width="200" /></a>I went back to Parliament at 3 and did the tour of the interior. The tour is only about 45 minutes, and you only see three areas, but the interior is impressive. The guide told us that Parliament is big enough to run a small city of 30,000 people (how crazy!). Everything in there that looks gold is actually gold (there's a lot of gold paint inside). We saw the crown jewels as well and saw one of the conference rooms where all the important people have their meetings (I don't follow politics so I don't really care about their titles and whatever). It was nice just to do the tour so I could say I saw the Parliament building in Budapest.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8074.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8152.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8197.JPG" width="200" /></a>After Parliament, I took the bus across the bridge and over to the Buda side to the Castle District and spent the rest of the day there. I did some souvenir shopping and walked around a lot. I didn't go into any of the museums but just enjoyed the beautiful weather. I saw the Royal Palace where Katy Perry's music video for Firework was filmed (hence the title of my blog post), walked around the St. Matthias Church, walked around the district itself, and spent sunset at Fisherman's Bastion.<br />
Around 8 or so, I found a random restaurant and got some dinner. I love Hungarian food because they use pepper in everything! It was a nice surprise. I ended up getting chicken paprikash and a beer and had a nice, relaxing dinner.<br />
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I took the bus back over to Pest and walked around for a bit, taking night photos. I ended up back at St. Stephen's Basilica before taking the Metro back to my hostel and calling it a night.<br />
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Friday morning, I met one of my hostel roommates named Evita, and we got to talking about our travels around Europe. This is one huge reason why I love hostels and why I love to travel alone; you end up meeting all these fantastic people from around the world and share your stories. We exchanged info and now we're Facebook friends (that makes it official).<br />
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I took it easy and didn't do any of the touristy spots that day.<br />
In the morning, I attempted to go to the Great Synagogue, but because I am awful with directions, I went every way but the right way and ended up in a completely opposite direction. I gave up around noon time and headed over to Arena Plaza, the biggest mall in Budapest.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://www.angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8269.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I met up with a friend for lunch at Leroy Cafe in Arena Plaza and had some fantastic Hungarian food. Goulash soup has quickly become one of my favorites. For dessert, I had some cottage cheese covered with corn flakes and a raspberry sauce. Very different but still good. We ended up having a 2.5 hour lunch, and it was so nice not to talk about architecture. It's been such a long time since I've had a decent conversation about life. Great lunch with even better company.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8288.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://www.angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://www.angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8278.JPG" width="200" /></a>Afterwards, I attempted to go to the Synagogue again but by the time I found it, it was closed (just my luck). I flipped through my Frommer's guide and picked the Great Market Hall as my next destination, and I am very happy that I went. It was much like Pike Place Market in Seattle, except that the space is entirely enclosed, and there aren't guys throwing fish. Everything they sold was fresh, from the meat to the vegetables to the fruit. There were also a ton of souvenir and craft and pepper vendors as well as food vendors. I ended up buying a small bottle of apricot palinka, which is fruit-flavored brandy that is traditional to Hungary.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8324.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8346.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8471.JPG" width="200" /></a>Next to the market was the Szabadsag Bridge, so I walked over it to the Buda side and climbed up Gellert Hill to watch the sunset. I made it to the statue of Gellert first, and then I continued uphill towards the citadel (which was closed) and then I walked around to the Freedom Statue and took some pictures. I sat around for a long while just enjoying the view of the entire city. I filled out some postcards to pass the time as well. The sunset was gorgeous from the hill. I'm so glad that I stayed to take night shots. I only wish I had my gorilla tripod to steady my camera, but regardless, I still got some nice pictures.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/pest_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/pest_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/budapest_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/budapest_pano03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8515.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>Eventually I was getting hungry, so I walked back down the hill and walked all the way to Szechenyi Ianchid (the Chain Bridge) and walked across. It really is a beautiful bridge, similar to the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan. Every night I was falling more and more in love with the city. It's a very romantic city with fantastic views everywhere you look.<br />
Instead of going out to dinner, I stopped by the 24 hour store next to my hostel and picked up a sandwich. I spent the night relaxing in the hostel, just watching music videos and eating my dinner.<br />
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Saturday morning, I woke up, and met one another one of my hostel roommates who had just checked in that morning. His name is Gabriel, and after we started talking, we both found out that we're both studying in Berlin and both living in Kreuzberg. What a small world! So we exchanged information and hopefully I can get together with him for a beer or something. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://www.angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8631.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>That day was even more relaxing. I spent the whole day in Városliget Park, hitting a few of their attractions in the area. I first tried to visit the Városliget Castle, but for the life of me, I could not figure out how to get inside. I'm not sure if the museum part is actually the castle or not, but I didn't feel like paying to enter, so I walked around and then went to the zoo! The Budapest zoo is pretty awesome. I spent about 5 hours there checking out all of their animals. I'm amazed by how close you can get to them, and how little security there is for the animals. I pet a sloth! and held a bird! It was a lot of fun just being a kid for the day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8875.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>When I finished playing with the animals, I hung around the park for a bit before I headed to the Szechenyi Baths that was across the street from the zoo. This is the most popular/famous bath house in Budapest, and it's no wonder why. It was soooo relaxing. Not nearly as amazing as the thermal baths in Vals, but close enough! It was also much cheaper compared to Vals. It cost me about $17 (I charged it to my credit card) whereas Zumthor's baths cost 40 Euros (about $60!). I spent about three hours just lounging around in the various baths. I spent some time in the medicinal bath and some of the other indoor baths, but most of my time was spent in the outdoor bath, where old men were playing chess and swarms of tourists filled the area. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep a few times and did the awkward twitch and hoped that no one else noticed... But man, oh, man, was it needed. After getting all nice and pruney, I finally left around 8 when the sun had gone down.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/szechenyibaths_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/szechenyibaths_pano03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8907.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Again, I flipped through Frommer's to see what it suggested for food, and luckily there was a restaurant nearby called Bagolyvar that served cheap Hungarian food. The moment I walked in, I felt under dressed (not to mention my hair was still wet from the baths), but the hostess didn't care. I got seated and ordered all that I wanted to. I had a nice three course meal that consisted of a cucumber salad, some veal dish with "egg dumplings," and a crepe. Oh, it was so good. I left with a very satisfied tummy.<br />
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I originally planned on going to Margaret Island that night, but because it was getting late (and by late, I mean 10pm, and the Metro stops around 11pm), I skipped it and hung out around Heroes Square again. It's beautiful at night. After a while, I headed back to my hostel. I ended up meeting a woman named Mary Ann who is 69 and doing the whole traveling/hostel thing. It was inspiring to meet and talk with her! Hopefully I'm still traveling around when I get to that age. She was just a fun person to talk with.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/heroessquare_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/heroessquare_pano03.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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That night I also Skyped with my family in New York. They were all at my cousin's wedding/reception, which I sadly missed. It was so nice to see everybody, even if it was through my computer screen. I can't believe it's been almost eight months since I've seen some of them... it's getting rough to watch life pass me by. I've missed birthdays and Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years and a wedding... as much as I love traveling, it will be such a joy to see my family in a month and have that sense of "home."<br />
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Sunday was another "go with the flow" kind of day. I started off by walking down Vaci Utca, a small shopping street, where all I did was window shop. When I found a metro station, I made my way over to Margaret Island. I ended up walking along the Danube to the Margaret Bridge to get to the island. Thankfully I didn't go to the island the night before because there was construction going on and I could barely see Buda or Pest from the tip of the island. There were fences and blockades all around! I walked around Margaret Island briefly before I decided I was bored and headed back to find a bus.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/firework/DSC_8959.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>My last stop of the trip was the Gellert Baths, and what a wonderful way to end my perfect vacation. I spent another three hours just lying around in various baths. Unlike the Szechenyi Baths, this was all indoors, and it was actually a little bit more expensive, which I didn't agree with, but oh well. Still, nice interior and sooooo relaxing. I wish I could go to the baths every single day... it's a nice way to counter the stress of architecture.<br />
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Eventually it was time to leave the beautiful city of Budapest. Luckily I left when I did because the bus system confused me a bit and the airport was packed. Siiiiiigh. I'm ready to go back.<br />
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I'll update about Prague next week, after final projects are due. Other than that, not much else to report about. Life is stressful as usual, and I've been pulling numerous all-nighters lately. My body hates me. Take me back to the baths!<br />
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And now I leave you with Katy Perry's music video of Firework. While I think the lyrics are funny ("do you ever feel like a plastic bag?"), I love that it was filmed in Budapest, so enjoy the beautiful view of the city.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="257" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QGJuMBdaqIw" width="400"></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-77898401618781217552011-04-04T08:25:00.000-07:002011-04-04T08:25:41.139-07:00Too Much Food<div style="font-family: inherit;"><style>
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">There’s no better word to describe Copenhagen than overwhelming.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_6718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_6718.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span data-jsid="text">Crystal and Cloud</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">When I worked for Behnisch LA, one of the other interns had previously interned in Copenhagen and told me about all the amazing architecture, which is what led me there. Before departing, Erblin and I didn’t really know what to see. We knew there were the big players like Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind, Norman Foster, and Jean Nouvel, but we also knew there were other important buildings like the Opera House, the Playhouse, and the Black Diamond (library). We decided to play it by ear and just see what we could.</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/playhouse_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/playhouse_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Royal Playhouse</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: small;">Saturday, March 26th, we were up at the crack of dawn when the only people on the Berlin U-Bahn are either coming home from the clubs or traveling. It was actually entertaining to watch all these drunk people trying to keep their balance on the subway.</span></div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_6880.JPG" width="200" /></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_6750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_6750.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">SEB</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_6939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_6939.JPG" width="200" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_6789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_6789.JPG" width="200" /></a>We arrived in Copenhagen at 8 and were out and about by 9. We mostly stayed along the water and walked the entire day. Whenever we saw an interesting work of architecture, we would photograph it, walk around it, and try to get in. Copenhagen’s an interesting city. The “downtown” area is very old and industrial-looking, but then there are areas where it is entirely new architecture. It was also strange because we hardly saw anybody walking around. Maybe it was too cold, but it seemed like we had the whole city to ourselves—kind of eerie.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/SEBcitydune_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/SEBcitydune_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">SEB</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/blackdiamond_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/blackdiamond_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Black Diamond</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/blackdiamond_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="103" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/blackdiamond_pano02.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Reflection on Black Diamond</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/blackdiamond_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="136" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/blackdiamond_pano03.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Interior of Black Diamond</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">I won’t even begin to list how many buildings we saw (mainly because I don’t even know who designed it or what it’s called). The entire weekend was just a never-ending adventure because each building would lead us to another building. I definitely need to go back someday because a weekend was not nearly enough.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/waterfront_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/waterfront_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7130.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7199.JPG" width="200" /></a>Sunday was an amazing day for architecture. We started off by taking the Metro (after our looooooong day of walking) to Jean Nouvel’s DR Concert Hall. We spent maybe 2 or 3 hours just in that area alone. The concert hall is connected to three other buildings which I believe is part of a university campus (I could be really wrong about that). The concert hall itself is contained within a blue shell made of canvas-like mesh. We couldn't get inside to check out the hall itself, but we walked around the building between the blue facade and the glass. My favorite part is the concrete of the building. The way it's finished makes it look like fabric. It reminded me of the Schindler House in LA because of the creases.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/drbyen_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/drbyen_pano03.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/drbyen_pano04_polar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/drbyen_pano04_polar.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7354.JPG" width="200" /></a></span><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7338.JPG" width="200" /></a>Around the DR area were a bunch of residential buildings. The area was very strange. It's very desolate and then there's a ton of new architecture in the middle of nowhere. From what I can gather, there's a master plan in action, so I would love to go back in a few years to see how the area has developed.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7398.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7414.JPG" width="133" /></a>After wandering around to every building we liked, we took the metro down to visit BIG's mountain apartments. I am speechless. Erblin and I were both speechless. The building is incredible. It's tiered like a mountain, so the bottom half is all parking and then the tiered part is the apartments. The awesome part of the building is the elevator. It's not an elevator; it's a ski lift! The public is also allowed to walk around the exterior of the mountain, so you can climb the stairs and see through to the parking elevator and corridors.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7435.JPG" width="200" /></a>Being the architecture students we are, we tried to get into the building. As luck would have it, a tenant was entering the building, so we just followed her. She noticed that we were geeking out at the circulation, and so she asked "architecture students?" Is it that obvious? We rode the ski lift with her and she told us about another BIG building nearby. After she got off, we walked around the corridors in disbelief and admiration.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/mountain_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/mountain_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/mountain_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/mountain_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next door to the mountain apartments are BIG's VM apartments.We didn't really see too much of it because we were just so amazed by the mountain. We walked around it and just stared in awe.</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/vm_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/vm_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/DSC_7529.JPG" width="200" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Finally we got the motivation to go down to the BIG building that the girl told us about. It's called the 8 Tallet apartments because it's in the shape of the number 8. Talk about overwhelming. Erblin and I were just stunned. How does Bjarke Ingels think of things like this?! The entire building is accessible by ramp and stairs. Every apartment is two-stories, they're each on a different level (about a few inches higher/lower than its neighbors) and each has its own little outdoor area. We walked around all the apartments and went into a few of them. Needless to say, we were more than impressed (and a bit discouraged because it was so so amazing). When will I be able to design something like that?</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/8_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/8_pano.jpg" width="640" /> </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/8_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://angelango.com/blog/toomuchfood/8_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">After our afternoon of BIG, it was time to head out. I most definitely have to return to Copenhagen someday; I've only just begun to see all the architecture that it has to offer.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-16644310566424877702011-03-25T15:37:00.000-07:002011-03-25T15:37:47.707-07:00Moving MountainsThis past long weekend was incredible. I don't know how we managed to fit so many sites and activities into four days because it felt like an entire week. It was an amazing experience with so much beautiful landscape and views.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_4821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_4821.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_4826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_4826.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_4813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_4813.JPG" width="200" /></a>Last Thursday, our entire class flew to Zurich and were chauffeured around by a private bus. Our first destination was the Swiss Re addition designed by Meili & Peter. From the exterior, I wasn't very impressed. I loved the materials and textures (especially the glass rocks in the concrete) but the form was very basic. However, the interior redeemed itself. We were lucky enough to get a guided tour by the lead architect of the project. You could definitely see the attention to detail on the inside. Everything was mostly flush, the concrete structure met the floor slab at a very specific point, the use of materials was just perfect... I loved the wood beams as well. I drew a quick section sketch to describe how it works. On the inside, there is a wire cable in the shape of a parabola that works in tension to support the cantilever.<br />
We also toured the old part of the building and saw how the building was integrated with the site. Rolf, our professor, was explaining how Swiss architecture likes to hide certain moments from first glances. You have to dig a little deeper to find out these moments. I love that approach.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/kunsthaus_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/kunsthaus_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_4958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_4958.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5029.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
Our next stop was in Bregenz, Austria, so we were on the bus for a few hours before arriving at Peter Zumthor's Kunsthaus. Simply amazing. We've studied this building a couple times now but as with every work of architecture, you can't understand it completely until you experience it yourself. Most of the time, we focus on the museum building and forget about the administrative building, but the admin building is essential to the urban design. The two buildings create a nice exterior public space (unfortunately it was raining when we were there) that opens up toward the city. On the other side of the museum is a body of water, so the museum is definitely visible in the skyline. Because of the rain, we were able to experience the "ghost" aspect of the museum; the color of the glass facade blended in perfectly with the gray skies. The interior is simple but amazing. There are three concrete bearing walls which support the building, and the other main material is glass. If you look at a section of the building, the glass ceilings are dropped about a meter from the bottom of the floor slab which allows natural light to enter the glass facade and filter down into the exhibition spaces. I loved the building enough to buy a book about it.<br />
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The rest of our night was spent on the bus and at our hotel in Switzerland. Luckily the hotel provided us with entertainment in the form of ping pong, darts, billiards, and squash. In the morning, we were up and out by 8:30.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5146.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Our first stop of the day was in Chur to see an entrance to the Graubünden Parliament building designed by Valerio Olgiati. My initial reaction was indifferent; I actually didn't even know what building we were looking at. However, as time passed on, I found myself appreciating the structure more and more. Like I mentioned, Swiss architecture takes some time to discover little moments. The entrance itself isn't actually touching the existing building, which makes you think about how it is being supported. From far away, it looks like the column on the right side is connected to the old building, but it isn't. Somehow the cantilever is in balance even though it looks like it shouldn't be. I also like the fact that the entrance follows the line of the building, but then Olgiati takes it a step further and extends the footprint to follow the line of the sidewalk, relating it back to the city block.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5168.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/studiobardill_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/studiobardill_pano03.jpg" width="320" /></a>From Chur, we took the bus to Scharans to see another building by Olgiati: a studio for Atelier Bardill. The only restriction was that Olgiati had to keep the form of the building that existed previously. It's a great building that respects the village around it but also brings in new ideas. We spent a while photographing the exterior, and at one point we saw a woman park her car outside the studio and unload groceries. Next thing you know, she unlocks the door, and Dan and I make eye contact, both of us wondering, "can we go in...?" and bolt for the door. We only saw the courtyard but it was still enough to appreciate the space. It was the first time that a Wentworth group has seen the interior!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/studiobardill_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/studiobardill_pano02.jpg" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5352.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5328.JPG" width="200" /></a>Next town was Paspels to visit a school designed by Olgiati. I loved it. Very simple but also very elegant. In plan, it's essentially a square with four classrooms in each corner. The classroom walls are slanted at a very small angle (five degrees or less) so it's almost not noticeable when you're walking through. From the exterior, you notice how the building just mimics the mountains in the background. Inside, the circulation space is all concrete, and when you reach the classroom, it turns into all wood. There are also large windows that provide amazing views of the landscape. If only my school were this awesome.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/paspels_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/paspels_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5538.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>From Paspels, we drove to Vals to visit the stone quarry where the stones from the thermal baths came from. We got a tour of the area including the factory where they cut and polish and finish the stones. There were plenty of scrap piles so everybody was looting for souvenirs.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/IMG_2187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/IMG_2187.JPG" width="86" /></a></div>Finally, we made it to Peter Zumthor's thermal baths. Hands down, the best architectural experience ever, and it was all paid for by Wentworth (well, technically, I guess we paid for it...). From the moment we entered, it was just incredible. I could not believe it. I've studied the building year after year, and to finally be inside, to experience the baths and just relax... it was perfect. There are several different rooms with different highlights. My personal favorite was the bath that was filled with lavender petals; it smelt fantastic inside, and it was so so relaxing. We made up names for the other rooms like the hot tub, the cold room, the echo room, the music room, the main pool, and the exterior bath. Of course, I couldn't not take pictures, so after a little while, I went back into the locker room to grab my crappy point and shoot to sneak in some shots. I got a few pictures of the corridor, the locker room, and the entrance to the exterior bath. I made the mistake of showing a classmate that I had my camera, because she proceeded to ask me to photograph her with the baths, and I reluctantly did it. Of course, some bitch of a woman came up behind me afterwards and said "lady, give me your camera" and that was that. I had to pick it up afterwards at the reception desk where the receptionist gave me attitude and said "I told you no cameras." Come on. You can't tell an architect not to take pictures of architecture. After spending about three hours at the baths, I went around the exterior and photographed the exterior baths. It's amazing how Zumthor set it into the landscape. From behind, it blends in to the mountains in the distance.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/thermalbaths_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/thermalbaths_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/thermalbaths_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/thermalbaths_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5636.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>We ended our night at our hotel in Vrin and had a wonderful four-course dinner that was paid for by Wentworth. At the end of dinner, I walked around outside for a little bit and photographed the mountains with the full moon. Then the clouds moved in...<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5705.JPG" width="200" /></a>Next morning, I woke up to snow falling outside my window, and I smiled. Because I was in LA for most of winter, I only had one snow storm when I was briefly back in Boston. I was happy to have my second snowfall of the year. <br />
We spent most of the day looking at architecture in Vrin, specifically architecture by Gion Caminada. We had a guide (Timone) with us who had worked with Caminada previously and had lived in Vrin for seven years.<br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5725.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a>In the morning, we started off with a lecture, where we all struggled to stay awake (not that it was boring, but when I stop moving, I just want to sleep). Afterwards, Timone brought us into the gymnasium addition that Caminada had designed for the school in Vrin. It was made entirely of local wood and built by local carpenters. The tectonics were just plain sexy. You could see and understand how the whole structure works. We also had our fun inside; we had to take our shoes off when we entered, and we quickly realized how slippery the floors were, so of course, we had some sliding races.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5748.JPG" width="134" /></a></div>Afterwards, we walked over to a phone booth designed by Caminada. The town had requested a phone line to be installed, and instead of placing a generic phone booth, Caminada decided to design one that related more to the village. Another beautiful wood structure, but the wood is having problems because of the rain.<br />
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On our way to visit Caminada's slaughterhouse, we stopped by and discussed one of his single-family houses. He follows a lot of the same principles--lots of wood with a stone foundation. When we got to the slaughterhouse, we couldn't enter because it was closed on Saturdays. It was a great building though (with lots of little hidden teases), and it's even better to learn how the slaughterhouse has helped the village. Before, they had to transport their livestock to other towns/villages to have them slaughtered and whatnot, but now, they can do it all locally and generate money within the town. With just a few buildings and ideas, Caminada managed to save this village and help them keep their traditions.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/slaughterhouse_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/slaughterhouse_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5804.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Our last Caminada building was the town mortuary that was located next to the church. The structure was constructed from wood, and unlike his other buildings, this one was painted in white chalk on the exterior to mimic the white church next to it. On the inside, he brings it back to the natural wood color to make the space more intimate and warm. The mortuary is used for people to grieve the deceased. The body is normally placed downstairs where people can say goodbye, while the upstairs there are two rooms (like a dining room and a living room) where friends and family can reminisce about the deceased. The process can last for a few days.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/IMG_2220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/IMG_2220.JPG" width="200" /></a>After lunch, we took the bus back into Zurich but made a pit stop in a town to see another Olgiati building. It was called the Yellow House and it was actually designed by Olgiati's father. Olgiati's father was some sort of collector, and before he died, he promised to donate his collection to the town if they promised to keep the Yellow House and renovate it. We didn't enter to see the exhibits but had a brief discussion outside.<br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5924.JPG" width="133" /></a>When we arrived in Zurich and settled in, Jeri, Sarah, Kemal, and I walked around the city, both exploring the old part as well as looking for souvenir shops. Unfortunately, almost all of the stores were closed by 6pm, so we ended up just walking around and photographing. Eventually we got hungry so we wandered, looking for something affordable. Switzerland is ridiculously expensive compared to all the other cities I have been to. We finally found a decently priced restaurant, and I'm glad that we went to a sit-down restaurant rather than a take-out/fast food place.<br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5929.JPG" width="200" /></a>When we finished dinner, I wanted to pick up a beer at the grocery store, and luckily it was open until 10pm, so while we were there, we ended up finding a souvenir aisle and buying all of our chocolate there. I also bought a Swiss army knife to replace the one that the airport had taken from me four years ago when I came back from Hawaii. All in all, a good night in Zurich.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_5984.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Sunday morning, we visited one building in Zurich by Giuliani Honger. The Sihlhof building is a building for two schools that are part of a university. It wasn't spectacularly special in my opinion, but Rolf loves it for some reason. We were fortunate to get a tour by the architect himself so he explained the concept of the building and the process.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/vitra_polarpano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/vitra_polarpano.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>The highlight of Sunday was visiting Vitra in Basel, Germany. I can't believe that I had never heard of Vitra beforehand because it is awesome. The company designs home furniture (think IKEA but better) and collects famous designs like Eames, Mies, Gehry, etc. chairs. They cost thousands of dollars!! Needless to say, this company is ballin'. We visited the campus which consists of all Pritzker Prize winning architects except for a few. We saw Herzog and de Meuron, Zaha Hadid, Nicholas Grimshaw, Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando, Bucky Fuller, and a few others. <br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/bucky_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/bucky_pano.jpg" width="200" /></a>First structure we saw was Bucky Fuller's dome. There's currently nothing inside, but our tour guide was telling us about awesome events that are hosted there.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_6191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_6191.JPG" width="200" /></a>Next, we got to enter into Zaha Hadid's Fire Station which is a very strange, intriguing building. Not sure how I feel about her work, but when we were in the women's restroom, I felt like I was falling over because none of the walls were at 90 degree angles. Definitely different.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/vitrazaha_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/vitrazaha_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_6324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_6324.JPG" width="200" /></a>We also went into Tadao Ando's Conference Pavilion. I believe this was my first Ando building (it's hard to keep track these days) and it was very much Ando. I was a bit disappointed though because I was expecting more moments where light slips into little cracks and openings, but nonetheless, it's still a great structure.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/vitraando_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/vitraando_pano03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_6403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/DSC_6403.JPG" width="200" /></a>Lastly, we toured the VitraHaus by Herzog and de Meuron, which serves as the welcome center, the gift shop, the cafe, as well as the "museum"/display area. It was very much like IKEA where you look and test out the furniture. I liked the interior of this building much more than all the other Herzog and de Meuron buildings, but the place is like an oven! There's a lot of southern exposure, and it doesn't help that the roofs are painted black and bounce all the heat back into the windows.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/vitrahaus_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://angelango.com/blog/movingmountains/vitrahaus_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Sadly, our long weekend trip had to come to an end. It's been nonstop architecture and studio and all sorts of other annoyances like IDP and FAFSA and grad school decisions and scholarships when I'm back in Berlin. I need a break.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-77611142104066517832011-03-14T13:32:00.000-07:002011-03-14T13:32:02.268-07:00RoxanneAmsterdam was unreal.<br />
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This city is unlike any other city I've ever been to (in a good, crazy way). It was like an extreme of Las Vegas minus the gambling. Everywhere you go, people are smoking pot or eating space cakes. And the Red Light District... such a culture shock!<br />
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Jeri and I met up with a group of the France study abroad group Saturday morning at the Amsterdam airport. Our flight was supposed to get in earlier than theirs, and our plan was to meet them at the gate, but when we got out, there was no indication of where their gate was. We used our detective skills to try and figure out where they would exit the terminal from, pacing back and forth from baggage claim to exit doors. Next thing I hear on the loudspeaker is "Angela <i>Neggo</i> and Jeri <i>Hall</i> please report to the information desk." Turns out, their flight arrived early, and they were smarty pants about finding us.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4449.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>We took a taxi into the city and immediately found some breakfast. I couldn't have asked for a better group to explore Amsterdam with; no matter what we did, it was always fun and funny.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4522.JPG" width="200" /></a>The way Amsterdam is laid out is really simple. There's a center, and then the canals surround it kind of like a ripple effect. It's a completely walkable city; I'd guess that the farthest you'd have to walk would be about two miles. After we had breakfast and coffee, we walked to the Van Gogh Museum. Unfortunately, no photos were allowed of the interior, but the exhibit was incredible. I'm not a big fan of Van Gogh, but seeing all his work definitely brought on a new sense of appreciation.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/iamsterdam_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/iamsterdam_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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By the time we finished in the museum, we were all starving for lunch, so on our way to the Heineken brewery, we stopped by a little sandwich shop. I have no idea what the name of this place was or where it was, but the guy made some amazing paninis.<br />
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We were all pretty excited for the Heineken Brewery, but when we got there, we quickly realized that it wasn't worth 15 Euros. The tour only included two beers and no "free" glass! We decided to save our money and do a canal cruise later on instead. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4558.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>We explored more of the city and ended up at a street market. Of course, the first thing that caught our attention was a waffle stand. Even though we just ate lunch, all of us ordered a waffle covered in some sort of sweet (mine was just dark chocolate syrup... and it was perfection).<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4657.JPG" width="200" /></a>Next up: canal cruise! For 13 Euros, we were driven around the canals for about 75 minutes or so. It was also perfect timing because it was almost sunset. It's a great quick way to see the architecture and the streets of Amsterdam.<br />
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After that, we decided to find the hostel (StayOkay) so everyone could drop off their backpacks. My plan for Amsterdam was to pull an all-nighter and roam the streets at night because the hostels I found required a 2 night minimum stay or they cost close to $50/night. Unfortunately, no one else agreed with my plan, so I got dragged into staying at a hostel with the rest of them. I'm sure it was the better choice, but I still think it would have been epic to say that I pulled an all-nighter in Amsterdam and wreaked havoc.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4716.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4720.JPG" width="200" /></a>We headed back into the center for dinner. Our stomachs led us to the first affordable restaurant we found (no idea what it was called). Most of us ended up ordering half a chicken with salad and fries for only 9.50 Euros. Decently priced. It didn't even compare to the taste of Greece, but it was good enough for me in my starving state.<br />
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By the time we finished dinner, it was about 11pm, so we figured it was about time to see the Red Light District. The area was clearly marked with red lights wherever possible. I can't even describe how strange it is to walk down these streets. You're surrounded by 80% males (hey, it's like being at Wentworth!) who are oggling these, erm.... "pretty women" that are in behind glass doors, tapping their nails on the glass, trying to get... clients.... to come in. Then there are clubs and theaters trying to sell you tickets to see live... performances. Very different from anything I've ever encountered.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4746.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>We called it a night after that and headed back to the hostel by taxi. In the morning, we had free breakfast at the hostel before checking out. We wanted to see the Anne Frank house, but when we got there, the line was insanely long, so we decided to skip it and walk around instead.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/roxanne/DSC_4768.JPG" width="200" /></a>Eventually the France group had to leave and catch their flight, so Jeri and I hung around the city for an extra hour or two. We mostly shopped around souvenir shops and circled around different streets. We took the subway back to the airport, and I'm pretty sure it was faster and cheaper than taking a taxi.<br />
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Needless to say, Amsterdam was different. I would love to return someday to see more of the city. Hopefully my uncle moves there.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-80077161557945960222011-03-10T07:11:00.000-08:002011-03-10T07:11:29.916-08:00Relax, Take It EasyThis past weekend was our first long weekend. Jeri, Sarah, and I met up with Danielle, Pam, and Megan in Athens to travel to Santorini. It was one of the best, most memorable times I've ever had. It was such a relief not having to run around like a mad woman trying to see architecture. I finally just relaxed and took it all in.<br />
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We picked one of the quieter times to visit Santorini. In the summer, the island is filled with tourists. When we were there, the majority of the shops weren't open, there weren't any donkey rides or boats to the volcano, the buses weren't as frequent... and it was awesome. It was like having the whole island to ourselves. I would hate to be there with a million people all fighting for pictures and having people haggling me for money or whatever. Anyways...<br />
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Thursday, the Berlin girls arrived in Athens at 3pm and took a taxi to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon (our one architecture-related activity). We thought the Acropolis closed at 5, so we booked it as soon as we got off the plane. We paid 40 Euros for the cab ride, only to find out that the Acropolis closes at 3 (last tickets at 2:30). We were not happy campers. We found Megan, Danielle, and Pam, and together we walked the Acropolis and took photos of the view.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/acropolis_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/acropolis_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3405.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>We stopped at a cafe called <span id="search">Ouv Adnua </span> for food. Our waitress was hilarious! She was full of energy and jokes. In Greece, people take their time and relax when they eat. It was so nice just to kick back with food and wine.<br />
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After spending about two hours there, we headed for our hotel in Piraeus, where we would be taking a ferry the next morning. We weren't quite stuffed yet, so we ventured out towards the water and walked around and ended up going into a Haagen Daz Cafe for desserts. Sadly I didn't have my camera on me, but the desserts were delicious. This was like a high-class Haagen Daz. If we wanted to, we could've ordered alcoholic drinks as well.<br />
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When we got back to the hotel, we all took showers, and this is when I was banned from using outlets for the rest of the trip. In my state my tiredness, I plugged in Pam's hairdryer with an adapter but not a converter, so as soon as I turned on the hairdryer, I blew the fuse, and Jeri and Sarah go "Angela...." and the next thing you hear from next door (because the walls are paper thin) is "was that the hairdryer?!" Turns out I blew out the electricity for the entire third floor... Oops.<br />
The staff were nice about it though. They couldn't restore the electricity, so they offered for us to switch room, but I felt so bad that I told them that it would be fine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3446.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3494.JPG" width="200" /></a>The next morning, we woke up early for our 7:30am ferry to Santorini on Blue Star Ferries. It was a 7.5 hour ferry ride, making a few stops to the other islands. The water was the bluest I had ever seen. We spent the majority of our time trying to catch up on sleep or playing card games. We finally arrived at Santorini around 3:30 where we were picked up personally by our hotel, Villa Manos. We only paid 86 Euros for two nights, which rounded to about 15 Euros per person! The ride to the hotel reminded a lot of the roads in Jamaica; there were a lot of sharp turns going up and down the mountain/cliff.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3625.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3628.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3523.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3523.JPG" width="133" /></a>We wasted no time. We dropped off all of our stuff in the room and walked for about 20 minutes to Fira, the "capital" of Santorini. We made a few stops along the side of the road to watch the sunset and stopped by a few souvenir shops for gifts and such. Around 7pm or so, we were all starving, and because we hadn't eaten since the ferry, and we didn't know when restaurants would close, we headed to a restaurant called <a href="http://www.ellis-restaurant.gr/">Ellis</a> (recommended by one of the cashiers at a souvenir shop). This was the most amazing restaurant I have ever experienced. When we arrived, there was absolutely no one in there, and our waiter just looked so bored. I think we made his night by entering the restaurant. He was absolutely charming and adorable. The food was incredible. We ordered a few appetizers (fried cheese, deep fried tomato balls) and everybody tried different entrees. We ended up spending four hours there, and our waiter kept bringing us free food! First he brought out half a liter of white wine and a quarter liter of red wine, and after we finished with our entrees, he came out with four (!!!) plates of desserts! It was a fantastic night full of food and good friends and beautiful sights.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3656.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Saturday morning, we woke up bright and early and headed back to Fira for breakfast at a cafe called Classico Cafe. In the morning, it was raining a bit so we were worried that it would be a wet day out, but as soon as we finished breakfast, the sun came out. It was perfect. We walked around Fira for about an hour or so before taking the bus down to Kamari.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3760.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Kamari, like the rest of Santorini, was wonderful. We walked around exploring the town. We tried to find Ancient Thira, but we quickly realized that it was located on the top of the cliff. If we had planned it better, I bet we would've rented ATVs to drive to the top. But, regardless, we enjoyed our little hikes around the town, and finally we walked towards the water to experience Kamari's black sand beach. It was surreal to see all this black sand and rocks. The first thing I did was throw my shoes and socks off. It was painful to walk on at first, but after a while, you get used to it. I frolicked around like a little kid. I ran towards the Mediterranean Sea and felt the cold water submerge my feet. It was wonderful.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/kamari_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/kamari_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_3922.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>Because it was the weekend, the buses were running only every two hours, so we decided to call a taxi instead of wasting time. We drove down to our next destination on the island: Akrotiri. This was even more amazing than Kamari's black sand... this was red sand. We had to climb a bit to get down to the beach, but the view was breath-taking. I couldn't believe where I was. The water so crystal clear and so blue. It was beyond words. We spent a few hours there relaxing, taking pictures, etc. I was throwing rocks and attempting to skip them; I was having the time of my life.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/akrotiri_pano02_fill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/akrotiri_pano02_fill.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Eventually it was time to leave the beach. We headed back to the hotel briefly to clean ourselves up and get ready for the night. While we were looking for Poppy (the owner of the hotel) so we could get a taxi, she decided to feed us food! Seriously, this woman was so hospitable and helpful.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_4352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_4352.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_4155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_4155.JPG" width="200" /></a>We took the taxi to our final destination of the night: Oia. I had read several articles online and in books that Oia must be experienced at sunset, so that's what we did. We arrived about an hour beforehand so we could walk around and check out the town. It was here that The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was filmed, and it is here that those famous pictures of white houses and blue roofs are taken.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/oia_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/oia_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
When we got out of the taxi, we were followed by the most adorable dog. Santorini has several stray dogs that roam around. At one point, we were being followed by four dogs; we even named them! If I could have, I would have taken them home with me. <br />
The sky was a bit cloudy, but the sunset was still beautiful. I personally think clouds enhance a sunset because they create this wonderful palette of pinks, purples, and blues. It was the perfect way to end our perfect day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/oia_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/oia_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/oia_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/oia_pano03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_4398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_4398.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_4395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_4395.JPG" width="200" /></a>We took a taxi back into Fira for dinner at Mama's House, also recommended to us by the same cashier. Like every other restaurant we ate it, this place was delicious as well. Usually I'm pretty frugal when it comes to ordering, but I figured, "I'm on vacation; to hell with it!" I may look like a small person, but I can eat. I ordered a Santorini Salad, fried goat cheese, a bird's nest (eggplant topped with beef, cheese, and tomato sauce), baklava with ice cream, and .5L of red wine. I was stuffed at the end of the night. After dinner, we were all exhausted from our long day of excursions and decided sadly to call it a night.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_4423_copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/relaxtakeiteasy/DSC_4423_copy.JPG" width="200" /></a>The next morning, we had dinner at the hotel (and took a photo with Poppy!) and got driven to the airport. We flew back to Athens on Olympic Air, and the flight was only half an hour! From Athens, we all split up to go back to our respective countries. An amazing weekend right before midcrit.<br />
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This coming weekend: Amsterdam!<br />
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In other news, I got accepted into graduate school! Yesterday I received an email from Parsons telling me that I was accepted and was being considered for a scholarship! So then I checked my other email account, and found out that I had been denied from Columbia (my number one choice. Sad, but I'm okay about it) and I was being recommended by UIC's arch department to their Graduate College. What a good way to begin my morning after pulling an all-nighter for midcrit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-81093718402286486502011-03-07T04:47:00.000-08:002011-03-07T04:47:51.082-08:00Larger Than LifeJust a quick update about last Tuesday and Wednesday.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/largerthanlife/krematorium_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://angelango.com/blog/largerthanlife/krematorium_pano03.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For our Tuesday excursion, Jeri, Sarah, and I chose to visit the Krematorium in Berlin designed by Axel Schultes Architekten. As it was with the Barcelona Pavilion, I had learned about the Krematorium sophomore year as a precedent for my public market. From the exterior, it looks like a big mass of concrete with voids carved out for entry. To enter the Krematorium, there are enormous motion-sensor doors that slide open, and then you're exposed to the interior. I was speechless when I entered. The space is filled with columns as direct sunlight penetrates through the voids in the building. The beautiful aspect of the columns is the top--instead of completely connecting to the roof, there are openings that let sunlight in, so as the column directs your view up, you see this bright light that contrasts with the darkness of the interior.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/largerthanlife/krematorium_panoBW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://angelango.com/blog/largerthanlife/krematorium_panoBW.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/largerthanlife/krematorium_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" src="http://angelango.com/blog/largerthanlife/krematorium_pano02.jpg" width="200" /></a>There are also chapels inside the krematorium for services. It's pretty much three concrete walls and a window with louvers. Very simple yet elegant. <br />
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On Wednesday, our Material Studies class did a field trip to the Philharmonic! I have to correct my previous post about the Chamber Music Hall. I had thought the architect was Hans Scharoun, but he only designed the Philharmonie Hall. For the Chamber Music Hall, the architect was Edgar Wisniewski who had referred to drawings that Scharoun had drawn to design the space.<br />
The Philharmonie hall is enormous; if I remember correctly, it fits 2,200 people inside whereas the Chamber Music Hall has a capacity of about 1,200.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/largerthanlife/DSC_3295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/largerthanlife/DSC_3295.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>It was nice to get a guided tour of the place; we got to see the hidden spaces throughout the building, and it definitely helped me with my studio project (we are designing an extension to a music and dance school).<br />
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Got back from Greece last night; that update will come as soon as I finish my mid-crit work...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-8184850318871759182011-03-01T11:25:00.000-08:002011-03-07T11:26:18.400-08:00The WandererI wish I could travel as a profession.<br />
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This past weekend, I did a solo trip to Barcelona, and it was amazing. As much as I love group trips, it's always liberating to travel alone. I hate feeling rushed by others when I want to take photographs or go to a million different sites.<br />
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Because it was a quick weekend trip, I tried to pack in as many destinations as possible. I arrived in Barcelona around 11:30am and decided to take the Renfe railway into the city. Barcelona has a handful of transportation methods, and they get very confusing. I bought a one-way ticket into the city and the stupid cashier woman shafted me 5<span id="search">€. Not cool.</span><br />
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<span id="search">My first stop was my hostel--Sant Jordi Diagonal, recommended by Liz from Behnisch. It was a bit pricier than other hostels, but it was clean, the staff were awesome and informative, and </span><span id="search">it was in a perfect location on a main street.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/pedrera_pano04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/pedrera_pano04.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span id="search">After I dropped off everything, I headed for Gaudi's La Pedrera (Casa Mila). Gaudi is everywhere in Barcelona; it's impossible to miss his works. I was never a fan of Gaudi until this trip. Although you could enter the building, I decided to pass because I'm still on a student budget. I walked around the exterior and examined the structure. Absolutely fascinating how Gaudi's mind works.</span><br />
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<span id="search">Across the street was Toyo Ito's Suites Avenue Hotel. The ground floor is retail, but above are hotel rooms. Not sure what the interior is like, but from the outside, it was "ehhh." The facade is just waves of strips, but I would bet the rooms are pretty sweet. Because of the waves, it creates opportunities for balconies, which in turn frame the view of the street.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/sagrada_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/sagrada_pano.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/sagrada_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/sagrada_pano02.jpg" width="168" /></a><span id="search">Next stop: Sagrada Familia. It was a nice day out so I walked along Diagonal Avenue towards the church. By the time I arrived, the clouds had moved in and turned the sky gray. Again, I decided just to walk around the exterior and not pay to enter, and that is the one thing I regret from the trip. From what I've heard and seen from the France group, the interior is gorgeous. Stupid me. Guess I'll have to return to Barcelona someday. From the exterior, the church just looks crazy. There's so so much detail and a ton of scaffolding. </span><br />
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<span id="search">Before I came to Barcelona, a few people recommended the hop on/hop off buses, so I bought a two-day pass for 27</span><span id="search">€. I should have planned my itinerary before buying the pass because I only used it for one day. The bus has three lines (red, blue, green) but the green line doesn't run during the winter months, so I ended up buying a Metro pass for Sunday anyways. The bus stops by the most popular attractions around the city, but sometimes it's a pain because it only goes one way, so if you want to go to a previous stop, you would have to ride the bus all the way around again, which can take up to two hours.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2304.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2226%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2226%20copy.jpg" width="200" /></a><span id="search">From Sagrada Familia, I took the bus to Park Guell, also designed by Gaudi. It was here that I became an admirer of Gaudi's work. Initially it was supposed to be a garden for some housing complex, but because that fell through, it was eventually turned into a public park. The park is huuuuuuge. I spent well over an hour there, and I feel like I only explored a fraction of it. I'm simply impressed by all of it--the materials, the structure, the plans... I can barely wrap my head around it. There were a ton of people there, from tourists to vendors to street performers to artists. I wouldn't mind spending an entire day there.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/parkguell_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/parkguell_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span id="search"><br />
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<span id="search">On my itinerary, my next stop was supposed to be Camp Nou, the largest football (soccer) stadium in Europe, redesigned by Norman Foster, but because the bus took so long to get there, I decided to skip it since I'm not a fan of football anyways.</span><br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2435.JPG" width="133" /></a><span id="search">Next up: Barcelona Pavilion by Mies van der Rohe!! I have loved this building from afar ever since sophomore year when I studied it as a precedent for my public market. It's so simple--a few columns here and there and some planes to create spaces. How wonderful! This was one of the main reasons I decided to visit Barcelona in the first place. It is so surreal to be able to see these buildings in person after reading about them and studying plans and sections and elevations and photographs. Sometimes I still can't believe where I am.</span><br />
<span id="search">As expected, the pavilion was fantastic. I'm so glad it did not disappoint. It only cost me 2</span><span id="search">€ to enter and walk around the site. I must have taken over 200 photos there; I didn't want to miss a thing. I loved the reflections on the various surfaces (water, marble, glass) and the way Mies directs and frames views. It was all perfect.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/barcelonapavilion_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/barcelonapavilion_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/barcelonapavilion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/barcelonapavilion.jpg" width="640" /></a><span id="search"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2491.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><span id="search">I hopped back on the bus again and headed towards Santiago Calatrava's Olympic Antenna. Calatrava's another architect I admire because of his ingeniousness when it comes to engineering. I never understand how his structures are standing up!</span><br />
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<span id="search">I had planned on watching the sunset while riding the Telefèric de Montjuïc, which is a cable car that brings you up to the mountain, but because of winter hours (stops at 6pm) and because I took so long at the other sites, I missed out on that opportunity. Instead, I took the bus to Mirador de Colom and walked along La Rambla for a bit. The street is like Venice Boardwalk with tons of little vendors and eclectic street performers. Crazy.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/torreagbar_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/torreagbar_pano.jpg" width="118" /></a></div><span id="search">I took the Metro towards Torre Agbar by Jean Nouvel. When I arrived, the tower was dark, and I was disappointed because I had seen pictures of it lit up. I walked under a bridge to get closer, and as soon as I got to the other side, the tower was shining! It must have just turned from 7:59 to 8:00. Perfect timing. Definitely an interesting building; it reminded my a lot of the "Gherkin" (Swiss Re) tower in England just because of its form... I wish I could have gone inside like the France group did. </span><br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2633.JPG" width="133" /></a><span id="search">I decided to walk back to my hostel from the tower. On my way back, I stopped by the hotel where the France group was staying, and then I realized I didn't have any way of contacting them to tell them I was outside. So I walked back to the hostel to get online to coordinate with them. A group of them ended up walking over to me, and we went out to dinner at a restaurant called Marcelino. It was great to see friends from the other study abroad group! We were at dinner until midnight or so and headed out to a bar called Espit Chupitos. The place serves over 500 different shots, all for 2</span><span id="search">€! It was a nightmare trying to get through the crowd of people, but once we made it to the back of the bar, we had a fantastic time. We did some of the most ridiculous/awesome shots. One was called the Boyscout, where you get marshmallows on sticks, the bartender lights the bar on fire, you roast your marshmallow, dip it into the shot, eat it, and take the shot. Another was a Harry Potter shot, where the bartender pours the shots, put oranges on top and coats them with sugar, then lights them on fire before you bite the orange and take the shot. Awesome night with awesome friends.</span><br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/forum_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/forum_pano.jpg" width="200" /></a><span id="search">The next morning, I woke up at 7:30 (don't ask me how I found the motivation) and was out of the hostel by 8. First stop: Forum building by Herzog and de Meuron. Unfortunately it was closed (like every other place on Sundays) so I could only see the exterior. The form of the building is essentially a triangle at an angle. Very interesting materials. Like I said before, they're the masters of facades.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2769.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span id="search">Nearby was Parc Diagonal Mar. I walked through just to look at the structures in the park. It was almost like a playground for adults. I had the urge to climb on top of everything, but I refrained because there were workers around.</span><br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2783.JPG" width="200" /></a><span id="search">I got back on the Metro and made my way to another Calatrava structure: The Bac de Roda Bridge. Beautiful bridge with great geometries and great views.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/catalunya_polarpano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/catalunya_polarpano.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/macba_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/macba_pano.jpg" width="200" /></a><span id="search">At some point, I ended up in Catalunya Plaza as I tried getting to MACBA (</span><span id="search">Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona) designed by Richard Meier. As soon as I saw white square panels, I knew I found it. Before entering the museum, I walked around the exterior and photographed a few panoramas. On the inside, the space is flooded by light. My favorite aspect is the frosted glass blocks on the floor. When someone on the floor above you walks, you can see their footsteps. It was like the sidewalks in Seattle; the glass blocks served as a way of filtering natural light.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/gasnatural_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/gasnatural_pano.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span id="search">After walking through the exhibits, I headed for the Torre de Gas Natural by Enric Miralles. Fascinating office building. The form was so strange. I don't know what to make of it.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_2979.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_3000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_3000.JPG" width="200" /></a><span id="search">I walked over to Port Vell next. I wanted to grab some food and a glass of wine by the water, but the restaurant that I wanted to eat/drink at had terrible service. I seated myself outside, and it took forever for me to get a menu from the douchebag waiter. Then he proceeded to ignore me for another 10 minutes while I waited for him to take my order. One of my biggest pet peeves is wasting time. I got fed up and just walked away.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_3012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_3012.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_3008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_3008.JPG" width="133" /></a><span id="search">I took the Metro to the Santa Caterina Market, a building we learned about during sophomore (or maybe junior?) year that was redeveloped by Enric Miralles. Sadly, it was closed (I didn't think that one through) so I photographed the exterior. As I flipped through my Frommer's guide book, I noticed that it recommended food at a restaurant in the market, and as it turned out, it was open! I went in and sat at the bar and ordered tapas and a glass of cava. Delicious! And I got to see the interior!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_3019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_3019.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><span id="search">I swung by my hostel to pick up my backpack before heading west to my final stops. First up was the Hesperia tower by Richard Rogers, which I believe is a convention center and hotel. I didn't go inside because I was tight on time, but I walked around the exterior. It's a very strange tower... like elements were just glued on the side/top of a tower.</span><br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_3034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/thewanderer/DSC_3034.JPG" width="125" /></a><span id="search">Last site was Torre Fira by Toyo Ito. Unfortunately I didn't know how to get there, so I could only see it from a distance. From what I've seen, I like it. It has a very organic form, and you can't miss the fact that it's bright red.</span><br />
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<span id="search">Finally, it was time to leave. </span><br />
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<span id="search">I'm back in Berlin until Thursday, when we have our first long weekend! I'll be flying to Athens before taking a ferry to Santorini with a fantastic group of girls (some from the Berlin group, some from the France group). I'll update again soon with my adventures from today, but now, it's time to do some work!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-67068597768760881652011-02-23T07:53:00.000-08:002011-02-23T07:54:11.431-08:00Chase This LightYesterday, Sarah, Jeri, and I went on a mini adventure to Museum Island to visit the Altes Museum (by Karl Friedrich Schinkel) and Berliner Dom (by a lot of architects I don't remember).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/chasethislight/DSC_1864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="http://angelango.com/blog/chasethislight/DSC_1864.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/chasethislight/dom_panocropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Initially I had thought that they wanted to see the exhibits at the Altes Museum, but all we did was explore the exterior a bit. I may or may not return to see the artwork. Most of the works are Roman and Greek, which I feel like would be the same as the MFA or Getty Villa.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/chasethislight/DSC_1865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/chasethislight/DSC_1865.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>For the Berliner Dom, we paid 3€<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/chasethislight/dom_panocropped.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/chasethislight/dom_panocropped.jpg" width="148" /></a> with our student ID to get admission into the cathedral. The interior was gorgeous; sadly there was a crane right in the middle of the cathedral! But the details were incredible, and the way the sunlight entered the dome was pretty spectacular. We walked around a <a href="http://angelango.com/blog/chasethislight/DSC_1980.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/chasethislight/DSC_1980.jpg" width="200" /></a>bit and explored the museum part of the cathedral and saw several models they had on display. Finally we made our way to the top of the dome where you get a nice view of Berlin. I wish we went during sunset so we could get some sweet pictures! But nevertheless, it was a nice day with blue skies and below freezing temperatures. Under the cathedral is a crypt/mausoleum with several coffins (kind of creepy actually), but I recognized the name Sophie Charlotte (of Charlottenburg) and a few of the kings.<br />
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Afterwards, Sarah and I walked over to the back part of the Altes Museum to take a few more pictures before heading to studio. I cannot explain how difficult it is to be productive when you're in a foreign country. All I want to do it travel and explore!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/chasethislight/altes_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://angelango.com/blog/chasethislight/altes_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-76736446806932781532011-02-22T11:26:00.000-08:002011-02-22T13:17:28.417-08:00Lady in SpainSpain is fantastic.<br />
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I instantly fell in love with Madrid when we arrived. It was so different from what I have been experiencing in Berlin. In a way, it reminded me of Boston because it is such a historic city yet there are attempts to make it modern. Their way of life is just so wonderful. I wish we could have participated in a siesta fiesta in the middle of the day! And people don't eat dinner until at least 9pm, which I've been doing for the past few years because of architecture anyways. The city has this energy I can't describe; the people are friendly and so very attractive. I'm happy to be returning to Barcelona this coming weekend.<br />
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Now on to my travels.<br />
Thursday morning was brutal; we had to wake up before the sun did and take a private bus to the airport at 6am. While we were waiting to board the plane, Tyler met a girl named Tess, and I ended up sitting next to her on the plane as well. She was from the US, lived in Madrid for seven years, and is now in Berlin looking for work. It worked out perfectly because she provided us with all these little insider tips, and she also talked to me about Barcelona.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcTN7q7A7wo1sDddyv2-0XmHsfr4tzw966pesiUDW6xUcbzpRkqzTLWieE-1PJFBfJoAAFdh_AezeyhYBvwujdyFtKxGxxB2J6JnmdfPyX_GwOoNyAIakRxreJi8UAvlRXWCXwwKG5pwN/s1600/DSC_0843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcTN7q7A7wo1sDddyv2-0XmHsfr4tzw966pesiUDW6xUcbzpRkqzTLWieE-1PJFBfJoAAFdh_AezeyhYBvwujdyFtKxGxxB2J6JnmdfPyX_GwOoNyAIakRxreJi8UAvlRXWCXwwKG5pwN/s200/DSC_0843.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUntpekFwD3fHoFEo_igOhzM-T3CrP7MwurAhhgAxfNY3IkMS53qLIbZMJB4fweh2ruJ211WCv6mDtutHd7ahlXMM-rLGv_B0R2LAS7YIjQ-iNUb6OISCARQZRkyMOJPgqACxFszCppuYQ/s1600/DSC_0812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUntpekFwD3fHoFEo_igOhzM-T3CrP7MwurAhhgAxfNY3IkMS53qLIbZMJB4fweh2ruJ211WCv6mDtutHd7ahlXMM-rLGv_B0R2LAS7YIjQ-iNUb6OISCARQZRkyMOJPgqACxFszCppuYQ/s200/DSC_0812.JPG" width="200" /></a>When we disembarked the airplane, we were at our first site: the airport. We went over to Terminal 4 to check our Richard Roger's terminal, which I happen to love very much. The general shape is a wing that is extruded horizontally, but the use of materials and colors is just wonderful. The roof is covered with bamboo, providing this warm feeling that makes you want to stay in the terminal, and the colors cover the steel structures that are supposed to help direct you (but the terminal is covered with signs everywhere... not thrilled about that). But the terminal is just a great space. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoIgqlYaw-njSW98FA6Ql1pwrhCw5m7Jvqg2a9FXiKR0mkvQlC7_8X-l9IxGIrYrtmZsAL6jV6G37V-7FfI8R-4DJ6vDF6EKCk2wD51AO-Ny9jR0TjdjFcKvblm_V1l4OaOZ1e63G9968/s1600/DSC_0881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYoIgqlYaw-njSW98FA6Ql1pwrhCw5m7Jvqg2a9FXiKR0mkvQlC7_8X-l9IxGIrYrtmZsAL6jV6G37V-7FfI8R-4DJ6vDF6EKCk2wD51AO-Ny9jR0TjdjFcKvblm_V1l4OaOZ1e63G9968/s200/DSC_0881.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpet9VBPK51L8uy4quOhB7dsfBHqb8Wt2n8-il9nruv4L62T1z6cgmZ-dtMhDFFrgcJzhZzD2suHpNBusiJ4LFMs6XXHlmrvOBjt_xjSz0WfKDtCJBZCudbGop42cbqxTT7qfsgR8fo27S/s1600/DSC_0897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpet9VBPK51L8uy4quOhB7dsfBHqb8Wt2n8-il9nruv4L62T1z6cgmZ-dtMhDFFrgcJzhZzD2suHpNBusiJ4LFMs6XXHlmrvOBjt_xjSz0WfKDtCJBZCudbGop42cbqxTT7qfsgR8fo27S/s200/DSC_0897.JPG" width="133" /></a>We took the Metro to our hotel (Petit Palace in Puerto del Sol) and found lunch at a random cafe. We met up again as a group to walk around the city. Our first stop was Plaza Mayor, where our professors discussed how the urban design was accomplish, and then we sketched some of the ideas in our sketchbooks. After an hour or so, we walked over to a palace (I think it was the Patrimonio Nacional) and talked a bit before being "dismissed" for the day. A group of us tried finding a park that Tess recommended for seeing the sunset, but, being with groups, people wandered off, time was wasted, and we didn't end up where we wanted to. We headed back to the hotel to take a break before going out to dinner.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZMkaggKCyD-fO_eoQlhTwUIkrka2o7gd4W7g0ov8Ib4ph8p-TcwWgFSdkpX8Q_e0mJwlLzy6DyTXobNWFU7sbWpahTRWHp79jOKwFflxdaT-Ke83BJBzOoW3Yaf6qCr2F6_z9loP4Cau/s1600/DSC_0920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZMkaggKCyD-fO_eoQlhTwUIkrka2o7gd4W7g0ov8Ib4ph8p-TcwWgFSdkpX8Q_e0mJwlLzy6DyTXobNWFU7sbWpahTRWHp79jOKwFflxdaT-Ke83BJBzOoW3Yaf6qCr2F6_z9loP4Cau/s200/DSC_0920.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I had googled for a tapas restaurant, but the one I looked up didn't exist, so we wandered the streets a bit and ended up at a hookah bar called Color. The food was shit and drinks were weak, but hookah was pretty good. After a few drinks, we decided to find another bar but didn't know where. Let me let you in on a secret; if you're ever bored, walk around Puerto del Sol because you will get a million little cards and ads. One girl convinced us to go to an Irish pub because everyone got free shots and girls got a free cocktail, so we followed her and found a group of our classmates already there! It was a very fun night filled with lots of drinks. In the morning, I realized that I sadly forgot my black hoodie at the bar, but I bought the same one again at H&M next door.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_0967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_0967.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/escuelaspias_pano02cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/escuelaspias_pano02cropped.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/escuelaspias_panocropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Our first destination on Friday was Escuela Pias, and old church ruin that had been converted into a library (initially proposed as a gym!). The outside wasn't much, but the interior was absolutely beautiful. The architect, José Ignacio Linazasoro, respected the ruins and incorporated it into the new building. There are other spaces that are used by students, but we didn't get to tour that part. We did get to see the roof though, and on the roof is a cafe/bar called Gaudemaus Cafe. I was hoping to go back one of the nights we were in Madrid, but I guess I will just have to return someday.<br />
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Next stop was another renovation of an old beer factory that turn into a disco that turned into a cultural center that turned into a library and city archive. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed, but that doesn't matter because the building was very unimpressive after seeing the Escuela Pias. Seriously nothing special.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNKH8geiJ8wqZQM6jSvI_x_vpxO7X8R284VQ4iv30XFXKpBdiVV8kSsFyJ-HxPuG-Q38rCpQSmIx37E6wzudZCtnCwD3zaRRf76tWmdqLdceBA7o-JDsXEwK3UmF7ul0KhsLuMfSFmt-G/s1600/prado_pano02polar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNKH8geiJ8wqZQM6jSvI_x_vpxO7X8R284VQ4iv30XFXKpBdiVV8kSsFyJ-HxPuG-Q38rCpQSmIx37E6wzudZCtnCwD3zaRRf76tWmdqLdceBA7o-JDsXEwK3UmF7ul0KhsLuMfSFmt-G/s200/prado_pano02polar.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1205.JPG" width="200" /></a>After our lunch break, we all walked over to my precedent building, the Prado Museum, extension designed by Rafael Moneo (original by Juan Villaneuva)! Ever since having my epic almost-encounters with celebrities at the LA Cathedral, I've been a big fan of Moneo. Again, this building fits perfectly with its surroundings. Moneo, like Linazasoro, respected the exisiting site. He used similar materials that let you know that it's part of the museum. Most of the extension is underground except for the part where the cloister exists. The cloister was part of the old monastery, but it was taken apart, stone by stone, cleaned up, and reassembled and incorporated into Moneo's extension. Like most awesome museums, photographs were not allowed on the inside, so I did my best to sneak a picture of the entrance area. A group of us walked around the museum to look at the exhibits, but the artwork wasn't my favorite, so I just tagged along and admired the architecture. We walked around the exterior afterwards to see the front of Villaneuva's original design before heading back to the hotel.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPj3qn5Vk0qmD8SR0ce5f-zIumOV8hYRmeMWwxhxX2kL_qARz7yx0rDLRWzFrmtPXnItXvLG7pry_fRv1K3nQRJ5MraDn3rAMkKWsELBpNUYDOwJnGU6josBPU94zaDcQlSjRpPKpYtLb9/s1600/prado_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPj3qn5Vk0qmD8SR0ce5f-zIumOV8hYRmeMWwxhxX2kL_qARz7yx0rDLRWzFrmtPXnItXvLG7pry_fRv1K3nQRJ5MraDn3rAMkKWsELBpNUYDOwJnGU6josBPU94zaDcQlSjRpPKpYtLb9/s640/prado_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3yrTGgSMRfOZ1tbOYkJA8zVxIybAbmkPDuGhmDopA4XlcgzRgPcoT5JRGCHL-WYqj5sF8lYnq3ZPjG252Ked8hm3gBtIgtBwfxGe-jtvKuddJgSpL6ib60FbBj9f36Po1ygyRRsvNyM-/s1600/prado_pano04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3yrTGgSMRfOZ1tbOYkJA8zVxIybAbmkPDuGhmDopA4XlcgzRgPcoT5JRGCHL-WYqj5sF8lYnq3ZPjG252Ked8hm3gBtIgtBwfxGe-jtvKuddJgSpL6ib60FbBj9f36Po1ygyRRsvNyM-/s640/prado_pano04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I took it easy that night and went out to dinner with a group of guys to a buffet. Madrid is expensive when it comes to food, so I was constantly hungry the entire time. I stuffed myself as much as I could at the buffet and called it a night after that.<br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1331.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1300.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1300.JPG" width="133" /></a>Saturday was another packed day. We switched our itinerary a bit, so our first stop was Las Arquerias, which was an old Metro tunnel that was converted into an architectural documentation center. The exhibit currently on display explored alternative habitats. It was a great exhibit, and the renovation of this space was fantastic. You could see every little tectonic detail--it was all very honest in its construction. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/caixaforum_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="528" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/caixaforum_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1424.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1435.JPG" width="133" /></a><br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1421.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1416.JPG" width="200" /></a>By the time we finished, it was already noon. We headed over to the Caixa Forum, an old power station, renovated by Herzog and de Meuron. We were given time to explore and eat lunch, but I skipped lunch to walk around the center. As it was with the de Young Museum, I wasn't too impressed. To me, Herzog and de Meuron are all about materials and facades, and there's no doubt that they're the masters of that. The interior wasn't special though. The only "cool" aspect was the staircase, but when I got to the top, I was hoping to see more natural light than they had. I will give them credit for suspending the first floor plate--a detail I would have missed if our professor hadn't pointed it out. The Caixa Forum is lifted off the ground, but there are no columns supporting it when you're looking at it from the exterior. I thought that was a clever idea.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1581.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/reinasofia_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/reinasofia_pano.jpg" width="200" /></a>Our last destination on our itinerary was the Reina Sofia, extension designed by Jean Nouvel. The original building was once a hospital, but eventually it was declared the national museum, and now houses some of the most famous paintings in the world. We discussed the exterior a bit and went to the terraces as well, and then we were free to explore the museum. The place is huge, so we narrowed it down to a few artists we wanted to see. I was thrilled to see that they had Richard Serra! We also found Picasso's Guernica and a lot of Dali's works.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/reinasofia_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/reinasofia_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/IMG_2050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/IMG_2050.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/IMG_2048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/IMG_2048.JPG" width="200" /></a>That night, I wanted to go to a tapas restaurant, but other people wanted entrees and meals, so we compromised and found a restaurant that had both. It was about 8pm and we were the only ones in the restaurant. Like I said before, Madrid is expensive when it comes to eating out. People ordered steaks for 18 Euros and it looked so pathetic on the plate when it came out. Fortunately, the people I was with were great; we had a good dinner and funny conversations. After dinner, Jeri, Sarah, Erblin, and I wanted dessert, so we walked to a nearby cafe called Cafe & Te and ended up getting ice cream, churros, some sort of waffle and ice cream dessert... it was a good way to end the night. When we got back to the hotel, I fell asleep attempting to write in my journal (a physical journal, not this blog) but was awoken by others who were trying to get me to go clubbing. Thankfully I passed because the next day, I heard it wasn't that good of a club. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYI-2RK3Bsu_iBqji7-4NYI3AFQ10pM6vnpy1uNTM7M5HsN-XHPP8gCTQXYXenzveIFFzAnZ6oS95LVKMf0iR_b0bGbR2mWe8tP-X_wSoSyGrGhpRCicFoSv1WY5Zfm36XaaqtblhGffKA/s1600/mirador_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYI-2RK3Bsu_iBqji7-4NYI3AFQ10pM6vnpy1uNTM7M5HsN-XHPP8gCTQXYXenzveIFFzAnZ6oS95LVKMf0iR_b0bGbR2mWe8tP-X_wSoSyGrGhpRCicFoSv1WY5Zfm36XaaqtblhGffKA/s320/mirador_pano.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1674.JPG" width="133" /></a>Sunday, we left Madrid with our own private bus and visited the town of Sanchinarro to see the Mirador building by MVRDV. I happened to like the building, at least from the exterior, because it took the usual housing block with a courtyard in the center and flipped it on its side. Sadly, the area around the building was pretty much desolate. There was barely any life around. We went down a couple blocks and found a lot of housing complexes, but again, it was barren. Lots of things to consider when you're an urban designer.<br />
<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/complex_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/complex_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
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<a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1708.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/DSC_1780.JPG" width="200" /></a>We ended our trip in the old capital of Spain: Toledo. We were given about four hours to explore the city and get lunch and whatever else we wanted to to. I walked around with Sarah, Jeri, Erblin, and Jeff, and for lunch, we stopped by a cafe/bar called Scorpions, and we all got entrees for only 10 Euros each! It was so nice to find a "cheap" restaurant and actually feel full! Toledo was a nice city, but I would never stay more than a day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/toledo_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="http://angelango.com/blog/ladyinspain/toledo_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Eventually it was time to leave, so we all met up to go to the airport and fly back to Berlin. It's nice to be back.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-12160135292207975522011-02-16T13:46:00.000-08:002011-02-16T13:46:44.409-08:00Listen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirT8YRUvqQAVZKa6eaiGi99NfsRay4UDVXlQ_5P760JPqz_FBfO_X7xe-DxrHqZ9AV0FgC9Oi56_IHbrXL0QKT8x_9zlqcwVDNGkJdSNhSiKvsJEp2GdvbhZ6QMnd_q2RM2phWLE3HWGpj/s1600/DSC_0711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirT8YRUvqQAVZKa6eaiGi99NfsRay4UDVXlQ_5P760JPqz_FBfO_X7xe-DxrHqZ9AV0FgC9Oi56_IHbrXL0QKT8x_9zlqcwVDNGkJdSNhSiKvsJEp2GdvbhZ6QMnd_q2RM2phWLE3HWGpj/s200/DSC_0711.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKbFtBgPDuWi2WuV31kE7EBgVkBwPQl5D7OayZlIBMfCsPo2Kdod_96rchYKRk1zzC1WiSpooftr7o0Z9gY1ReDkXCJbvoqgQOMXisIbnXSHUyrV59Brbe20OEM_BlLhhyzJrVWVCU2ct/s1600/DSC_0694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKbFtBgPDuWi2WuV31kE7EBgVkBwPQl5D7OayZlIBMfCsPo2Kdod_96rchYKRk1zzC1WiSpooftr7o0Z9gY1ReDkXCJbvoqgQOMXisIbnXSHUyrV59Brbe20OEM_BlLhhyzJrVWVCU2ct/s200/DSC_0694.JPG" width="133" /></a>As I mentioned previously, Tuesdays are our days off, but because we had a pin-up today (I'll get back to that point later), I decided to spend the day doing laundry in the bathtub, preparing a PowerPoint presentation for our trip to Madrid (we're leaving tomorrow!), and working on studio work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGUUxltab-f91Um8rARSjsfkEqW9b9Atk87T2RujF9N9DLDqK4pIK0awtRFHWedxyAc2x6BSbL0pap20oevDXWT1VWmiA6XdisRvRND_YOfYr6m6-1x9W9HKJY2yYSc-YGJhuhM24Ugbj/s1600/DSC_0674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGUUxltab-f91Um8rARSjsfkEqW9b9Atk87T2RujF9N9DLDqK4pIK0awtRFHWedxyAc2x6BSbL0pap20oevDXWT1VWmiA6XdisRvRND_YOfYr6m6-1x9W9HKJY2yYSc-YGJhuhM24Ugbj/s200/DSC_0674.JPG" width="133" /></a>In the evening, a group of us attended a strings concert at the Philharmonie. The interior of Hans Scharoun's concert hall is beautiful. I couldn't stop looking up. When we were checking in our coats, I asked the woman if photography was allowed and she said no, so I checked in my camera bag. We entered the Kammermusiksaal (Chamber Music Hall), one of two music halls at the Philharmonie, and headed to our seats. Luckily a lot of seats were empty so an usher told us we could move forward. From the moment I stepped in, I wished I had my camera. The space was intimate, the details were very captivating (especially the ceiling), and the center lights and sound system were hung beautifully. As I looked around, I realized that other people were taking pictures (with flash, nonetheless!) but I had checked mine.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFV8Zyik9cPzJJNg1UvnbbATSLQ485CDaj_16IYsmTxTBmmbuhRNm75ueMfrN5wEUs1MfuS4k0bGWfYXSS4JYYujrRhy3X6SkoKyufalwAh3ygtbymFAobU_gMxqReBuaHcUcYv8DmmtwM/s1600/DSC_0707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFV8Zyik9cPzJJNg1UvnbbATSLQ485CDaj_16IYsmTxTBmmbuhRNm75ueMfrN5wEUs1MfuS4k0bGWfYXSS4JYYujrRhy3X6SkoKyufalwAh3ygtbymFAobU_gMxqReBuaHcUcYv8DmmtwM/s320/DSC_0707.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>When the music started, it was as if I had been placed in the middle of a movie. I kept imaging scenes that the music would be perfect for. There's something incredibly beautiful about watching a person produce music from their hands (or mouth for the clarinet and oboe players). During intermission, I headed straight for the coat check and got my camera and photographed all that I could.<br />
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We got out around 10pm, and a group of us went back to studio to work on drawings and models. I ended up staying in studio until 3am, taking a bus (the U-Bahn line we normally take wasn't running), then taking a taxi back to the apartments and pulling an all-nighter. In the morning, I learned that my professor was sick so we didn't have a pin-up today. All that stress for nothing... welcome to architecture!<br />
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We're off to Madrid in the morning until Sunday night, so look for an update next week! Mach's gut!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-37708439272925362022011-02-14T12:36:00.000-08:002011-02-14T12:36:28.780-08:00Best DaysSo much has happened in the past couple of days! Unfortunately it's hard for me to update my blog or Facebook photo albums from my apartment. Speaking of which, I've been so caught up in talking about architecture that I completely forgot to talk about living in Berlin itself! Bear with me as I give you a quick rundown. We have internet in studio but not in the apartments, so a bunch of us bought these internet USB sticks and pay for the use of a SIM card (think cellphones) but the limit per month is 5GB, so rather than using up all of the data by uploading a million pictures, I wait until I get to studio to do that.<br />
Shopping for food has been an experience. It's difficult to find a lot of things, but it's also because I don't know where to look. Eggs and some cheese aren't refrigerated which was a total shock for me. Grocery stores also don't give free bags; you have to buy them. Beer here is ridiculously cheap. Half a liter of beer is as cheap as 0.65<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">€</span> ($0.91) and can be as "expensive" as 1.80<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">€ which means that I have been drinking quite a few beers throughout the week... But I doubt I will get a beer belly because I've been walking around so much! Berlin is completely walkable, but their public transportation is a fantastic alternative. They have the U-Bahn (underground subway), S-Bahn (above ground), trains, and buses. It is the best public transportation I have ever experienced; the stations tell you when the next train is arriving, they're super clean, easy to figure out, and they run pretty much 24/7.</span><br />
<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Dogs are everywhere here, probably more than I saw in LA. The best part is that they're unleashed. They're so well behaved that they just walk on the sidewalks with pedestrians.</span><br />
<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Berlin is proactive about recycling, and it is awesome. A lot of places have separate cans for garbage, paper, plastic, and glass. Also, if you recycle your plastic and glass bottles, you get a lot of money back. One plastic bottle got me 0.25</span><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">€.</span><br />
<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Stores close fairly early here and some aren't even open on Sundays. It's so different because in America, stores try to stay open as late as they can to get more customers. </span><br />
<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Letters and pronunciations are very interesting here. In Germany, they pronounce every letter and the emphasis is almost always on the first syllable. It also took me a few days to realize that "ß" is equivalent to writing "ss." </span><br />
<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">That's all the observations I can remember right now. On to my explorations!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6RM9Xd5FrDXy3VcHVb1DzQFSkZGQHanfj6LqN7vxHF7C0OL7mO_00BWyX-iz-cAy4aAMbYlkzjijdQi1l0uNnXaZqxCipQunUPmKZ8BbwWYoqO2RXMyJKxkBakUVFU6n8zKnIVB8O1aU/s1600/DSC_9716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6RM9Xd5FrDXy3VcHVb1DzQFSkZGQHanfj6LqN7vxHF7C0OL7mO_00BWyX-iz-cAy4aAMbYlkzjijdQi1l0uNnXaZqxCipQunUPmKZ8BbwWYoqO2RXMyJKxkBakUVFU6n8zKnIVB8O1aU/s200/DSC_9716.JPG" width="200" /></a><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Thursday was a half day so after my German language class, I went over to the Jewish Museum by Daniel Libeskind. I was fortunate enough to experience his Contemporary Jewish Museum when I was in San Fran, so I was able to compare the two. When I was reading his book <i>Breaking Ground</i>, Daniel actually talked a lot about fighting to get the Jewish Museum built in Berlin, and after being able to see and experience it in person, I am much more impressed with his work. From the outside, you can't really understand the form of the museum, but in an aerial view, it almost looks like a lightning bolt (there's actually an explanation for the form but I can't remember it right now). Admission was only 2.50</span><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">€ with my student ID. The museum starts off by going down to the lower level where there are three axes. The first is the Axis of the Holocaust which leads to the Holocaust Tower, a 24m tower that is only lit by natural light. When I was there, it was about sunset, so the tower was almost pitch black and you could hear every little sound reverberate around you but you couldn't see a thing. Very scary feeling but definitely serves its purpose.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthVYW3IQwuKUqF4ZlobXipHSiQY-EknOPE0M51vN_DuY-L6o6FThxCxcQWRs0FZ-adSvaWAp-Sc60Cx4jBrOp5VDIrUX_tSyHEIA8riwqJIfzj6N1E02TEhl_LGTmvAVtCfWB-xB7ECo2/s1600/DSC_9837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjthVYW3IQwuKUqF4ZlobXipHSiQY-EknOPE0M51vN_DuY-L6o6FThxCxcQWRs0FZ-adSvaWAp-Sc60Cx4jBrOp5VDIrUX_tSyHEIA8riwqJIfzj6N1E02TEhl_LGTmvAVtCfWB-xB7ECo2/s200/DSC_9837.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVHdrWUeGTvN4tvnU9CDmMOg6XYB4ljyQHcsubhiWT34EJG85WlJJRHTKFWfB3aZjuGyIMGE01sy2ecW7vKtvX3bZAz5cuXAJuG6tfqV7Trbkk2BAC5NcSmrGeA95LRmG9GK-FZ9ZTl6B/s1600/DSC_9770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVHdrWUeGTvN4tvnU9CDmMOg6XYB4ljyQHcsubhiWT34EJG85WlJJRHTKFWfB3aZjuGyIMGE01sy2ecW7vKtvX3bZAz5cuXAJuG6tfqV7Trbkk2BAC5NcSmrGeA95LRmG9GK-FZ9ZTl6B/s200/DSC_9770.JPG" width="133" /></a><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">The second axis is the Axis of Exile that leads to the Garden of Exile, an exterior "garden" comprised of 49 concrete squares extruded at different angles as the floor plane shifts (very similar to Peter Eisenman's Holocaust Memorial). As you walk around, the varying angles start to make you dizzy and disoriented, just as Daniel intended.</span><br />
<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">The last axis is the Axis of Continuity, which the other two axes branch off of. It's pretty much just a hallway lined with Berlin history that leads to the staircase up to the permanent exhibitions.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdpdJJNidIhIDmf1UToNKaerB8tuGLCi7YrU__jBqKQ8ilhxQHm2eIrKbT6ELSFLzoatu-RL0IYEfSs73pZAgiVO8TMHKLj8phFdP827gb1FaVJF9tx0wkGlE0frpTijYEqIUAkUq4y2q/s1600/DSC_9817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdpdJJNidIhIDmf1UToNKaerB8tuGLCi7YrU__jBqKQ8ilhxQHm2eIrKbT6ELSFLzoatu-RL0IYEfSs73pZAgiVO8TMHKLj8phFdP827gb1FaVJF9tx0wkGlE0frpTijYEqIUAkUq4y2q/s200/DSC_9817.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpy2tiOCXNbmQWwp-qIlSKjrs_8k3gSui8z_xvmN9hYCNd6KQijMst5bjTbhqfn7HfFGWzyrWKyhgO7hKbvn6Fa4qQ7KI31heRbLFfIK1hWzOOd3pLcKz77oba57mExXuwztpTGtCEmGm/s1600/DSC_9825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUpy2tiOCXNbmQWwp-qIlSKjrs_8k3gSui8z_xvmN9hYCNd6KQijMst5bjTbhqfn7HfFGWzyrWKyhgO7hKbvn6Fa4qQ7KI31heRbLFfIK1hWzOOd3pLcKz77oba57mExXuwztpTGtCEmGm/s200/DSC_9825.JPG" width="133" /></a><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">The ground floor (which is referred to as first floor in America... it gets confusing) is where the Memory Void is. Currently the installation Shalekhet by Menashe Kadishman is in the void. There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of steel faces just laid out on the ground. When I first entered, I was the only one there, so I just photographed the installation. The next thing I knew, a girl was walking across. I didn't know that was allowed, so then I started to walk across. It's a very strange feeling to be walking on all these unknown faces that represent Holocaust victims. With every footstep, you hear the clanking of steel reverberate in the void. I was actually uncomfortable.</span><br />
<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Level 1 and 2 were the permanent exhibits. Lots of interesting facts, history, stories, etc. I was very glad that I got to experience the museum. Here's another quote from <i>Breaking Ground:</i></span><br />
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<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"There's a magic to a great building. Maybe it has to do with the way light falls on it; maybe it has to do with the acoustics, the sound of footsteps in its hallways. Some buildings take a long time to get to know, but still they make you want to make the effort."</span></span><br />
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After the museum, I walked over to the Tempodrom designed by gmp. It's an event venue, and I was hoping it would be open when I went, but sadly it was closed. It was still interesting to look at from the exterior. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGD0LH1wXJiUBEKNxYKp9s-ZGrznouXd0MaS8001_Z3rfLl3QrUyaABdvT5xyl3rXuWoBu3j0hu7EOKocr74wVzr6Cbz7NaOeZUWBJ4qyjySn4aOy7zrs1sH93hMjYD9F_clPYOzT_aBc/s1600/tempodrom_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlGD0LH1wXJiUBEKNxYKp9s-ZGrznouXd0MaS8001_Z3rfLl3QrUyaABdvT5xyl3rXuWoBu3j0hu7EOKocr74wVzr6Cbz7NaOeZUWBJ4qyjySn4aOy7zrs1sH93hMjYD9F_clPYOzT_aBc/s640/tempodrom_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4N-oefaSIHEZ_-ffmFZgpB-GpCIkwnXqd8A5wy15w-CED5A2PruEQzKLiLMj1g-cMLJtvdzJCby5kymyppR68HMS4sjWb56iJ3EAr8Rs-aNVRWmx3MXVo9GQFkJr9RKkS-BbAIxXU6J3/s1600/DSC_9960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4N-oefaSIHEZ_-ffmFZgpB-GpCIkwnXqd8A5wy15w-CED5A2PruEQzKLiLMj1g-cMLJtvdzJCby5kymyppR68HMS4sjWb56iJ3EAr8Rs-aNVRWmx3MXVo9GQFkJr9RKkS-BbAIxXU6J3/s200/DSC_9960.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">On my way back to the U-Bahn, I came across the Museum of Technology, so I walked over and took a few pictures. It was aesthetically pleasing with its glass, steel, and blue lights. There's also a spiral staircase that is enclosed by glass blocks.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQmVTWa6wCcvSfoqD7Fg90TIvMbMbtL3BSEYdGQBHep4GWChBg1C41pa7fGzm7ZGw6bZm6v0Saz5ek_IYx_8w2TPgWiDk6eNPUkZR0_sHzLky7Dtmm7cQQ8n16vqTs26dolBnUA6NRY7K/s1600/DSC_0112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQmVTWa6wCcvSfoqD7Fg90TIvMbMbtL3BSEYdGQBHep4GWChBg1C41pa7fGzm7ZGw6bZm6v0Saz5ek_IYx_8w2TPgWiDk6eNPUkZR0_sHzLky7Dtmm7cQQ8n16vqTs26dolBnUA6NRY7K/s200/DSC_0112.JPG" width="200" /></a><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Friday was our field trip to Dessau to visit two buildings. The first was the Bauhaus, the birthplace of modern architecture, designed by Walter Gropius! We were given a tour by one of the guides, and she proceeded to show us spaces and explain the ideas behind the designs. For some reason, after hearing about the Bauhaus year after year, I was expecting so much more from the school. Don't get me wrong; I love the Bauhaus and what it represented and did for architecture, but I wanted it to blow me away. I do admit that it's amazing that it looks like it could have been built a few years ago, even though it was built in the late 1910s. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvpsaXPPsSH6sECuytqFJGrSmCRKPVW2uJFBJ4ungOFrpXXcjF3z5ruULD_Qb1yO6awTMqoAiIvkEs2MMcs47xDjOnENDXKQujyFl1Cf1iPt7QLVyBMl8NYaximUKAcu-zX-rmVpaNR63/s1600/bauhaus_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvpsaXPPsSH6sECuytqFJGrSmCRKPVW2uJFBJ4ungOFrpXXcjF3z5ruULD_Qb1yO6awTMqoAiIvkEs2MMcs47xDjOnENDXKQujyFl1Cf1iPt7QLVyBMl8NYaximUKAcu-zX-rmVpaNR63/s640/bauhaus_pano03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><br />
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<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Our second stop for the day was </span><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Umweltbundesamt (UBA), the Federal Environmental Agency, designed by Sauerbruch Hutton. This building was amazing. Fantastic interior atrium, super environmentally friendly, beautiful use of wood, and a nice use of color. I loved it.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9OPkWpF01qrYjYwNYuTIWj0XxlugnVXhefKSlmwG5CSPnpFxldTlXzRrvETceC-2SqrzqkV2fa-HwQCCalTvZGKQkKWcgEpr6KJ5syiJP7FxyE1K4lA1R-9MygBYoYqTGhaTJTIbsbvg/s1600/uba_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx9OPkWpF01qrYjYwNYuTIWj0XxlugnVXhefKSlmwG5CSPnpFxldTlXzRrvETceC-2SqrzqkV2fa-HwQCCalTvZGKQkKWcgEpr6KJ5syiJP7FxyE1K4lA1R-9MygBYoYqTGhaTJTIbsbvg/s640/uba_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlXv1admKTiFFSISB8-7EWjbbNPP-m-v7lsxKLP10108Vut_JjKKangHUmljfbS4iDsDXIb7k1tcIaPzXDvhYW4FXZuHyJuxn1Yt-qv42KO4WFb4KpTTQOBCtG2zzWoopzBed51-uqH77/s1600/DSC_0316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFlXv1admKTiFFSISB8-7EWjbbNPP-m-v7lsxKLP10108Vut_JjKKangHUmljfbS4iDsDXIb7k1tcIaPzXDvhYW4FXZuHyJuxn1Yt-qv42KO4WFb4KpTTQOBCtG2zzWoopzBed51-uqH77/s200/DSC_0316.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Saturday was a gorgeous and very cold day. I decided to explore the Tiergarten, but I started off at Checkpoint Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie was the crossing point along the Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin. Today it's just a tourist attraction, fully equipped with a guy dressed in uniform. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSnPrP7dHIRQrvqEsStvrzQMaBWKN3mBbbdyLjvw5kVCHLRwJ9gDcZost5jlp4W1a5sVyGWotN3XqSt1_f-y1wHe8ufC7OhmPDaei2xW9rsZuC7TgbwO3Nvmm5FLJJYAsIklON5csebVO/s1600/gsw_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSnPrP7dHIRQrvqEsStvrzQMaBWKN3mBbbdyLjvw5kVCHLRwJ9gDcZost5jlp4W1a5sVyGWotN3XqSt1_f-y1wHe8ufC7OhmPDaei2xW9rsZuC7TgbwO3Nvmm5FLJJYAsIklON5csebVO/s200/gsw_pano03.jpg" width="200" /></a><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Around the corner I could spy a pink/red building which I recognized as the GSW building, also designed by Sauerbruch Hutton, so I had to walk over and check it out. It was actually an extension to one of the old office towers. It was an interesting design, but it felt very disconnected. It was like volumes were just places on top of/next to each other. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEluaO0rbc8lYFHLYtyhyphenhyphenLKVuMYT1KIt_KU6f9A20761Z216Py8XcWs1CSJvoo2hF_mFf6dgJs6unbpkQ2z1GShuQ5QgtmqzsTbZBB2JXqAcns9wet6SdIlhuRFqrfVQrVBUbWWHnar7xl/s1600/gsw_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEluaO0rbc8lYFHLYtyhyphenhyphenLKVuMYT1KIt_KU6f9A20761Z216Py8XcWs1CSJvoo2hF_mFf6dgJs6unbpkQ2z1GShuQ5QgtmqzsTbZBB2JXqAcns9wet6SdIlhuRFqrfVQrVBUbWWHnar7xl/s640/gsw_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPpcTY9jT1xxH9jqVlotzWGa4KW6KxPRufTEYCTudydPI-ikndD8PggYwnKNWsWWTuJ9iHRt0kYYXQ2D4Pwa0p0ppbqhAr9pVY52-cleHFFTPol9LOkBxSlU7zTuwV4QMalQxqlpflrzG/s1600/DSC_0293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPpcTY9jT1xxH9jqVlotzWGa4KW6KxPRufTEYCTudydPI-ikndD8PggYwnKNWsWWTuJ9iHRt0kYYXQ2D4Pwa0p0ppbqhAr9pVY52-cleHFFTPol9LOkBxSlU7zTuwV4QMalQxqlpflrzG/s200/DSC_0293.JPG" width="133" /></a></div><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Across the street from the GSW complex was a building that I do not know but thought was interesting. When I find out the name/architect, I'll update this post... But it was two intersecting volumes with different materials.</span><br />
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<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Next stop: Staatsbibliothek by Hans Scharoun. Unfortunately I wasn't allowed to get into the library stacks without a card or the supervision of a guide, so I have to return at some point. The library itself is directly across from Scharoun's Philharmonie (where I will be attending a concert tomorrow night!) and Sharoun used similar materials for both buildings, creating a nice connection. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"></span><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe61jUwtLv1fpSiqQ5Pz58oQNMV3_EHymRBw4kdCfCS7tw_Pxz6JEzQLtvWjFUKv2JlT9O5YSta3PEDzrt4CKSAdWwOyc9lJO8sv4Og7msCAPStFwVkhm7bjENLo-Pyy8CGxua2Guz49YJ/s1600/neuenationalgalerie_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7fI3fHh4aVCjJioDZy40IjA25GpjaTAGrg4DnlWrRdLYEPgxBazH0urnBsAMLYsmQ2jhOW-St95qdvDDYbPLPJJ7u5HGQRzPWS7Hyup9mGo4rmkXb3PDPGQVuWQK0ozwycUYY8IxCVTO/s1600/staatsbibliothek_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh7fI3fHh4aVCjJioDZy40IjA25GpjaTAGrg4DnlWrRdLYEPgxBazH0urnBsAMLYsmQ2jhOW-St95qdvDDYbPLPJJ7u5HGQRzPWS7Hyup9mGo4rmkXb3PDPGQVuWQK0ozwycUYY8IxCVTO/s640/staatsbibliothek_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><br />
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<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">And because I was walking by Mie's gallery, I had to photograph it on a sunny day. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe61jUwtLv1fpSiqQ5Pz58oQNMV3_EHymRBw4kdCfCS7tw_Pxz6JEzQLtvWjFUKv2JlT9O5YSta3PEDzrt4CKSAdWwOyc9lJO8sv4Og7msCAPStFwVkhm7bjENLo-Pyy8CGxua2Guz49YJ/s1600/neuenationalgalerie_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe61jUwtLv1fpSiqQ5Pz58oQNMV3_EHymRBw4kdCfCS7tw_Pxz6JEzQLtvWjFUKv2JlT9O5YSta3PEDzrt4CKSAdWwOyc9lJO8sv4Og7msCAPStFwVkhm7bjENLo-Pyy8CGxua2Guz49YJ/s640/neuenationalgalerie_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5m8r0Ao4Iobrpiv8bSyFrEAnnjMki3hQhyphenhyphenKPTtphMA0U5QdjRb8CwaGmlPNBocK4R3Z-yv8znJi2-PG3HJQD3oRoupkh3AVXF-snuKjRj3sPyWIb_4oMoGd-sp79gpMAbWGBDGkaBcbY/s1600/shell-haus_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5m8r0Ao4Iobrpiv8bSyFrEAnnjMki3hQhyphenhyphenKPTtphMA0U5QdjRb8CwaGmlPNBocK4R3Z-yv8znJi2-PG3HJQD3oRoupkh3AVXF-snuKjRj3sPyWIb_4oMoGd-sp79gpMAbWGBDGkaBcbY/s200/shell-haus_pano02.jpg" width="166" /></a></div><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">I walked along the river, passing a handful of nice architecture, until I reached the Shell-Haus by Emil Fahrenkamp. This was very much an early modern work of architecture. The corners are all curved (and there are a lot of them) and they create this wave of ins and outs along one of the street-sides. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UoFo29jV_nsLVN3EroQSIfdsDSKiocD5OnlaCJQ3z9TzK0KE4mE5zDm2MU0dysB2pTflbd1Qj2l6YqyN-rw_UOHPv68Wtp-by536-WpftyK_1kQs7-HHpys0p-OwD_u-6Q6xFR8tO_Dk/s1600/nordischebotschaften_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UoFo29jV_nsLVN3EroQSIfdsDSKiocD5OnlaCJQ3z9TzK0KE4mE5zDm2MU0dysB2pTflbd1Qj2l6YqyN-rw_UOHPv68Wtp-by536-WpftyK_1kQs7-HHpys0p-OwD_u-6Q6xFR8tO_Dk/s200/nordischebotschaften_pano02.jpg" width="181" /></a><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">I walked towards the Tiergarten and arrived at my next stop, the Nordische Botschaften (Nordic Embassies) by </span>Alfred Berger and Tiina Parkkinen. A very surprising building to see in person. At first, I thought the "green" panels were glass but they I believe they were actually copper. On the other side there is a great wood facade and a courtyard area (unfortunately it was closed) <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyojeFf3Y-t2ZH9J48ao2FbPFSXy3rSVTHLbNhvFwYNqMPHmGuTH5sO6A8bq2xlU9B2djpdLjKjB3yLkRdabkddS-4SRv-7PIFBPP9MipwpHlmh_7JcA95XibJFLn9t68JELXXQTGyiL3H/s1600/DSC_0459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyojeFf3Y-t2ZH9J48ao2FbPFSXy3rSVTHLbNhvFwYNqMPHmGuTH5sO6A8bq2xlU9B2djpdLjKjB3yLkRdabkddS-4SRv-7PIFBPP9MipwpHlmh_7JcA95XibJFLn9t68JELXXQTGyiL3H/s200/DSC_0459.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>I proceeded towards the Tiergarten and checked out the Siegessäule (a Victory column) monument in the center of the garden. On top is the goddess of Victory, who is also on top of the Brandenburg Gate. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lSEkRM9LYM-mMjv4V6mVejUs4k41hEAqsHMYWYYXgXQHbWlKtLVFGSbabiulRszT5XAD90xnxLapM_RtRCHX-WN6LCra5tn91voQ7ky5ImcQA3gtE_aY9k3AlgH-DZcrDjb5WQIS2flB/s1600/DSC_0461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lSEkRM9LYM-mMjv4V6mVejUs4k41hEAqsHMYWYYXgXQHbWlKtLVFGSbabiulRszT5XAD90xnxLapM_RtRCHX-WN6LCra5tn91voQ7ky5ImcQA3gtE_aY9k3AlgH-DZcrDjb5WQIS2flB/s200/DSC_0461.JPG" width="200" /></a>I walked around the Tiergarten as I waited for sunset to go to the top of the Siegessäule. I headed over to the Schloss Bellevue, which was/is the palace where the president of Berlin resided. The place is massive and exactly what you would expect for a president. Even the grass was green! I tried looking for the Akademie der Kunst (not the one by Behnisch) but I got lost in the woods, and I was freezing in the cold, so I gave up and headed back to the Siegessäule. Unfortunately, I learned that it was closed! I was so so sad because the sunset would have been amazing from that point.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NvSmCBh6qNvkl93UuGIlHaJxFo7kqB9d76bfK0iRHMatP8O6Ed48IDlFnq2pIYiTwgKJZzD7t9z0OjoxBzoaEGfHrHyW7QiRhZBH5S0UPLKX1lb5IyCu88v7pbV2MB_0RUCy7jX0UaDq/s1600/DSC_0485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1NvSmCBh6qNvkl93UuGIlHaJxFo7kqB9d76bfK0iRHMatP8O6Ed48IDlFnq2pIYiTwgKJZzD7t9z0OjoxBzoaEGfHrHyW7QiRhZBH5S0UPLKX1lb5IyCu88v7pbV2MB_0RUCy7jX0UaDq/s200/DSC_0485.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteLiEhCsG3flsRoAifZbB1NAv2sgitN3j8o6_QD59dVDiIiSJ0oFVxootSvoyKzo1TVsjX-R1urcHS-ustrKQMAxWLL1FoPWhBId77niSxCeBj7D0dnNIW5_nNJXQUEDMy2OZvhJToBof/s1600/pariserplatz_polarpano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteLiEhCsG3flsRoAifZbB1NAv2sgitN3j8o6_QD59dVDiIiSJ0oFVxootSvoyKzo1TVsjX-R1urcHS-ustrKQMAxWLL1FoPWhBId77niSxCeBj7D0dnNIW5_nNJXQUEDMy2OZvhJToBof/s200/pariserplatz_polarpano.jpg" width="195" /></a>I walked along Strasse des 17 Juni and stopped by the Soviet War Memorial as I made my way towards the Brandenburg Gate and Pariser Platz. I took a potty break at the Behnisch building and warmed up a bit (I was outdoors the entire day). Since the sky was finally blue, I had to do another panoramic of the plaza (and without a person in a chicken suit, although she was there again).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcO87lqXnAaWm5kFU8d3GvRgf3tbe7XcaCuZF21tsZB0SitKYtCS97naw7LyBSiD0tTOgBjCthpawULRbmLqaM-DFg59XGS5GDzZE4JzK8ZkWr572Aipzb9xXnGaeXTYoSiiwcD7YsjxD/s1600/DSC_0609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcO87lqXnAaWm5kFU8d3GvRgf3tbe7XcaCuZF21tsZB0SitKYtCS97naw7LyBSiD0tTOgBjCthpawULRbmLqaM-DFg59XGS5GDzZE4JzK8ZkWr572Aipzb9xXnGaeXTYoSiiwcD7YsjxD/s200/DSC_0609.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iNyIHLDl6iLeB_IlCTd5zkvqcEF-qlLavV5kVWxnckJVoe-l4G5U4N9LKtfPDCsIDvdJ-6_friCRd266PQMkrk0SxXuAtChhGaVuGk-7y3xbSb6EFEjQ8Mrg5Cge_TdBYg2LX1XKCI6o/s1600/DSC_0619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7iNyIHLDl6iLeB_IlCTd5zkvqcEF-qlLavV5kVWxnckJVoe-l4G5U4N9LKtfPDCsIDvdJ-6_friCRd266PQMkrk0SxXuAtChhGaVuGk-7y3xbSb6EFEjQ8Mrg5Cge_TdBYg2LX1XKCI6o/s200/DSC_0619.JPG" width="200" /></a>After that, I walked over to the Reichstag to watch the sun set. Like the Siegessäule, the dome is currently closed for visits. Seems like everything here in Berlin is closed for some reason. So I hung around the area and photographed everything, including the Paul-Lobe-Haus and the Bundeskanzleramt (office of the federal chancellor). All the buildings in the area are wonderful works of architecture. I particularly liked the Kongresshalle. It was a nice form and I loved the concrete structure. There was something for the Berlinale going on there--probably a screening or something--so I didn't go in.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdU91Dk8laFwr4x54yeipodl8TmOc9uTJOgArchilkbOlPas4Hb99qpTTDNS-odwL4HYi776vMiV-Nq0si-el_8Q8WEVC1De39Q1qeE39yFTkn2HUleHhhjO45cDIru28V1RaT4Yp8-zH/s1600/DSC_0657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdU91Dk8laFwr4x54yeipodl8TmOc9uTJOgArchilkbOlPas4Hb99qpTTDNS-odwL4HYi776vMiV-Nq0si-el_8Q8WEVC1De39Q1qeE39yFTkn2HUleHhhjO45cDIru28V1RaT4Yp8-zH/s200/DSC_0657.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmMLSehpV5bQ7U-XrBOCbmSON8brTpJRV87hGCTO95aaEPfV9oJAXOJaNwecxsltJol-XygNxRnABA1ge1BZXdrbMoCCed75fcORMLP9LpZUFF7hhva0bEiWTHG9hLf-OoacYWRTIDjmE/s1600/DSC_0667bw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFmMLSehpV5bQ7U-XrBOCbmSON8brTpJRV87hGCTO95aaEPfV9oJAXOJaNwecxsltJol-XygNxRnABA1ge1BZXdrbMoCCed75fcORMLP9LpZUFF7hhva0bEiWTHG9hLf-OoacYWRTIDjmE/s200/DSC_0667bw.jpg" width="200" /></a>Finally, I headed back to the Brandenburg Gate to get a night time shot, and I'm very glad I did. It's beautiful when it's lit up by lights with the blue night sky behind it. I made my way to the nearest U-Bahn stop to defrost and some one point I ended up in Hauptbahnhof station, designed by Alfred Lent, Bertold Scholz, and Gottlieb Henri Lapierre. The photograph I took was very underexposed (I was carrying two unopened beers) so I played around with it in Photoshop a bit. I rarely Photoshop my pictures unless they're panoramics.<br />
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Yesterday I took it easy and watched two movies that were in the Berlinale (the international film festival here in Berlin). Sadly, I woke up early at 8:30am so I could get tickets with Erblin, but looking back, I probably still would have gotten tickets if I went to buy them later in the day. Better safe than sorry though.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnQhE-09yxHBywakRIwQENr-EJlM-cld6mDtYR3T2lMmaqB2HsmKdBbrfg1b1QGXSEqV_LS8EwoMRbEAJHyybojpNu3msvtZ-TwI8AZE82DMN65oOa7fKdbrCl9gYb5GdW1Fd_aPmBUjf/s1600/IMG_2031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjnQhE-09yxHBywakRIwQENr-EJlM-cld6mDtYR3T2lMmaqB2HsmKdBbrfg1b1QGXSEqV_LS8EwoMRbEAJHyybojpNu3msvtZ-TwI8AZE82DMN65oOa7fKdbrCl9gYb5GdW1Fd_aPmBUjf/s200/IMG_2031.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>The first film I watched was <a href="http://wewereherefilm.com/">We Were Here</a> which is a documentary about the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco during the 80s. It was a powerful, touching, sad film. I highly recommend it. After the screening, the director David Weissman, his editor (I think his name was Bill?) and Ed, one of the guys interviewed, came up and did a Q&A session. I also got the chance to meet Ed and talk to him briefly. Such a sweet guy.<br />
<a href="https://www.fuerst-iven.de/.media/428744894914.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://www.fuerst-iven.de/.media/428744894914.jpeg" width="200" /></a>I went back to studio briefly to pick up my stuff, but on the way back, I stopped by Potsdamer Platz to pick up a Berlinale bag. I was excited, and it was only 15<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">€!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQHWZnd8JfNqdijPCbFTpLguvb3M7sZNv3Qa1ns4wTTZ2FQP2DkxSWnRVcGApb1hSalov9svk-dnILoxyu7oucMKOAmXxnFdJhRfV_K4j1DGrqtUhWbhR0Un38rtzd0qnbirEtH3KnAuo/s1600/IMG_2036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKQHWZnd8JfNqdijPCbFTpLguvb3M7sZNv3Qa1ns4wTTZ2FQP2DkxSWnRVcGApb1hSalov9svk-dnILoxyu7oucMKOAmXxnFdJhRfV_K4j1DGrqtUhWbhR0Un38rtzd0qnbirEtH3KnAuo/s200/IMG_2036.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;"></span><span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">The second movie I saw was Anistia (Amnesty). It was an Albanian film (Erblin convinced me to go) about something or other and it was really boring. Really disappointing. Again, the director and actors were invited to come up afterwards, but it was midnight at that point so we left.</span><br />
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<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">Ahhh! Longest post ever! Until next time! Tschüss!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-43331719371094680622011-02-09T09:28:00.000-08:002011-02-09T09:29:01.439-08:00The Other SideOn Tuesdays, we don't have classes, so obviously I was out and about discovering Berlin yesterday. It was the first sunny day since we've been in Europe and I definitely took advantage of it. Sarah, Jeri, Erblin, Kemal, and I decided to head west to the Charlottenburg district of Berlin to check out the Olympic Stadium. It was constructed for the 1936 Olympic games, where Hitler famously walked out as Jesse Owens won four gold medals. In 2004, the stadium was renovated to what it looks like today. Let me tell you; it was pretty amazing to walk into this enormous (and empty) stadium. The tectonics of the roof structure was also incredible. We spent about an hour or two just walking around the stands, around the stadium's exterior, and around the top. We froze our ears and hands in the cold (but sunny) weather. Completely worth 3 Euros to enter. Sadly, the bell tower was closed for winter so we couldn't get a bird's eye view of the stadium.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnq4ndifrdpHgUGC79B1ngqNsz_ZvRAWtoz2KoS60u490iqmMOOGouu_EWqHVMbz4Vy2dSmTYwVKYoIsADW3y8XZS0Zz9K-8VlqALP2GrEy6WKEckNOHlez_AiJsuayUQPy_g97KoTnGd/s1600/olympicstadium_pano02cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnq4ndifrdpHgUGC79B1ngqNsz_ZvRAWtoz2KoS60u490iqmMOOGouu_EWqHVMbz4Vy2dSmTYwVKYoIsADW3y8XZS0Zz9K-8VlqALP2GrEy6WKEckNOHlez_AiJsuayUQPy_g97KoTnGd/s640/olympicstadium_pano02cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjseYMm8OuB2k2jDsBLivC5UuS6fLacw0aO-x6mIrZmP3xCzoOP4SrV1hNyPuXUBmviMoOQsL0sayMBHoNN84PeioKlyvc0mhXI9dDJgCLCmAiKR7sccJW3paAP8XDXmLVooQzc2ohwzY/s1600/corbusier_pano02.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjseYMm8OuB2k2jDsBLivC5UuS6fLacw0aO-x6mIrZmP3xCzoOP4SrV1hNyPuXUBmviMoOQsL0sayMBHoNN84PeioKlyvc0mhXI9dDJgCLCmAiKR7sccJW3paAP8XDXmLVooQzc2ohwzY/s200/corbusier_pano02.jpg" width="168" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59Hyv4A7Fz5M3hIRMUlhZW1HHHWTH629irtMcJYE69fG-OHKuwPztNW16J7F_6-TSq-Y-dLgnwRcRI9oWYfCDar5d5gDJpXYS5xqvHnC5Yg44m_Vfi75wF_G2CvD796WF23onTnxFSnBa/s1600/DSC_9475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj59Hyv4A7Fz5M3hIRMUlhZW1HHHWTH629irtMcJYE69fG-OHKuwPztNW16J7F_6-TSq-Y-dLgnwRcRI9oWYfCDar5d5gDJpXYS5xqvHnC5Yg44m_Vfi75wF_G2CvD796WF23onTnxFSnBa/s200/DSC_9475.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.arc1.uniroma1.it/saggio/Conferenze/Milano/corbusier_appart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="http://www.arc1.uniroma1.it/saggio/Conferenze/Milano/corbusier_appart.jpg" width="200" /></a>Nearby were the Unite d'Habitation apartments by Le Corbusier. Every architecture student should know these apartments since they've been drilled into our minds since freshmen year. I've attached an image that we know so well. These are the interlocking L-shaped apartments that are two stories. We entered the apartment building, checked out the lobby, took the elevator to the top floor and explored the stairwell, but sadly, we didn't get to experience an actual apartment. I can't judge the building until I see the interior! But from the look of the hallways, it felt very cramped; Kemal was too tall for the doors (he's about 6'4").<br />
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When we finished with the apartments, the rest of the group decided to go to studio, so I ended up flying solo to Schlossgarten. I walked by the Schloss Charlottenburg (apparently a museum?) which is a huuuuuge palace that was built for Sophie Charlotte, wife of King Friedrich I of Prussia. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO6MqmX2FUI9HlXYMXUjvqc-mK3xwl-6a7fD7CKNw7lFHRqqDwoW1anvIZo_wZeZSNF1MV8cMtUtMhxCAdYbmNVOfVEGDsK5NEIwBcviam9KtdXXO1T2JQh-mrnrGON9JYudKRkKC_Ozb/s1600/palace_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYO6MqmX2FUI9HlXYMXUjvqc-mK3xwl-6a7fD7CKNw7lFHRqqDwoW1anvIZo_wZeZSNF1MV8cMtUtMhxCAdYbmNVOfVEGDsK5NEIwBcviam9KtdXXO1T2JQh-mrnrGON9JYudKRkKC_Ozb/s640/palace_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGH0rKsoyxo44q7Mlyw30HwSVnRD7g2DTDxW0-7ivTnD7N8HSgZbe2jd0HOu7SH2WnI5f3IhJofldjqGxdj5RTFRBRwzs_7szRWsjw1Vk-E4p8vIbQkaM-EGxJair5DWhdixBczA15cr6m/s1600/palace_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGH0rKsoyxo44q7Mlyw30HwSVnRD7g2DTDxW0-7ivTnD7N8HSgZbe2jd0HOu7SH2WnI5f3IhJofldjqGxdj5RTFRBRwzs_7szRWsjw1Vk-E4p8vIbQkaM-EGxJair5DWhdixBczA15cr6m/s640/palace_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Behind the palace is an enormous park with fantastic landscaping that was similar to Andre Le Notre's work. I tried going to the Neue Pavillon by Karl Schinkel, but it was closed for restoration. I walked as far as the carp pond, which was filled with all species of ducks, and then walked back to the U-Bahn along Schlosstrasse.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uvlX66cHiAWYeQoL8rnIuF7yNf2ObRqQFtYQgyzOuH7tPhv-abfLYsh37wHh4O_J0tpb2ZvdrHT35zj7mI5Qrvydn7IHJKa3WRFXrnfV_5gJEnI4CrKvLCR7eXKVQbZHkfMWxFISgZfy/s1600/grimshaw_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uvlX66cHiAWYeQoL8rnIuF7yNf2ObRqQFtYQgyzOuH7tPhv-abfLYsh37wHh4O_J0tpb2ZvdrHT35zj7mI5Qrvydn7IHJKa3WRFXrnfV_5gJEnI4CrKvLCR7eXKVQbZHkfMWxFISgZfy/s200/grimshaw_pano.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRFwbYijzSJk1Rck-cftq0BthyphenhyphenT9-o2AlTUmkE6E2DtB7ePqcZfkq7HwwRMn19wgYnU4NiAxIOdITBeydLUmimDv3moCzVlnT9EeIN1Nlvk714x0YibL-g49K5A-PBqB6vnOf7fzx39q3/s1600/DSC_9648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWRFwbYijzSJk1Rck-cftq0BthyphenhyphenT9-o2AlTUmkE6E2DtB7ePqcZfkq7HwwRMn19wgYnU4NiAxIOdITBeydLUmimDv3moCzVlnT9EeIN1Nlvk714x0YibL-g49K5A-PBqB6vnOf7fzx39q3/s200/DSC_9648.JPG" width="200" /></a>My last stop of the day was the Ludwig Erhard Haus by Nicholas Grimshaw, which I believe is a stock exchange building. It's a pretty impressive building with its arched form and steel and glass construction. I only walked through the lobby, but I could peek an atrium through a side exterior window. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNIzIHUnuZjjFkqvviraLVtnmxQwOEkon1fbbaS2l6GM71b2iAPjwPRocpaeCVRkvKrFK8SR09eS6DzHAkBeSMZj1EvzbGxPCFKU8G4xhJF8GGLWyjchs5PysScaH4hpdDP930UHg2kcl/s1600/foster_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNIzIHUnuZjjFkqvviraLVtnmxQwOEkon1fbbaS2l6GM71b2iAPjwPRocpaeCVRkvKrFK8SR09eS6DzHAkBeSMZj1EvzbGxPCFKU8G4xhJF8GGLWyjchs5PysScaH4hpdDP930UHg2kcl/s200/foster_pano.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBYxV429MwPSv3PFOeOjqaxda0l-FuSrzXkLoZ-RocxMx_jWXS6VII0PT_iehr3cKPgw7dwtXJiGR4lEOj1ydzBh3yswVm11scwfIvMkMYMcWR8XrwUDQ9RzgZIzM6yYD2ajIg_pnzaTF/s1600/IMG_6402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBYxV429MwPSv3PFOeOjqaxda0l-FuSrzXkLoZ-RocxMx_jWXS6VII0PT_iehr3cKPgw7dwtXJiGR4lEOj1ydzBh3yswVm11scwfIvMkMYMcWR8XrwUDQ9RzgZIzM6yYD2ajIg_pnzaTF/s200/IMG_6402.JPG" width="150" /></a>Today I had the opportunity to visit Norman Foster's Philological Library on the Freie Universitat campus. It was an addition placed in the middle of one of the existing courtyards. It's an interesting exterior, but I loved the interior much more. Sadly, the librarians wouldn't let me enter with my camera (they were mean librarians) but luckily Jeri had a pocket-sized camera, so I snapped a couple shots with that. On the inside, the floor slabs are shaped symmetrically with its edges forming waves. As you go up the floors, the slabs are offset a few feet so there's a tiered effect. Very cool library; I would actually study here.<br />
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That's all for now. Until next time...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-31041156190674135682011-02-07T10:41:00.000-08:002011-02-07T10:41:25.192-08:00These Streets<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipN8B2ZXg54YDcM3zKZi8cgjVDxYTN_MNBYMTX_H8ndhyphenhyphenMhMM0KZy1CTcXJYVKAB3Rjq1vpzdH7f_ydU_IXmHgOSlt3LSPqzPuiMIsClH1ewVC6m3ccKePiTmGXo-Cwu4x9w-ymGLhI95W/s1600/DSC_8948.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipN8B2ZXg54YDcM3zKZi8cgjVDxYTN_MNBYMTX_H8ndhyphenhyphenMhMM0KZy1CTcXJYVKAB3Rjq1vpzdH7f_ydU_IXmHgOSlt3LSPqzPuiMIsClH1ewVC6m3ccKePiTmGXo-Cwu4x9w-ymGLhI95W/s200/DSC_8948.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bpAhGHM-KwKhlSVTDdjk0PdzKB7VBXF-Dj7N_32Hm8lQdGsfa21s88OR91gQB9k5yGoXROFCgz0DDBFdE-rxb2JB6bIqKWpclsVwxwJUIs7zLYoyd0Yt4yzvzThFwZFiKfye_bbCMc9z/s1600/DSC_8926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bpAhGHM-KwKhlSVTDdjk0PdzKB7VBXF-Dj7N_32Hm8lQdGsfa21s88OR91gQB9k5yGoXROFCgz0DDBFdE-rxb2JB6bIqKWpclsVwxwJUIs7zLYoyd0Yt4yzvzThFwZFiKfye_bbCMc9z/s200/DSC_8926.JPG" width="133" /></a>Yesterday was a gloomy day in Berlin. The weather was windy, the clouds were gray, and the sky was constantly spitting rain. Regardless, I seized the day with Erblin and Kemal and went around Mitte, specifically Unter den Linden, which translates to "under the linden trees." The whole boulevard is lined with linden trees as it leads you to Pariser Platz and the Brandenburg Gate.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEB2R1As40qR9oa8Qy4NNJ1EHluJznJmukPUnSKS2kDlzyuwQjz8C1KMWe_PUcHksdMEf3rDgOcnbcFAKxRy49OGONjXW47Szx1SNdyfI0025NEd2-HtMFBq2cVFgvjfVUrRSe51Z7GuQ/s1600/DSC_8946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMEB2R1As40qR9oa8Qy4NNJ1EHluJznJmukPUnSKS2kDlzyuwQjz8C1KMWe_PUcHksdMEf3rDgOcnbcFAKxRy49OGONjXW47Szx1SNdyfI0025NEd2-HtMFBq2cVFgvjfVUrRSe51Z7GuQ/s200/DSC_8946.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pu7yD3iBHSe2sgjVK26LMDidhB2bWIzH1AfhrUG_uE_B8NGBkcLii5ztgAri186eU3UTJ9GLLOrNADjmIKLao3zql1jrLRMLIhhyBDWcqiOpHCXOk2w3iXFGO0P-Mux9A27d7rntvn5g/s1600/DSC_8958.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pu7yD3iBHSe2sgjVK26LMDidhB2bWIzH1AfhrUG_uE_B8NGBkcLii5ztgAri186eU3UTJ9GLLOrNADjmIKLao3zql1jrLRMLIhhyBDWcqiOpHCXOk2w3iXFGO0P-Mux9A27d7rntvn5g/s200/DSC_8958.JPG" width="133" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTMYfztZDitQzVTAxD-2d-1W-vIp5aQBWvsIpD0XdU6xjUFMY1C3oEskbVC86BL9uZhwvnF1UGB9TzqYAFJvpUNyY5MrPDJkLI6clvS5Nzi2rjJNn7mvbDWWXYOP74XOTtuk0QULNRs06/s1600/DSC_8956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTMYfztZDitQzVTAxD-2d-1W-vIp5aQBWvsIpD0XdU6xjUFMY1C3oEskbVC86BL9uZhwvnF1UGB9TzqYAFJvpUNyY5MrPDJkLI6clvS5Nzi2rjJNn7mvbDWWXYOP74XOTtuk0QULNRs06/s200/DSC_8956.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gjt8lsKUDmz3U0DAivgwidJ65U1c__62hO6M4PNHkjeezbmzxC94NO8IK7Lun4VFhqf6NzRxi8RgKewLLfNfew1VgIM5uVH2_zquNKgqFzVZG3lYgzSxiJl_60tPnoCkUJUccIx-TBoZ/s1600/DSC_8962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gjt8lsKUDmz3U0DAivgwidJ65U1c__62hO6M4PNHkjeezbmzxC94NO8IK7Lun4VFhqf6NzRxi8RgKewLLfNfew1VgIM5uVH2_zquNKgqFzVZG3lYgzSxiJl_60tPnoCkUJUccIx-TBoZ/s200/DSC_8962.JPG" width="133" /></a>Our first destination was... wait for it... a Behnisch building! Designed by the Stuttgart office, the Akademie der Künste (Academy of the Arts) is a fantastic addition to Pariser Platz, which is surrounded by mostly embassies. The exterior wasn't too significant, but I feel like that has more to do with the neighboring buildings than anything because all the facades are flush. However, once you enter, you know you're in a Behnisch building. To the left, there's a grand staircase that invites you to walk up to the second level (look at the handrail too!) and to the right is the gift shop/book store and mirror walls that we're so fond of. As you walk past the ceiling, the space just soars. We tried to get as high as we could, but eventually we reached a sign that said "No Entrance," but you know how architecture students like to explore... but as soon as we walked past the roped area, a woman ran out of nowhere and started yelling in German. After seeing confused looks on our faces, she yelled in English. Too <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mLFK1w6Pu-8XsKYpqWrMxI-uwZIijtahxU7MfajEiehTmV5-OfDAueSoTq6iM_gXXrLr_Oj_8ixp11xakX1V8YkJuAqhL2rg7RJ0Ww2DKUPwi8kxEHq1IuiwTmQsa_HwsJi3hjh6PBLF/s1600/behnisch_pano02.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0mLFK1w6Pu-8XsKYpqWrMxI-uwZIijtahxU7MfajEiehTmV5-OfDAueSoTq6iM_gXXrLr_Oj_8ixp11xakX1V8YkJuAqhL2rg7RJ0Ww2DKUPwi8kxEHq1IuiwTmQsa_HwsJi3hjh6PBLF/s200/behnisch_pano02.jpg" width="200" /></a>bad I don't have a Behnisch badge or something that I could flash and get admittance to the rest of the building. So we <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURGKjVLbFKCHq7F3Xog8lUJdxHvFJ0kcv3N4-YnkeisgG3kkoowHJEs1WSoOee7ZkbRdclmtuRV3mV539beJvNFHHanYdpx9vOlo17ofMbaHVGQ5rQ1XLkZhfcNHNbMw6zqwjgUqnm1Ku/s1600/DSC_9086.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURGKjVLbFKCHq7F3Xog8lUJdxHvFJ0kcv3N4-YnkeisgG3kkoowHJEs1WSoOee7ZkbRdclmtuRV3mV539beJvNFHHanYdpx9vOlo17ofMbaHVGQ5rQ1XLkZhfcNHNbMw6zqwjgUqnm1Ku/s200/DSC_9086.JPG" width="133" /></a>walked back down, and on top of the glass roof, there were the words "OFF LIMITS FOR GOOGLE." I found that amusing. We exited through the other entrance because I wanted to see what it looked like (and it was very much a Behnisch color scheme), and to our surprise, we stumbled upon Peter Eisenman's Holocaust Memorial.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURGKjVLbFKCHq7F3Xog8lUJdxHvFJ0kcv3N4-YnkeisgG3kkoowHJEs1WSoOee7ZkbRdclmtuRV3mV539beJvNFHHanYdpx9vOlo17ofMbaHVGQ5rQ1XLkZhfcNHNbMw6zqwjgUqnm1Ku/s1600/DSC_9086.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
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We walked around and got lost in the memorial for a while. It's pretty much rows and rows of rectangular blocks extruded upwards at different elevations, and as you walk through, the ground raises or lowers and you get engulfed by these structures. It would be a great place to play tag if it weren't a Holocaust memorial. I would love to go back on a sunny day or at night just to see what it looks and feels like at those times. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLZqGfWcOCWdRdxO97swsHYfZX-K8ixh4UDHhv8_JAVmLF-fweiwjuBG4EMBE3Nkg1JJWUYs3-ephQk8CC_1MpWjAgJM_BkcvSPpa3pod4jPbgdY7W4NCouhbeNvIsS_UxADVXmcYIs0K/s1600/eisenman_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLZqGfWcOCWdRdxO97swsHYfZX-K8ixh4UDHhv8_JAVmLF-fweiwjuBG4EMBE3Nkg1JJWUYs3-ephQk8CC_1MpWjAgJM_BkcvSPpa3pod4jPbgdY7W4NCouhbeNvIsS_UxADVXmcYIs0K/s640/eisenman_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvFu7juZnCfZ1g_4Lo_ZmEaiq9tdUMBmgIBoQPjEdqFXfMyd5byM7JUbJniPK4xGNYndAlv_W9yb9WuQrE1mxnedYHQy8SxkbeipYN8so7TYIDQ3BEDDtUT_QAWPO-Bv5pWGuFM0n24hG/s1600/pariserplatz_polarpano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQvFu7juZnCfZ1g_4Lo_ZmEaiq9tdUMBmgIBoQPjEdqFXfMyd5byM7JUbJniPK4xGNYndAlv_W9yb9WuQrE1mxnedYHQy8SxkbeipYN8so7TYIDQ3BEDDtUT_QAWPO-Bv5pWGuFM0n24hG/s200/pariserplatz_polarpano.jpg" width="199" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDH4On3FY-qG56rR5-062Yts6neFyA-YKTF5597YyGS0DTq5yWFxcjBEFkQ4VHpUdWdYoq8V_0C4b6Ylnqlr8qkHcZPz8Ip_u_PKwxlrE9BiZ13Zd9nUa4NGbTnEHnoEn0Ha7_jab89wF/s1600/DSC_9100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDH4On3FY-qG56rR5-062Yts6neFyA-YKTF5597YyGS0DTq5yWFxcjBEFkQ4VHpUdWdYoq8V_0C4b6Ylnqlr8qkHcZPz8Ip_u_PKwxlrE9BiZ13Zd9nUa4NGbTnEHnoEn0Ha7_jab89wF/s200/DSC_9100.JPG" width="133" /></a>We walked back through the Behnisch building and finished exploring the rest of the space. We tried to go next door to the Frank Gehry building, but when Erblin opened the door, some angry German man came screaming at us, saying "geschlossen" which means "closed," so that didn't happen. I managed to sneak a shot of the interior through the glass doors though.<br />
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We spent the rest of our time just wandering around Pariser Platz and photographing the area. After getting tired of the rain, we called it a day and headed to studio. More exploring tomorrow since we don't have classes! And I actually saw the sun today!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-8873728800200096692011-02-06T16:54:00.000-08:002011-02-06T17:03:55.481-08:00The Next Episode<style>
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</style><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know everybody (and by everybody, I mean about five people) has been waiting for me to update from Berlin. It’s been a nonstop pace since I’ve gotten here, but I will start with last week. </span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVhx29QqFC6l7zFFdCJNQgI-V7Y3GIkBIqhiMGu4uxrpU_UTiUSPztqBFqI17Q6UdYRqITlxm6lTYDYS8ytfYYiN9XsPt4h8PSGItzfjNMriemNzJX5j-1c9ATmm_4iStP8g5M22XFezC/s1600/DSC_8555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeVhx29QqFC6l7zFFdCJNQgI-V7Y3GIkBIqhiMGu4uxrpU_UTiUSPztqBFqI17Q6UdYRqITlxm6lTYDYS8ytfYYiN9XsPt4h8PSGItzfjNMriemNzJX5j-1c9ATmm_4iStP8g5M22XFezC/s200/DSC_8555.JPG" width="200" /></a>I forgot to blog earlier, but when I was in Boston, I shot my one and only air rifle match for my senior year and ended up winning the <a href="http://www.wentworthathletics.com/sports/rifle/2010-11/releases/20110129riflebeanpot">gold medal</a> with a score of 568 out of 600. Anyways, Monday, January 31<sup>st</sup>, about 40 students (20 going to Berlin, 20 going to France) met at Logan Airport and checked in four hours before our flight. I was up until 3am the previous night to finish packing and ended up getting sick (of course) but I didn’t let that ruin my fun. The plane ride to Frankfurt took about 7 hours or so, and we got free drinks (meaning alcoholic as well), snacks, and a meal. I spent most of the time watching shows on my laptop and attempting to sleep. We landed in Frankfurt at about 5:30am and the groups split up. Initially our flight to Berlin was supposed to be at 7am, but when we looked at the departure monitor, it said that our flight was canceled. There we were, a group of 20 students, trying to figure out how to get to Berlin. We kept going back and forth from terminals and help desks until we finally got new tickets for an 8:30am flight. We didn’t get to Berlin until 11am or so, and by then, all of us were just dead.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10rA1MkBLt4YATeQv9-3XkT36-gYW1fEM9mJT-NmgpwYriZbIxgfDxf7sa8Bi0S_qsRO-0hfY3EClnSjlJaFEqvHuHpLyisO1gDijZLM2I4PKbuUhwGnb115t4HhS3bFQ_5EoxYOfQUB2/s1600/IMG_1863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10rA1MkBLt4YATeQv9-3XkT36-gYW1fEM9mJT-NmgpwYriZbIxgfDxf7sa8Bi0S_qsRO-0hfY3EClnSjlJaFEqvHuHpLyisO1gDijZLM2I4PKbuUhwGnb115t4HhS3bFQ_5EoxYOfQUB2/s200/IMG_1863.JPG" width="200" /></a>We met up with our study abroad coordinator Rolf and he took us to our studio space first and then to our apartments. After everyone took a nap, a group of us ventured out to explore Berlin a bit. Our first day we stayed fairly close to home and walked to Alexanderplatz. So far the weather here has been gray and cold and sometimes rainy and windy, but the city is amazing. There is so much modern architecture around yet it’s filled with such history. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">On Wednesday, we officially started classes. We only have about four classes while we’re over here: studio, German, humanities, and material studies. It’s a very light load compared to my usual semesters, and we have Tuesdays off, so I will be doing lots of exploring.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AslWc__G4g1JzWtH62K_ZN3rNMRZpvoLixjwXlQ8WA7O7LMZnrJMV6n0BSimfJvb92Iy3soDYs8rakYXsHEx7WVeDWWlgGmrd-FSUSQtXtO4lBEZnj7CnvrAAxeIY8oD7PVyT8pGvpfA/s1600/IMG_1951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AslWc__G4g1JzWtH62K_ZN3rNMRZpvoLixjwXlQ8WA7O7LMZnrJMV6n0BSimfJvb92Iy3soDYs8rakYXsHEx7WVeDWWlgGmrd-FSUSQtXtO4lBEZnj7CnvrAAxeIY8oD7PVyT8pGvpfA/s200/IMG_1951.JPG" width="200" /></a>Friday, our humanities professor Ruth took us to a museum called The Story of Berlin which gave a brief history of Berlin by having theme “rooms.” Very interesting and enlightening museum. We also got to tour an underground bunker.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Friday night I had my first European clubbing experience. We went to a nearby club called Tresor, and they charged a 13 Euro cover (13 Euros!! That’s like $18! Ugh). It is completely different than the US. Everyone’s dressed pretty grunge and it’s all about dancing to some crazy house beats. In the basement, the bass was so loud that I could feel it pulsing through my heart. It was insane and definitely not my scene. I left around 3am with a few others, but the other half of the group apparently stayed until 5:30am.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Everyone who knows me knows how much I hate to waste time, so all my free moments in Berlin are being spent exploring the city. My stay here is limited so I’m trying to pack in as much sightseeing and photographing as I can. I’ve left a few weekends for Berlin, but for March and half of April, I will be going to Greece, Copenhagen, Prague, Madrid (with school), Switzerland (with school), Amsterdam, and one other destination that I haven’t decided on for February 26-27 (contemplating between Barcelona, Lisbon, and Dublin, or somewhere else… input is MUCH NEEDED ASAP!!). </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yDwjAYLiGFic4vj0Dybj65O2t9EMz_Mcre4E8iVyiPNsTariXaJbL4_S24_z6GUHojt9DkWwre6TSaMhZguBJuxiaPeGizz5RpC3pUJpzUFrDymiu4E_9IMHFX9KFT393EPkGXVmbKQy/s1600/DSC_8604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9yDwjAYLiGFic4vj0Dybj65O2t9EMz_Mcre4E8iVyiPNsTariXaJbL4_S24_z6GUHojt9DkWwre6TSaMhZguBJuxiaPeGizz5RpC3pUJpzUFrDymiu4E_9IMHFX9KFT393EPkGXVmbKQy/s200/DSC_8604.JPG" width="200" /></a>On Saturday, my roommates (Jeri and Sarah), Erblin, and I ventured out to Potsdamer Platz to check out the architecture of the area. Twenty years ago after the wall came down, there was nothing in the area. Now it’s filled with several office, commercial, and residential towers; it feels a bit like Manhattan. We went specifically in search of buildings that were listed in an architecture book that Erblin had bought, and for the most part we saw most of the ones in that area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPk1e3bD3EQbDwgsH0URrmafGaLg2W8262sNmbRaZvPs-Og_y4V3tsL9dWtk_2e98uyL2DiSRzXqz_qaRpVFXZS8vdcrNvVJ2o1BCMrDiJqoS-H4ydf9wVNZlyWvr5bHMQ0wQX1RwsMuyG/s1600/potsdamerplatz_pano02cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPk1e3bD3EQbDwgsH0URrmafGaLg2W8262sNmbRaZvPs-Og_y4V3tsL9dWtk_2e98uyL2DiSRzXqz_qaRpVFXZS8vdcrNvVJ2o1BCMrDiJqoS-H4ydf9wVNZlyWvr5bHMQ0wQX1RwsMuyG/s640/potsdamerplatz_pano02cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhineRJSMn8gHhEj0ytAUZVpb_hZbkmXeNvIaX5SrVwZkOUpIgwac1gsUwynfG592OIcRHkERZ9gP2Rn7WOis45sAvLns9m3QsJEJN8WnCz4pFRLglBMYz8ikaH4Ro0XwYXJw8yQDc6UgUm/s1600/DSC_8656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhineRJSMn8gHhEj0ytAUZVpb_hZbkmXeNvIaX5SrVwZkOUpIgwac1gsUwynfG592OIcRHkERZ9gP2Rn7WOis45sAvLns9m3QsJEJN8WnCz4pFRLglBMYz8ikaH4Ro0XwYXJw8yQDc6UgUm/s200/DSC_8656.JPG" width="133" /></a>The first building we went in to was by an unknown architect. It felt very Behnisch to me. The building is made mainly of steel and glass, and when you enter, there’s a fantastic atrium space with green space inside (which makes me think it’s a Behnisch-esque building). Being architecture students, we felt the need to explore all that we could, so we took the escalator to the second floor, and then the elevator to the 8th/top floor. When we got to the top, it looked as if they were completing construction, so there were rooms just filled with ceiling panels, radiant floor panels, lights, etc. We walked all the way around before heading back down. Great building, very tectonic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSZ9u0EmXV-H68p0SaY3veiqvoNjCy5LmbpPvLolZgaVAlVrTgpUttLektdxNU-eQVmty6wjNx7nX-oKKO31QEclHMI8WT3GmVqSPwaaysHhLWHxOmDHk-DiHGf_DF1OXWGmDEd_fJ9PU/s1600/DSC_8695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSZ9u0EmXV-H68p0SaY3veiqvoNjCy5LmbpPvLolZgaVAlVrTgpUttLektdxNU-eQVmty6wjNx7nX-oKKO31QEclHMI8WT3GmVqSPwaaysHhLWHxOmDHk-DiHGf_DF1OXWGmDEd_fJ9PU/s200/DSC_8695.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZGD0tfC9Wnime8HLyBED1FSArhcTA8pp_R9oZPIBAmVRG8YfZncixod51x-Oo6Lhz63d_JEtfWbftOZNahHdXJ8QVXjSZjn9lTOmr6G0hY_JiXdA9MznznU-LMZ_8BQlk-IpB8AxHvbJ/s1600/renzo_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZGD0tfC9Wnime8HLyBED1FSArhcTA8pp_R9oZPIBAmVRG8YfZncixod51x-Oo6Lhz63d_JEtfWbftOZNahHdXJ8QVXjSZjn9lTOmr6G0hY_JiXdA9MznznU-LMZ_8BQlk-IpB8AxHvbJ/s200/renzo_pano02.jpg" width="167" /></a>We walked down a few blocks and found a building by Richard Rogers but didn't go in (I don't know why). I believe it was a residential building, with a very distinct shape of a triangle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Next we walked over to the Debis Building by Renzo Piano which I believe is an office building. As I mentioned before, I love everything by Renzo, so of course I loved this building. There's even a water feature around it (I don't know what you'd call it--a reflection pool, a moat?).</span><br />
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We found another building next to it (another unknown architect) and it had this courtyard area (I guess that's what you could call it) that framed views. It's hard to describe what I'm talking about so here's a picture. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhNxQclnSuUcrTTD18AcK5C_ChW2VRT2cX_ieemIoWB1pcjYScK62Wop6-3eAjMRSUlBbg_N_Tyla7z6n9V_SA7CJIlvFnfP6yzwJDazGXuk2edKmxE5Dx3flKW0Wb-7LsPmpmaoTfgLI/s1600/potsdamerplatz_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhNxQclnSuUcrTTD18AcK5C_ChW2VRT2cX_ieemIoWB1pcjYScK62Wop6-3eAjMRSUlBbg_N_Tyla7z6n9V_SA7CJIlvFnfP6yzwJDazGXuk2edKmxE5Dx3flKW0Wb-7LsPmpmaoTfgLI/s640/potsdamerplatz_pano03.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_MKoGi_mjBFhBnkPhzcvjABlrxZFs2xhYzbdUN45K6vtd15QHhCO9K1BR9iWdDiywQ2ZbeA0uFfsBGNeb-d9j6hyJRo4lF3djxZC9rPBfmOsA8E_wVYpryYA4ZdRit_UerMubEnykgYO/s1600/DSC_8813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_MKoGi_mjBFhBnkPhzcvjABlrxZFs2xhYzbdUN45K6vtd15QHhCO9K1BR9iWdDiywQ2ZbeA0uFfsBGNeb-d9j6hyJRo4lF3djxZC9rPBfmOsA8E_wVYpryYA4ZdRit_UerMubEnykgYO/s200/DSC_8813.JPG" width="200" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17KzWn0VZDOJY1g63Q3nYBxyPH0gE9BTCvV9PpDiycwM8lQyTUxYXA_Bvyijj1hmaOrTulWEaB9frGVXGIOGfOJBZNVowoFAtfZB5RsulfB8DKm6pLYzV4xCZpOd98P-GmhFQzZSDCJrY/s1600/DSC_8833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj17KzWn0VZDOJY1g63Q3nYBxyPH0gE9BTCvV9PpDiycwM8lQyTUxYXA_Bvyijj1hmaOrTulWEaB9frGVXGIOGfOJBZNVowoFAtfZB5RsulfB8DKm6pLYzV4xCZpOd98P-GmhFQzZSDCJrY/s200/DSC_8833.JPG" width="200" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;">Next we walked a little bit to Mies van der Rohe's Neue Nationalgalerie, which is very very much a Mies building. Simple steel and glass in an open space, and the program is underground. We walked around and inside but didn't pay for the exhibits. I love how simple it looks.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5mD7j5nqtDq49hi3xQ-NFUbzXsOYPQ8AaXvjyaeUpj_zcJFiyWew6Pjz5dj0YWkpCyE6VlW3kSyl7a2TkO0npy_7UiZlOI9EbY-23X-O0RnQP6ScfupiqwF65aeH-vOEHSjbySkyli9j/s1600/DSC_8865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix5mD7j5nqtDq49hi3xQ-NFUbzXsOYPQ8AaXvjyaeUpj_zcJFiyWew6Pjz5dj0YWkpCyE6VlW3kSyl7a2TkO0npy_7UiZlOI9EbY-23X-O0RnQP6ScfupiqwF65aeH-vOEHSjbySkyli9j/s200/DSC_8865.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrM0UOCaiDdCCyfVVh5Vg31bCt_oy5RLLxRGrTV8FxY_UYBI_BCyAGhxjjMglxURqE5XygEASzyfb4xhO1OUvxYZHTzm-IKf4kgV9K3MUBbDM2V2PAIj86R4MGh6r2sxsx6HxgaugnHZIE/s1600/philharmonie_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrM0UOCaiDdCCyfVVh5Vg31bCt_oy5RLLxRGrTV8FxY_UYBI_BCyAGhxjjMglxURqE5XygEASzyfb4xhO1OUvxYZHTzm-IKf4kgV9K3MUBbDM2V2PAIj86R4MGh6r2sxsx6HxgaugnHZIE/s320/philharmonie_pano.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;">Across the street was the Berliner Philharmonie, designed by Hans Scharoun. Very interesting building and not sure how I feel about it. We tried to get it but it was closed. It also started to rain harder so we weren't feeling too adventurous to walk around it. Instead we headed over to the Sony Center where the outdoor area is covered by a large "umbrella"-like structure. It's definitely a landmark in Potsdamer Platz with its unique shape. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnix8kyzprNvsg0HuR1CoHrQhPzveNv-sk-imW5t-KaYHzPf8CFzka13Hva2jYiVwdigJq_pBsNvhSiad3IPjuC26Z6yojlSU9LTrnW_YtCqzrHsZ2e87PvFHSxJ3qNUlotlkXI4cFI4w/s1600/DSC_8891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcnix8kyzprNvsg0HuR1CoHrQhPzveNv-sk-imW5t-KaYHzPf8CFzka13Hva2jYiVwdigJq_pBsNvhSiad3IPjuC26Z6yojlSU9LTrnW_YtCqzrHsZ2e87PvFHSxJ3qNUlotlkXI4cFI4w/s200/DSC_8891.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzzdseuWQKQXu1888mqKcL1IOYjiYg78k2XMUB7ZiLlk55Nt73IFuJRTmCInsPlDon1YjY8mPVZ8IpcOQ_yXrlFBnmU578shyqHsjfKPTW54yEUgvluccmys-63t8DfKs-ZZAUeEq8gPm/s1600/DSC_8880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWzzdseuWQKQXu1888mqKcL1IOYjiYg78k2XMUB7ZiLlk55Nt73IFuJRTmCInsPlDon1YjY8mPVZ8IpcOQ_yXrlFBnmU578shyqHsjfKPTW54yEUgvluccmys-63t8DfKs-ZZAUeEq8gPm/s200/DSC_8880.JPG" width="133" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">We made a quick stop to grab lunch then proceeded to see the Parkside Apartments by David Chipperfield. I wasn't impressed; it looked and felt like a prison to me, but I didn't go inside, so I can't say what the inside looks or feels like. After that, we were all architecture-ed out, so we called it a day and headed home to relax. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEE4-jHYHbTm5jnDdS-IZ9VHiU7U7qUtFvZczbzdfuU5Iw5X5L_zaEUrQYjzPCx7cfEHyXvT8C9Th3kIVw79ip4nAr9sAilAO8WW9NDhyphenhyphenDx_2BjJokF_wiQW7HqbxRakESJeTJ38Aw8LQ/s1600/DSC_8896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEE4-jHYHbTm5jnDdS-IZ9VHiU7U7qUtFvZczbzdfuU5Iw5X5L_zaEUrQYjzPCx7cfEHyXvT8C9Th3kIVw79ip4nAr9sAilAO8WW9NDhyphenhyphenDx_2BjJokF_wiQW7HqbxRakESJeTJ38Aw8LQ/s200/DSC_8896.JPG" width="200" /></a>On our way back, we passed the Science Center Medizintechnik, and I just thought it was an interesting form. It managed to be organic yet orthogonal at the same time. <br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Today I did more adventuring, but that update will have to wait until the morning. Now it's time to work on studio stuff... Tschüss!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-2049565015431504632011-01-24T21:26:00.000-08:002011-01-24T21:26:59.553-08:00Save Me, San FranciscoMy last week on the west coast was spent mainly exploring San Francisco for the second time, but this time flying solo without a tour group.<br />
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First, I must tell you about the difficulties of buying airline tickets. A few weeks before, I checked Southwest and tickets were $59 one-way. A few months before, I found them for $44 one-way, so I was going to wait for the prices to drop. Instead, the prices went up. I was traveling on January 17th (MLK Day) and returning on the 20th, so first the prices on the 17th rose to $122! I figured I could shift my dates over one day from the 18th - 21st. Next day I checked, the 18th went up to $122 as well. So then I thought, maybe I'll cut my trip short by a day and leave on Wednesday. Nope, Wednesday went up to $122 too! At that point, I was cursing the airlines for raising prices. Finally, I figured out that I could fly to San Jose for $49 one-way and take the CalTrain up to San Francisco. Done. That was my plan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVa7mA5TGfep1dgoU6tt_IVoevMH7LzROCjPCwG6Pn3PZ1WXfbe8-fj_zIZsDy1IFWc0_9-t6gU3Dlz52Oyglreu-bawkVYfRxc7U30S_r1uDv6UkhB4zxo7-C5G-rSvt6-VSvjqV7MLE/s1600/DSC_7424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVa7mA5TGfep1dgoU6tt_IVoevMH7LzROCjPCwG6Pn3PZ1WXfbe8-fj_zIZsDy1IFWc0_9-t6gU3Dlz52Oyglreu-bawkVYfRxc7U30S_r1uDv6UkhB4zxo7-C5G-rSvt6-VSvjqV7MLE/s200/DSC_7424.JPG" width="200" /></a>Monday morning I set out early for my 8am flight with Horizon Air. Initially the flight was delayed for 20 minutes because of fog that was over all of the Bay area, so when we boarded the plane, they told us that if the fog hasn't cleared up by the time we arrive, then the plane would return to LAX. As I sat on the plane (which is the smallest plane I have ever been on, with the most random brands for beverages and snacks... explains why it was so cheap I guess) wishing and praying that we would land, I saw the fog that was down below... then I watched as the plane was engulfed for 30 seconds in just white... next thing I knew, we were on the ground. Highly impressive. From there, I took the Valley Transit Authority (VTA) bus to the CalTrain station, where I boarded a train for San Francisco. Finally, I reached SF around noon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BaPJgZ7JtRC0kMZwcpg_VWxuTlQIAqsuWd6ms0Wti8BzgDpdhw8kzEvn9Jhoru-4RO9rkEyn64jBxIb1tzdqKFV_M4G3lPbn828pldSFkh9C4Pfj_3l8Men0wqVA-CPjDUnibnf00Vsk/s1600/contemporaryjewishmuseum_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BaPJgZ7JtRC0kMZwcpg_VWxuTlQIAqsuWd6ms0Wti8BzgDpdhw8kzEvn9Jhoru-4RO9rkEyn64jBxIb1tzdqKFV_M4G3lPbn828pldSFkh9C4Pfj_3l8Men0wqVA-CPjDUnibnf00Vsk/s200/contemporaryjewishmuseum_pano02.jpg" width="200" /></a>The first thing I did was check in at the <a href="http://www.adelaidehostel.com/">Adelaide Hostel</a> which I found on Yelp! I had never done the hostel thing (American movies have made me super paranoid about meeting/sharing with strangers) but this was a positive experience. It only cost $25/night with shared bedrooms and bathrooms (where Seattle cost me $74/night), and the location was great. They had free breakfast in the morning, washer and dryer on site, and public computers for everybody's use.<br />
After I secured all of my belongings, I headed for the<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRj8SGLet59K1s7xRQhozD7rNDBcRuf5c58vf-Emk-AKQcqX74S9DexujyXxxOaz8_wjFIGnNZ0KM4P57RSWKaq7gOaJAKxx0Uc7Ocve6ahw2vTe3MtcurKce8KON7W1LcRFgph1Wsf09H/s1600/DSC_7532.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRj8SGLet59K1s7xRQhozD7rNDBcRuf5c58vf-Emk-AKQcqX74S9DexujyXxxOaz8_wjFIGnNZ0KM4P57RSWKaq7gOaJAKxx0Uc7Ocve6ahw2vTe3MtcurKce8KON7W1LcRFgph1Wsf09H/s200/DSC_7532.JPG" width="200" /></a> <a href="http://www.thecjm.org/">Contemporary Jewish Museum</a> which Daniel Libeskind had renovated and designed a new addition to the once-abandoned power station. I've recently become a fan of Libeskind after reading his book <i>Breaking Ground</i>, although I do admit sometimes his designs are a bit cheesy. However, I enjoyed the interior of the museum. There's one space where the openings create this great conversation between light and shadow. Because it was MLK Day, admission was free (fantastic, because I wasn't going to pay to see the exhibits!) so I got to experience the gallery spaces as well as the exterior. Here's one of my favorite quotes from his book:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuA7NNPV4d-OLoqseC8uIob8Lo6qtJQtmq1j_2gAjWio6RLXIEX2yQgfI2PbptAGwrC_xSoFtLhFttQd7KbNWd08kcS5rIJmqex2iquleBnaVP_WMk2CXGNNjvjvHyTLXvwUnGUJs2Qr7v/s1600/contemporaryjewishmuseum_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuA7NNPV4d-OLoqseC8uIob8Lo6qtJQtmq1j_2gAjWio6RLXIEX2yQgfI2PbptAGwrC_xSoFtLhFttQd7KbNWd08kcS5rIJmqex2iquleBnaVP_WMk2CXGNNjvjvHyTLXvwUnGUJs2Qr7v/s200/contemporaryjewishmuseum_pano03.jpg" width="173" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlheSKuqiSIetS_JpWgv1csFdzbsAW-82y0ejzbyoNTpZEuc5CgsH3s2PX086qEAkFM0NFq0UbbNkAtzz2Ei1OWgGFfRxJBWt5ah1wJKhQji17j4ew7dwAdnTxUh26c7WQYETtLULvMXG/s1600/DSC_7488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlheSKuqiSIetS_JpWgv1csFdzbsAW-82y0ejzbyoNTpZEuc5CgsH3s2PX086qEAkFM0NFq0UbbNkAtzz2Ei1OWgGFfRxJBWt5ah1wJKhQji17j4ew7dwAdnTxUh26c7WQYETtLULvMXG/s200/DSC_7488.JPG" width="133" /></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">If architecture fails, if it is pedestrian and lacks imagination and power, it tells only one story, that of its own making: how it was built, detailed, financed. But a great building, like great literature or poetry or music, can tell the story of the human soul. It can make us see the world in a wholly new way, change it forever. It can awaken our desires, propose imaginary trajectories, and say to a child who has seen little and been nowhere, Hey, the world can be very different from what you ever imagined. <i>You</i> can be very different from what you ever imagined.<br />
Buildings--contrary to popular thought--are not inanimate objects. They live and breathe, and like humans have an outside and an inside, a body and a soul. So how does one go about designing a building that can sing? A building that expresses character, humanity, and beauty? How does one begin?</span><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTvcWaxG59i_7fIXZgb_PhD9ypmGTYazmJmhDABjQ1bIX-Vgv82bYWFDkBSzBFacL5U48DKF6yeDbN4h31pdTNhYyBfWjlyoQFXixKP054fBrstwVZktqh7gFxWF0dPM50HocKxH1URN3/s1600/DSC_7440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTvcWaxG59i_7fIXZgb_PhD9ypmGTYazmJmhDABjQ1bIX-Vgv82bYWFDkBSzBFacL5U48DKF6yeDbN4h31pdTNhYyBfWjlyoQFXixKP054fBrstwVZktqh7gFxWF0dPM50HocKxH1URN3/s200/DSC_7440.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit603OwDSUakdXfAZ3KIGNuOyWYcSoER1hf-2Ym-VSBomIPkyOMlecmQ9CZfxL0-vRYdODlE_yuu5jEGjsP21Z3mux6KuL_f5Guqx69mFQUDM75Kn5-GDa_Dvgzz08ClYvaFL6GSpT0QLV/s1600/DSC_7536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit603OwDSUakdXfAZ3KIGNuOyWYcSoER1hf-2Ym-VSBomIPkyOMlecmQ9CZfxL0-vRYdODlE_yuu5jEGjsP21Z3mux6KuL_f5Guqx69mFQUDM75Kn5-GDa_Dvgzz08ClYvaFL6GSpT0QLV/s200/DSC_7536.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdjT3If1yDRpOX0Ulpg1GUdEleSyQh4tjOosPaq9R3-pyXWz7sqppKlxOLDpXpuLl41E_VyQeImAHNXbHO2EhQqr0LqUcNURdxfEiOSYE7H9mIBdfpH0Omx7ORoYzbbJxgwWdckkThMBq/s1600/DSC_7552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWdjT3If1yDRpOX0Ulpg1GUdEleSyQh4tjOosPaq9R3-pyXWz7sqppKlxOLDpXpuLl41E_VyQeImAHNXbHO2EhQqr0LqUcNURdxfEiOSYE7H9mIBdfpH0Omx7ORoYzbbJxgwWdckkThMBq/s200/DSC_7552.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: small;">Next stop was SFMoMA designed by Mario Botta. Again, I bought a <a href="http://www.citypass.com/san-francisco">CityPass</a> for $64, which is more than worth it--five attractions (SFMoMA, Aquarium of the Bay, Blue and Gold Fleet Cruise, California Academy of Sciences, de Young Museum and Legion of Honor or Exploratorium) plus unlimited rides on the Muni (bus, cable car, and street car) for seven days. From the outside, it doesn't look too impressive, but the interior was great. I love the use of lines and light. There's a large atrium space when you enter</span>, and the circulation is fantastic. I was looking at my pictures when I uploaded them onto the computer, and at one point, I couldn't figure out which orientation was up or down. I love that. The museum also had a good amount of exhibits and a sculpture garden on the roof. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlbwxu-uYNCIi0nk76vN__3lAzDPZgqDUZggJihOOTlJqTQJRKT726yo1DXKrwODRyIA4mbI0rY4GfOMm-FwGaBAsA6Ibhd2c8Yqoam1Vd4k-_nC7o5682XmHrRfnvwsPEgSlYEafWObs/s1600/sfmoma_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlbwxu-uYNCIi0nk76vN__3lAzDPZgqDUZggJihOOTlJqTQJRKT726yo1DXKrwODRyIA4mbI0rY4GfOMm-FwGaBAsA6Ibhd2c8Yqoam1Vd4k-_nC7o5682XmHrRfnvwsPEgSlYEafWObs/s640/sfmoma_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the museum, I walked around Union Square looking for a place to eat or something to do. I ended up at Beer Zone (over 100 beers!) which was connected to a <a href="http://www.lorisdiner.com/">Lori's Diner</a>. I had a few beers, ate a burger, and watched the Celtics game at the bar. I called it a night after that.<br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUkPJjdkjoiFQEFoQzQOVPIhIqxXYfst0tGGVFT0KBys0DPQWmROeW5TiBFwMF_PosSswWOjvnJY9gNdKSErNtYpaB6FOuabSBZRodAIwpP-zLG8AxyL5nckF3Obtq6gNvZpdhhK0C5MP/s1600/DSC_7642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUkPJjdkjoiFQEFoQzQOVPIhIqxXYfst0tGGVFT0KBys0DPQWmROeW5TiBFwMF_PosSswWOjvnJY9gNdKSErNtYpaB6FOuabSBZRodAIwpP-zLG8AxyL5nckF3Obtq6gNvZpdhhK0C5MP/s200/DSC_7642.JPG" width="133" /></a>Tuesday was a tiring day. I had breakfast at the hostel and then set out for the bus towards Golden Gate Bridge. It was a beautiful day out--blue skies with a bit of early fog. I spent the morning walking across the bridge, which is a little less than a mile long. When I got to the other side, I was hoping there would be a bus or ferry to take back to San Fran, but the only public transportation back was in Sausalito, and I didn't feel like getting lost, so I walked all the way back across the bridge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7gbFLZeflUt-RWtlIgJBb0ydq3LibPMIVm7AOKJGGOE1bS4RXO8vyqn1cGfrTjNaogO6FWHaNAGsyGaOsMKyoS3fHsFtRmqIBoccXl8MHbmMG0bQa00t7k4nML4X5ELkwv7dvUVHfUKg/s1600/goldengate_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7gbFLZeflUt-RWtlIgJBb0ydq3LibPMIVm7AOKJGGOE1bS4RXO8vyqn1cGfrTjNaogO6FWHaNAGsyGaOsMKyoS3fHsFtRmqIBoccXl8MHbmMG0bQa00t7k4nML4X5ELkwv7dvUVHfUKg/s640/goldengate_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPa2eLvKcYesjYdAGHJyqSG6ysvfZWkML3iFEIhYmLFqloE1Bi15M58RZMfIAyYNwIdHhJMHUZvDGtydSmri0tlxKS-jbEJ_hUluh_PwBVTsrnlzBrWDtaiAdS88ClGU_HbwT9A1UPZa0/s1600/goldengate_pano04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPa2eLvKcYesjYdAGHJyqSG6ysvfZWkML3iFEIhYmLFqloE1Bi15M58RZMfIAyYNwIdHhJMHUZvDGtydSmri0tlxKS-jbEJ_hUluh_PwBVTsrnlzBrWDtaiAdS88ClGU_HbwT9A1UPZa0/s640/goldengate_pano04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTtqe5PMfBGazxe6OzurwI65NKKyF8wkK85gBn4pelMgJtLhfFh0iRMMjhMD-BSoN33bZ5e40UaJEWZlZ3fHWsCgJ-dhPsCZ3dO5L5qrnlXjnR1VbkYuJ_CBS1n2Wluv8TFWRcA1xIPqN/s1600/DSC_7749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTtqe5PMfBGazxe6OzurwI65NKKyF8wkK85gBn4pelMgJtLhfFh0iRMMjhMD-BSoN33bZ5e40UaJEWZlZ3fHWsCgJ-dhPsCZ3dO5L5qrnlXjnR1VbkYuJ_CBS1n2Wluv8TFWRcA1xIPqN/s200/DSC_7749.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwAtnS2YxiAMv7XACXYeibzRGwaYJOZXyb1N2yoEJBFVkVIyJZ1SoIrnLG2zldX_e1u7WsNNpEc_Kr4rYfzfC08q4cp7JbyFw3OHcWa1jwMfmGDLL_w0K-EPmEEb8A8-jGa8e8hA_I9Ax/s1600/DSC_7734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwAtnS2YxiAMv7XACXYeibzRGwaYJOZXyb1N2yoEJBFVkVIyJZ1SoIrnLG2zldX_e1u7WsNNpEc_Kr4rYfzfC08q4cp7JbyFw3OHcWa1jwMfmGDLL_w0K-EPmEEb8A8-jGa8e8hA_I9Ax/s200/DSC_7734.JPG" width="133" /></a>My next stop was Coit Tower, the highest point in San Francisco. I took a bus to Filbert Street and walked towards the tower. My calves got quite the work out going up that hill; they were burning by the time I got to the tower. When I entered, I couldn't figure out how to get to the top. I kept looking for stairs but they didn't exist. Then I saw all the signs posted around the elevator--the elevator was closed due to renovations until January 19th... it was January 18th. So I cursed for a while for walking up that hill for nothing and then turned around and walked down a million steps towards the waterfront. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabiBVQwY-l-XsRmzJgztgxYHtOwJS8rgvoVEBFTNFNqnDePAVFt2RTyLsxYH366vy7j8xoY9sjI1RjgJ941Eh_tW8Mu4YKtyiZ7gzna3POx8fhXdtEfFnthebgD5U6ta1Ml54MdWeoLtq/s1600/DSC_7746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhabiBVQwY-l-XsRmzJgztgxYHtOwJS8rgvoVEBFTNFNqnDePAVFt2RTyLsxYH366vy7j8xoY9sjI1RjgJ941Eh_tW8Mu4YKtyiZ7gzna3POx8fhXdtEfFnthebgD5U6ta1Ml54MdWeoLtq/s200/DSC_7746.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoK8JO3SClwAJ9ZZTsnq8EwB4NQ0O1GqVbCrNscaJmZwsxdIsoOgSaETiyH0AwEM0i47Zit98SpgpE-lc6RsAj8jCoEYH6JEVPu6H6ajzysB68Pb4_j6h5ZaacSvpYqxAEhPZKI93LMN9/s1600/DSC_7790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCoK8JO3SClwAJ9ZZTsnq8EwB4NQ0O1GqVbCrNscaJmZwsxdIsoOgSaETiyH0AwEM0i47Zit98SpgpE-lc6RsAj8jCoEYH6JEVPu6H6ajzysB68Pb4_j6h5ZaacSvpYqxAEhPZKI93LMN9/s200/DSC_7790.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_N9Sk4JfMvbJJFWroMCjs8sY7SM6NSSlmsZ7RC2AQtsylwtUyKDQxW4oE7poCThFq-8Ck6ddXDfyDwUrxjw5ae74O9Ekd3gEEmjGPzawX74nwB0VWDyvBBlbUh9ULXQgg2yi04NiK76ay/s1600/DSC_7795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_N9Sk4JfMvbJJFWroMCjs8sY7SM6NSSlmsZ7RC2AQtsylwtUyKDQxW4oE7poCThFq-8Ck6ddXDfyDwUrxjw5ae74O9Ekd3gEEmjGPzawX74nwB0VWDyvBBlbUh9ULXQgg2yi04NiK76ay/s200/DSC_7795.JPG" width="200" /></a>I was going to walk to Pier 39, but my legs were tired, so I decided to take the street car instead. These cars have been around since the 40s or something, and they're like Boston's above-ground subway lines. So I hopped on free with my CityPass and arrived at Pier 39 to visit the Aquarium of the Bay. It was probably the smallest aquarium I have ever been to... I had anticipated spending a large chunk of the day there, but before I knew it, I was done walking through it! There are only two parts to the whole aquarium. You start off by taking the elevator down one story and walking through a tunnel, with fish and sting rays all around you. That was pretty sweet. The second part is just touching a starfish or shark. That was it! I was so disappointed! <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXMJ4VSCZfxXwVY0cw_sMvmsKn50RW6B7fANpP2LnXYTC4eKxiFkPMNBJWqxTcBc9UdNYIsL4QWUvYiKUKStNnb4w98z6Sti4WnfmHhh2CXesgdBTSvuCmR3yQ2os3-Bn3z-SYRwW0hiy/s1600/DSC_7897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglXMJ4VSCZfxXwVY0cw_sMvmsKn50RW6B7fANpP2LnXYTC4eKxiFkPMNBJWqxTcBc9UdNYIsL4QWUvYiKUKStNnb4w98z6Sti4WnfmHhh2CXesgdBTSvuCmR3yQ2os3-Bn3z-SYRwW0hiy/s200/DSC_7897.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-t04YaTcEyH7ZLf4NDwSaL6x0_tx8qQt9kZNafmAKf06QRgCRGX4JyeHjOZ-Jtu9aBUhLqUPjNM3rMhE8yIZqEUwvzZKdhhhfGeKjArugmWKqTVCJ5Om2p8pqIHXKGkkG8TMvEmY_db1y/s1600/DSC_7878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-t04YaTcEyH7ZLf4NDwSaL6x0_tx8qQt9kZNafmAKf06QRgCRGX4JyeHjOZ-Jtu9aBUhLqUPjNM3rMhE8yIZqEUwvzZKdhhhfGeKjArugmWKqTVCJ5Om2p8pqIHXKGkkG8TMvEmY_db1y/s200/DSC_7878.JPG" width="200" /></a>When I got out, I grabbed some lunch at a random tourist trap and headed over to check the times for the Blue and Gold Fleet Bay Cruise. Just my luck; there was one leaving in 10 minutes! So then I stood in line and got on the 2:30 departure. What a gorgeous day it was! We went around the Bay, under the Golden Gate Bridge, and then around Alcatraz before returning back to the pier. The cruise wasn't as good as the Seattle one; there wasn't a person narrating the journey but a really lame recording of a "pirate" or something... </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-suc99wqQVDT-iCQ8oi-Z2w2JX6uHe_-DLuolafgsXgc5IZ18kSbn1P2F_SafVNb2Fxooqgk_07fheK_k50P-LnGEWU2jz2LI11iiDn24lxgdEAEaN2_M6pKwcQfZgfY0CJFZxW0S35g/s1600/sanfran_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-suc99wqQVDT-iCQ8oi-Z2w2JX6uHe_-DLuolafgsXgc5IZ18kSbn1P2F_SafVNb2Fxooqgk_07fheK_k50P-LnGEWU2jz2LI11iiDn24lxgdEAEaN2_M6pKwcQfZgfY0CJFZxW0S35g/s640/sanfran_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KYesGwUmBmo3uITxzXmrTEJLvIloIvwCODSdN_QN-ogkOAal3lQWn1ul-t7OT0S6QPUdt5DS4ZoI_oI6bSaq5N45vrhZF3bbPf1Trq_ZWf_1acpAjOuhvMPa0YewdKKJK6NEeYkGgPB_/s1600/DSC_7975.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KYesGwUmBmo3uITxzXmrTEJLvIloIvwCODSdN_QN-ogkOAal3lQWn1ul-t7OT0S6QPUdt5DS4ZoI_oI6bSaq5N45vrhZF3bbPf1Trq_ZWf_1acpAjOuhvMPa0YewdKKJK6NEeYkGgPB_/s200/DSC_7975.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSuwlOm4FFdM2eCTf_EXO5DjV1Wg5gvfz9B-zudVs7l1_Epyl5G2z34I0xHSb18lc_z6Vc-Lxim0Wl4GQWvuUZsLsFldGd-A1-fFkJBpu4BSuxX1ZComIUNFtJP9dZJMLeXyrotCpj1uq/s1600/DSC_7970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSuwlOm4FFdM2eCTf_EXO5DjV1Wg5gvfz9B-zudVs7l1_Epyl5G2z34I0xHSb18lc_z6Vc-Lxim0Wl4GQWvuUZsLsFldGd-A1-fFkJBpu4BSuxX1ZComIUNFtJP9dZJMLeXyrotCpj1uq/s200/DSC_7970.JPG" width="200" /></a>When the cruise was over, I had time left in my itinerary, so I decided to head over to Castro and check out the area. I walked around Harvey Milk Plaza (if you haven't seen the movie <i>Milk</i>, I highly recommend it) and then walked up and down the streets. I've been to West Hollywood (supposedly the gay capital of America) before, but Castro had a completely different feel. Both are great communities, but Castro just felt more laid-back, which makes sense since LA is so superficial. And of course, some drunk guy started talking to me as soon as he saw me taking pictures with my DSLR. Seems I can't avoid the crazies no matter where I am. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After Castro, I headed back to downtown to meet up with a friend for dinner. We got some pizza and caught up for about two hours, then I went back to the hostel.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4wghsbnkTSWEHXeexIyqmstnKltlhG1fXZXcyLe6SrOs79FQPQb5eQaKM_vZ0UiEZxluHlqswbrKMAzDe5upbc9hIQf3VlkXSsowbm-NV4R72cbR_razz2JAwh7lYbJix1GcuPWtYlDz/s1600/calacademy_rainforest_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4wghsbnkTSWEHXeexIyqmstnKltlhG1fXZXcyLe6SrOs79FQPQb5eQaKM_vZ0UiEZxluHlqswbrKMAzDe5upbc9hIQf3VlkXSsowbm-NV4R72cbR_razz2JAwh7lYbJix1GcuPWtYlDz/s320/calacademy_rainforest_pano.jpg" width="320" /></a>Wednesday was a day spent at Golden Gate Park. I got up early, ate breakfast, and made my way to the California Academy of Sciences, designed by Renzo Piano! This is my third Renzo building, and as always, it did not disappoint. When I arrived, I found out that admission was free for the day, which meant two things. 1) I didn't have to use the ticket from CityPass, and 2) there would be a million children inside. The museum (would it be referred to as a museum?) is pretty amazing. Inside, there are two domes--one is the IMAX dome, and the other is a simulated rain forest. When I was in the rain forest, I witnessed a snake attack and eat a frog... it was crazy and awesome. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The ground floor has a variety of exhibits, the cafe, gift shop, etc., and downstairs is an aquarium. On the roof is the most famous feature--the green roof! From the top, you get a great view of the de Young Museum across the way. After spending too much money for too little lunch, I finished exploring the academy and went to the de Young Museum.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8H0nm7ziTgAjBvcCjg0MGgEOUICJyWacOgKzZXtSr-tGGWXoAEIHfbXp243ny53ahsjzv29qvspnyCWIj2nOqxRfkBNMdzV9xmek-iNbLz3mGqG1OoomF4UK9_3qm2EbuPtjt6GYO7xd/s1600/calacademy_front_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8H0nm7ziTgAjBvcCjg0MGgEOUICJyWacOgKzZXtSr-tGGWXoAEIHfbXp243ny53ahsjzv29qvspnyCWIj2nOqxRfkBNMdzV9xmek-iNbLz3mGqG1OoomF4UK9_3qm2EbuPtjt6GYO7xd/s640/calacademy_front_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmDm51d518WVIfmqi51J-U0lwYiMr1BxLrxnw7Y_qTO5pvc7ZN2w5PY6bwzWXURUZdeVUcef6p8sInvhR_pgG8HnKmt-C5OSIFv4kMWvSjrkbdOQezHzf4U8gMaAGXRZAYJNjUPZWqNP3/s1600/calacademy_roof_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmDm51d518WVIfmqi51J-U0lwYiMr1BxLrxnw7Y_qTO5pvc7ZN2w5PY6bwzWXURUZdeVUcef6p8sInvhR_pgG8HnKmt-C5OSIFv4kMWvSjrkbdOQezHzf4U8gMaAGXRZAYJNjUPZWqNP3/s640/calacademy_roof_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0Q42DoIKar351X4dJFQQxs7Shcj0RAO1ASC2d5O6kZ3qF8ruNSzxN_VvOcjyiKRHwnB2KfBADR-qY9bNGmr9O0NUtI4yK8fxs-tVbtnHrGDEr-IKFLHTY8hnbqWqn_CeOL055PJKDoal/s1600/DSC_8350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN0Q42DoIKar351X4dJFQQxs7Shcj0RAO1ASC2d5O6kZ3qF8ruNSzxN_VvOcjyiKRHwnB2KfBADR-qY9bNGmr9O0NUtI4yK8fxs-tVbtnHrGDEr-IKFLHTY8hnbqWqn_CeOL055PJKDoal/s200/DSC_8350.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnypWLjiMB0IJmXm-wtLwdhXOBv8AH_EeVMRp55FbZHvPz0zTlfdGkD6hmSpGVcYVi6NRJrHAEDxLEBj1rctU6yFX5RpEDes1vbhWayZppE_Bbgue9Zshyphenhyphen58rwxjZzz1cte23Zuqm8-SP/s1600/DSC_8306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnypWLjiMB0IJmXm-wtLwdhXOBv8AH_EeVMRp55FbZHvPz0zTlfdGkD6hmSpGVcYVi6NRJrHAEDxLEBj1rctU6yFX5RpEDes1vbhWayZppE_Bbgue9Zshyphenhyphen58rwxjZzz1cte23Zuqm8-SP/s200/DSC_8306.JPG" width="200" /></a>The de Young Museum, a fine arts museum, was my first Herzog and de Meuron building, and honestly, I was a little disappointed. The facade is interesting and different, but the form of the museum was ugly. The interior was alright--nothing too special like Renzo's Modern Wing in Chicago. Overall, I was left with a feeling of "ehhh." The art was okay but not my favorite. I also didn't like the fact that I couldn't get out to the "garden" areas (maybe I just didn't look hard enough) or that I couldn't go outside when I was at the top of the tower. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMhcGc2tqOshy9lq8RpgcGxFFu1JMVCFNprJJckxr_TRY8YkEQiS5zl5puBFRzuDEiIsJRGtTVcl-9BZpSp1g0fXtZa8J-QWTiooJ_5QCYG1Hu1B8uqpYB9JSSbxV8DQrj1YDDIbH4W1P/s1600/deyoung_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDMhcGc2tqOshy9lq8RpgcGxFFu1JMVCFNprJJckxr_TRY8YkEQiS5zl5puBFRzuDEiIsJRGtTVcl-9BZpSp1g0fXtZa8J-QWTiooJ_5QCYG1Hu1B8uqpYB9JSSbxV8DQrj1YDDIbH4W1P/s640/deyoung_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23QWUmZU_aC3IaSl03dW3jpc_8_A1ocPvWSWV1xp64eZNP_8YF2idl4Tq2E9urmOuZPYTkQK9RZ9MdzLn1XDjCI8PKWCs-l-SdX-br8cwYF_J6m2YWN5rm_-hm_TjQFDnhhSoKiDeKDY6/s1600/DSC_8365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23QWUmZU_aC3IaSl03dW3jpc_8_A1ocPvWSWV1xp64eZNP_8YF2idl4Tq2E9urmOuZPYTkQK9RZ9MdzLn1XDjCI8PKWCs-l-SdX-br8cwYF_J6m2YWN5rm_-hm_TjQFDnhhSoKiDeKDY6/s200/DSC_8365.JPG" width="200" /></a>Eventually it was closing time, so I took the Muni towards Haight Street, which is mostly where the hippie scene occurred in the 60s and 70s. The street is filled with smoke shops, thrift stores, bars, cafes, etc. Definitely an eclectic street like Venice Boardwalk. I knew there was an Amoeba Music on the street, so obviously I had to go. I ended up buying four CDs for under $5. I LOVE Amoeba Music. I could literally spend all day in there. I was feeling a bit hungry, so I found a place called People's Cafe and had a wonderful and cheap dinner there. I ended the night at a bar before heading back to the hostel.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thursday morning, I met a German girl in the hostel and started talking about Europe. Hostels are great for meeting Europeans! They're all young too. I asked her a bunch of questions about Europe and she gave me tips about places to go. After breakfast, I checked out and headed for the the Federal Building.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Federal Building was designed by Morphosis. I've been a fan of Morphosis ever since I saw their 41 Cooper Union Building. I love the tectonics of all their designs. I could only see the exterior (I didn't want to risk going inside of a federal building) but I love that the facade wraps around the roof of the building as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbCWM0WOPLStXI_QGEuxKMa7sfkHB33CZuIA7k5hNcPtj2Cj621bs9CjXtgML1HupdCBf6LH4MyssnLoG09x4hjx58CzpbM2nzM9DbifZAOtETnO9GCxo0YWfuJvVB0eJCHhh-2DFFRbM/s1600/federal_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbCWM0WOPLStXI_QGEuxKMa7sfkHB33CZuIA7k5hNcPtj2Cj621bs9CjXtgML1HupdCBf6LH4MyssnLoG09x4hjx58CzpbM2nzM9DbifZAOtETnO9GCxo0YWfuJvVB0eJCHhh-2DFFRbM/s640/federal_pano03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCapFJbPZpqUgSUpI5ugj_SyPRKciZt_La7-OLFW1FUbqNii7qer7W06tDaMK27sKg-YSv4AFRhmJhw6wvaaP2_hT9jrUY90mTBiGVBEaXh5RdeaaaUPxhkTH6tu-L8Ykp1ckSo7bKxp1g/s1600/civiccenter_polarpano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCapFJbPZpqUgSUpI5ugj_SyPRKciZt_La7-OLFW1FUbqNii7qer7W06tDaMK27sKg-YSv4AFRhmJhw6wvaaP2_hT9jrUY90mTBiGVBEaXh5RdeaaaUPxhkTH6tu-L8Ykp1ckSo7bKxp1g/s320/civiccenter_polarpano.jpg" width="320" /></a>Nearby was the civic center, so I walked towards City Hall just to see the plaza. It was another beautiful day out so I photographed all morning. I was killing time until 11am for an architecture walking tour, but because I hadn't made reservations online beforehand, I called the guy in the morning, left a voicemail, but never got a response (not until the next morning... when I was back in LA), so I decided to just meet him at the gathering spot. As luck would have it, he wasn't having a tour that day because no one had signed up, so that screwed up my plans for the day (I had to decide between the walking tour or Alcatraz and picked the walking tour. Wrong choice). Thankfully there was a Jamba Juice next door to save my spirits. I took a minute to figure out my next move. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlX41IW96DNNq8ieqgsP9UXx2gz4KeNsyXOq1YsrfXsaSjuZooM6ACYknbl_1ciKMTENCWz1yA8aDCmx1ECSrZ61MmU7YnAcbcj68engtt2yBustLmmd5iKLdTirLdQEM4FmxmDA_0m0B/s1600/DSC_8497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxlX41IW96DNNq8ieqgsP9UXx2gz4KeNsyXOq1YsrfXsaSjuZooM6ACYknbl_1ciKMTENCWz1yA8aDCmx1ECSrZ61MmU7YnAcbcj68engtt2yBustLmmd5iKLdTirLdQEM4FmxmDA_0m0B/s200/DSC_8497.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonwZUtLfdfxwTxrgy1wacCpBfcPi5NYHHzrRRU0LzHcUus3WsRUW3HD071N1DsywNR69NEMCG9rISlYTsR0nrjTNa8-q8pJWNomw1awumbKxCZeKag59XzXynE80ZqVM6hylditQjA0JK/s1600/DSC_8477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhonwZUtLfdfxwTxrgy1wacCpBfcPi5NYHHzrRRU0LzHcUus3WsRUW3HD071N1DsywNR69NEMCG9rISlYTsR0nrjTNa8-q8pJWNomw1awumbKxCZeKag59XzXynE80ZqVM6hylditQjA0JK/s200/DSC_8477.JPG" width="133" /></a>While I was looking at a map of SF, I noticed that there was a Frank Lloyd Wright building close to where I was, so that's where I went next. The building is occupied by Xanadu Gallery, which I believe is a jewelry store (I wasn't really paying attention). The building itself wasn't designed by Frank but it was renovated by him. It's similar to Guggenheim with the spiral ramp to the second floor and he uses a lot of circles and spheres (as you can see in the picture). It's very much a Frank space.<br />
My next stop was in Pacific Heights to find a particular house. It was featured in a very popular 90s film with Robin Williams, and thanks to my Frommer's guide, I was able to find it! There was also a fantastic view north towards the water. I love San Francisco because no matter where you are, there's always a picture-perfect view.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0DUWzRWJeuax-4EpGmQjB1EVTxBaf8oRGDABPOM7Dl-6D0mcWfPMMLppmfL2Rnj4crFtm_t84xWWbxVe9oXPh6NgqpjIm1avu5ughsiDsJpcOAIPZH0gX927lrHnUjyF31TMTw7NMhXM/s1600/DSC_8517.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ0DUWzRWJeuax-4EpGmQjB1EVTxBaf8oRGDABPOM7Dl-6D0mcWfPMMLppmfL2Rnj4crFtm_t84xWWbxVe9oXPh6NgqpjIm1avu5ughsiDsJpcOAIPZH0gX927lrHnUjyF31TMTw7NMhXM/s200/DSC_8517.JPG" width="200" /></a>I ended up walking along Union Street (the main street in Pacific Heights) and got some lunch at <a href="http://jovinosf.com/">Jovino</a> before heading to Ghirardelli Square. The waterfront is great in SF. Lots of public spaces, attractions, parks, shops, restaurants, etc. I walked all the way to Pier 39 and then took a bus to Coit Tower. At that point, I expected the elevator to be working and ready, but when I entered, the signs had all been changed to say that the elevators would not be fixed until the 24th. I was pretty mad about that, but there was nothing I could do.<br />
Finally it was time for me to head back to the hostel to pick up my stuff, so I rode the cable car at last and got my stuff. Headed to the train station, took the CalTrain down to Santa Clara, took the VTA bus to the San Jose Airport, and flew back to LAX. Whew.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My friend Tyan (probably my only real friend in LA outside of work and home) picked me up and she took me to dinner at the <a href="http://www.alibiroomla.com/home.php">Alibi Room</a>. Fantastic restaurant/bar with a fusion of Korean and Mexican food. Delicious. Ended the night drinking a bottle of champagne I received for Christmas with her and her neighbor Matthew. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now I'm back on the east coast where there are mountains of snow everywhere I look, the temperatures are well in the single digits, and my feet are constantly freezing. Feels good to be home.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-70611445059359958822011-01-17T01:56:00.000-08:002011-01-17T20:36:36.058-08:00Best for Last<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ylbGnkHCzSI-JgFNaL770-XeIjxir2BQKS1mtsuKVDjFd8oj2xgFsUiIaWnGAVMfbIM0Fq-HQo5ZS6zBUOa16eHcT6XPv1Gz-IgVfWq_uVfScWEY-0cJgFX1KY7lw6En93WhbUGBV360/s1600/hollyhock_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ylbGnkHCzSI-JgFNaL770-XeIjxir2BQKS1mtsuKVDjFd8oj2xgFsUiIaWnGAVMfbIM0Fq-HQo5ZS6zBUOa16eHcT6XPv1Gz-IgVfWq_uVfScWEY-0cJgFX1KY7lw6En93WhbUGBV360/s320/hollyhock_pano.jpg" width="320" /></a>This was my last weekend in LA, so I tried to pack in all the things I haven't been able to do, and what a weekend it was.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXgnYVUyitkGu31JQoHXSokw4EQmNmSVGi0xqh5cYwhomDqNQUE0U4g2pruPskftVyTY3QSy9uti-dryoO1RvVcVXVaXxPBZhCvmnCgFeKPoZi_RZiimcIb7FWtOkwxcXb210KW-Pqs83/s1600/hollyhock_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXgnYVUyitkGu31JQoHXSokw4EQmNmSVGi0xqh5cYwhomDqNQUE0U4g2pruPskftVyTY3QSy9uti-dryoO1RvVcVXVaXxPBZhCvmnCgFeKPoZi_RZiimcIb7FWtOkwxcXb210KW-Pqs83/s320/hollyhock_pano02.jpg" width="320" /></a>I started off Saturday by attempting to attend the 2:30 tour of the Hollyhock House by Frank Lloyd Wright, which I didn't even realize was in LA until I read about it in Frommer's Day by Day Guide, but thanks to the metro bus, I didn't make it there in time. The bus decided to just stop at Hollywood Blvd and Vine, so I ended up walking 12 blocks to get there. Luckily I passed a Jamba Juice so it wasn't too bad. By the time I arrived, I attended the 3:30 tour instead.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCmITR2y-sh1oJfMUghIPA4kyf5UpdTEQs6y04tysDqgDK89g31Yu4PF_I-PfKZYvYqbpstwmNVNYfu7_S5juULOsXQb66bdzkLYHfrheVVutO_yu8WbI-meI3aNoMVWZhAt5G8nxCl2o/s1600/DSC_7012+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCmITR2y-sh1oJfMUghIPA4kyf5UpdTEQs6y04tysDqgDK89g31Yu4PF_I-PfKZYvYqbpstwmNVNYfu7_S5juULOsXQb66bdzkLYHfrheVVutO_yu8WbI-meI3aNoMVWZhAt5G8nxCl2o/s200/DSC_7012+copy.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>This house was very much Frank. The house is located on top of a hill which has this fantastic view of the Griffith and the Hollywood sign. The house itself reminded me a lot of his home and studio in Chicago, especially when you walk through the 250 pound concrete doors and feel compressed by the entry way and then you're exposed to this great space. Our docent also told us that Schindler worked on the interior for a bit, and then Lloyd (Frank's son) also tried to modernize parts of it. There were other Frank buildings on the hill as well that were all part of this complex owned by Aline Barnsdall. Frank always came back to the land to design more buildings or change the landscape.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Dfq2v_EfdW-_h_VN2ULN9ISNAFs6ADLjX0KzIchwesCG3xYSegeFdH_E1K-slHladkgPNih_tLQzlBP3duyWtXa6Xqz1GY2dTsM8LiQL6MEbC38zUpUS6XjFAUPUsIvD4iYdXG9QWM4f/s1600/hollyhock_pano03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Dfq2v_EfdW-_h_VN2ULN9ISNAFs6ADLjX0KzIchwesCG3xYSegeFdH_E1K-slHladkgPNih_tLQzlBP3duyWtXa6Xqz1GY2dTsM8LiQL6MEbC38zUpUS6XjFAUPUsIvD4iYdXG9QWM4f/s640/hollyhock_pano03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68O_MU97-ma00A819alCtq4g0mrcK1Av3BjZDEFjlIRF7lV6TopXNRejnHgVeCyQYG2Ay-umQkO44dwKXER_ReHHrxLvSmSKunNwukzzkga70P6G0JHws3nYAeF9tWEvbvNPjRa7O3X61/s1600/DSC_7047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh68O_MU97-ma00A819alCtq4g0mrcK1Av3BjZDEFjlIRF7lV6TopXNRejnHgVeCyQYG2Ay-umQkO44dwKXER_ReHHrxLvSmSKunNwukzzkga70P6G0JHws3nYAeF9tWEvbvNPjRa7O3X61/s320/DSC_7047.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpZO_1f2OCOZ46RrmPsphrZzWOfpGcY18FgqsIEZBMIwqOhLV4PTC_pnEEVs_BCmGX6zfKEgfn2pWOhraEUTvehDMZw6bG2nOoNI1Ry03O8Mh0-TCudSQl8E84-rsk37CcXhRM2LDesdu/s1600/DSC_7039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSpZO_1f2OCOZ46RrmPsphrZzWOfpGcY18FgqsIEZBMIwqOhLV4PTC_pnEEVs_BCmGX6zfKEgfn2pWOhraEUTvehDMZw6bG2nOoNI1Ry03O8Mh0-TCudSQl8E84-rsk37CcXhRM2LDesdu/s200/DSC_7039.JPG" width="133" /></a>After the tour, I took the bus over to Beverly Hills for my friend Nicole's birthday at the Avalon Hotel. It's a cute hotel that resembles the style of the 70s. Her boyfriend reserved a poolside cabana for us, and there ended up being about 10 people. Let me tell you; Beverly Hills is not cheap. One martini cost me $17. That's right, $17!! The bill at the end of the night totaled about $950. This is why I love dive bars... they're dirt cheap and I can dress as crappy as I want to. Anyways, it was a fun night nonetheless. It was great to see Nicole, who I've known since 6th grade back in Chelmsford. She's out here starting an internship as I'm about to leave. The group decided to head to another location around 11pm, but I decided to go home because I had to depend on the bus. It was going to take me three buses to get back home, but I ended up walking the route of the first two buses (the first one was taking too long to get to me, and I wasn't sure if the second bus was still running so as I walked away from the bus stop, of course the bus came flying by me and I missed it) which was about 3 miles. By the time I got home, all my muscles hurt.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZLGDiasoYBAMLDwrGu0dBB7vYLRm_Nu-CZkODTpKq07eNU2plTj5TEYr6R7C1ApqTTxhBD7XvEkMmtAz1EtxIEB4qHdL00_UnY_bBJvz7gfMdLBlKEiYgOkMbGA7E0FiYYUJqlgDjEEb/s1600/DSC_7199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZLGDiasoYBAMLDwrGu0dBB7vYLRm_Nu-CZkODTpKq07eNU2plTj5TEYr6R7C1ApqTTxhBD7XvEkMmtAz1EtxIEB4qHdL00_UnY_bBJvz7gfMdLBlKEiYgOkMbGA7E0FiYYUJqlgDjEEb/s200/DSC_7199.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoB3PdjKVRsvm9wc1Guuhygr5EC1FmdYJEsrxLuROR5wd9lHl-MthLsskVpj4PU6wAf2bgRlBzMQ2J7w-6p0WhvhtsMQdEp9RtLDlbpBYU_Ln-qRZx6iFWBinc1jjBNurxAKLVPZyzKBC/s1600/DSC_7242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoB3PdjKVRsvm9wc1Guuhygr5EC1FmdYJEsrxLuROR5wd9lHl-MthLsskVpj4PU6wAf2bgRlBzMQ2J7w-6p0WhvhtsMQdEp9RtLDlbpBYU_Ln-qRZx6iFWBinc1jjBNurxAKLVPZyzKBC/s200/DSC_7242.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNPq-2UP4fbmbpUI_e0LSwssoipi06cSoFLOPa5MAcXWwvSL5E2_7JG2Txf9FfHxrGqgni0c1JJ42-8DFS53Wk1CQ-7uKfjLVGDV-83uXdGUnZxvvna1WmaOcxsJQqwvGlJydCdnFSgAx/s1600/DSC_7099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNPq-2UP4fbmbpUI_e0LSwssoipi06cSoFLOPa5MAcXWwvSL5E2_7JG2Txf9FfHxrGqgni0c1JJ42-8DFS53Wk1CQ-7uKfjLVGDV-83uXdGUnZxvvna1WmaOcxsJQqwvGlJydCdnFSgAx/s200/DSC_7099.JPG" width="200" /></a>Today, my roommate James and I finally visited the Stahl House. Completely worth the $26 admission fee. It really is amazing to see and experience in person. The Stahl house was case study house #22, designed by Pierre Koenig, and made famous by a photo taken by Julius Shulman. Even though Koenig was the architect, Buck Stahl was really the designer. He had a vision and Koenig just executed it. I can't even describe how breath-taking it is to see this transparent house that overlooks LA, having the pool reflect the sun, seeing the steel and glass and white... simply awesome. I have no words, so hopefully these pictures will convey what I'm trying to say. Side note: I can say that I peed in the Stahl House as well!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3njQHnYwmoKczjVfEAMxcv758Xzm4H4RHGr445NwDP_9hNMjR8LrJ0SKs8HomoQox09CcmuIhar6zzoy3AnXTYRZWqZ4MQqUUSg6y4rPiIm9aeMImGM3BGkA1BiWbgRdQxVZYng9K_HJ/s1600/stahl_pano02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo3njQHnYwmoKczjVfEAMxcv758Xzm4H4RHGr445NwDP_9hNMjR8LrJ0SKs8HomoQox09CcmuIhar6zzoy3AnXTYRZWqZ4MQqUUSg6y4rPiIm9aeMImGM3BGkA1BiWbgRdQxVZYng9K_HJ/s640/stahl_pano02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguoAqzZZpwFwrbY3KChs1uKePUugJNMLLY-XW5cNG0FOXUqYhukBi1nMKeGF2kI35lInzj7hkaL0RMGFbQI-jNDNEHQoG-2BGP_hyLBsisEF3gXR79avWEUrObQKzxro-haKwwYhvA6ZRY/s1600/stahl_pano07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguoAqzZZpwFwrbY3KChs1uKePUugJNMLLY-XW5cNG0FOXUqYhukBi1nMKeGF2kI35lInzj7hkaL0RMGFbQI-jNDNEHQoG-2BGP_hyLBsisEF3gXR79avWEUrObQKzxro-haKwwYhvA6ZRY/s640/stahl_pano07.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hy9qgRyWjmFE2h7z1DAWr9Qrhy9kBWoW8PhKymKBKGVm7mL9wqnOXb6miSuUu-VuYG45P1xC9wk_KebprUcHsDYJ3Xp3Q2cl04doYrFIkKNCvk-muHEZaG3MWPUYeqcz9r1RPtfLD4Vh/s1600/stahl_pano11cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hy9qgRyWjmFE2h7z1DAWr9Qrhy9kBWoW8PhKymKBKGVm7mL9wqnOXb6miSuUu-VuYG45P1xC9wk_KebprUcHsDYJ3Xp3Q2cl04doYrFIkKNCvk-muHEZaG3MWPUYeqcz9r1RPtfLD4Vh/s640/stahl_pano11cropped.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VeckWtduEyuqyHXgo_MwWDJX07fzeBUi7zxxBosqpwdafYB0kI8eWZBX50G2id-Rq4NBcipvkAfQ8-M79kkMrDBK_E9J87fsNkuRpH1xnRP6DLpcPwzzL0i87kCa1yxNzu3HNFb_-AvK/s1600/DSC_7347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9VeckWtduEyuqyHXgo_MwWDJX07fzeBUi7zxxBosqpwdafYB0kI8eWZBX50G2id-Rq4NBcipvkAfQ8-M79kkMrDBK_E9J87fsNkuRpH1xnRP6DLpcPwzzL0i87kCa1yxNzu3HNFb_-AvK/s200/DSC_7347.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a>Our docent told us about case study house #21, which was also designed by Koenig, and apparently it was nearby, so James and I jumped on the opportunity to see it since we were in the neighborhood. When we got there, we ran in to some other visitors who were at the Stahl House. The house is privately owned but no one lives there except for security cameras, so we walked around and took a couple pictures. It was obvious that some of its elements were influential to the Stahl House, but it was nowhere near as impressive. It lacked a certain feeling of home.<br />
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After that, James and I attempted to find John Lautner's Chemosphere which was also nearby, but we ended up getting lost in the mountains and watching the beautiful sunset instead. I'll admit; LA has some pretty sweet sunsets. The sky just fills up with oranges, pinks, purples, and reds, and the clouds turn into cotton candy. Really, really beautiful colors. As the day turned into night, we headed home and drove past the Beverly Hilton, where only a line of security guards and a wall separated us from the Golden Globes. I'd say that's a good way to spend my last weekend in LA<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkjBhKI0zK2FUJkLFf4wh4xUWa0DcRwf4uq1NZUmjO_AyBZfd_M10WxJ5XBRkxYB-oszqzSIQmNo3Ub6FiXSu4OmvY9MliAe4j9py5hF8dVjHZCVRrhnFRdxrcLEonxbQvX7M3l7cWJA1/s1600/sunset_pano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkjBhKI0zK2FUJkLFf4wh4xUWa0DcRwf4uq1NZUmjO_AyBZfd_M10WxJ5XBRkxYB-oszqzSIQmNo3Ub6FiXSu4OmvY9MliAe4j9py5hF8dVjHZCVRrhnFRdxrcLEonxbQvX7M3l7cWJA1/s640/sunset_pano.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Next up: San Francisco in the morning!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-69257499511197374462011-01-16T13:29:00.000-08:002011-01-16T13:29:24.300-08:00Friends and FamilyI meant to post earlier this week, but my final week of work was a bit busy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvEuWcyXDb38BHJ3bCvz7zZWEAPn0FyBAFgNdvY5PwYtSCSkxmo6IAGwp-49TpaSOeo0sN986WKqRo6NrThyphenhyphenLJJqyoXqsu8VdkpHtx5Ux0prziCLaHSMd6vA660ogOTQ3Sscy5DTiAPfR/s1600/IMG_1698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvEuWcyXDb38BHJ3bCvz7zZWEAPn0FyBAFgNdvY5PwYtSCSkxmo6IAGwp-49TpaSOeo0sN986WKqRo6NrThyphenhyphenLJJqyoXqsu8VdkpHtx5Ux0prziCLaHSMd6vA660ogOTQ3Sscy5DTiAPfR/s200/IMG_1698.JPG" width="200" /></a>Last week, my cousin Kim and her friend Jessica came to visit. It was really great to see family; I've been feeling homesick since the holidays. I haven't seen Kim since last summer, so we spent our nights catching up and talking about our lives. Oh, how far we've come.<br />
Like it was with Dylan and Julia, they came during the week so I couldn't hang out until after work and the weekend. They did the usual touristy stuff on Thursday and Friday, and then Saturday I showed them around Venice. We walked around the canals and then strolled along the boardwalk for a while. At night we headed over to Santa Monica to walk down the promenade and the pier.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xl50ndzgkH3q2-OdJZXa_73o9HiaixreutdMRuUpx8LiXHHLXfdtsFUGVOnTXVAiGih060_awa1zxnv1Eqw9YUEVbLsAcf7XNEYW3NNtyOopZnyhonRRtMZlKMdIkRYVB3Je8-pX2jDa/s1600/IMG_1716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xl50ndzgkH3q2-OdJZXa_73o9HiaixreutdMRuUpx8LiXHHLXfdtsFUGVOnTXVAiGih060_awa1zxnv1Eqw9YUEVbLsAcf7XNEYW3NNtyOopZnyhonRRtMZlKMdIkRYVB3Je8-pX2jDa/s200/IMG_1716.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyR1p4wNN8aB1FE14HRh7JIWPFbcFLHf1zz31iRExQ5SSaAOVOWsg4foZKtDjWugaGkH4IsGIuttRiU4LecizrXQfjQl1d7Vk4l1CleIh4_TyWjSYSng_r750HqhyJhLCcY-9eEww69-Va/s1600/IMG_1722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyR1p4wNN8aB1FE14HRh7JIWPFbcFLHf1zz31iRExQ5SSaAOVOWsg4foZKtDjWugaGkH4IsGIuttRiU4LecizrXQfjQl1d7Vk4l1CleIh4_TyWjSYSng_r750HqhyJhLCcY-9eEww69-Va/s200/IMG_1722.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6NR9wIeroWOY_pY1dG9uGuY9-SQRhZzC6ALS8bdmsYBz3_sdXXhmVg4oR-pzObV2mE7501fnzjZ0Q8uXrXNzOLxbKtsbfmfFh_7hHf4nz_4ZNd6lmNJncbuW8yCcnZtRkbJEWrFM5V83/s1600/IMG_1729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd6NR9wIeroWOY_pY1dG9uGuY9-SQRhZzC6ALS8bdmsYBz3_sdXXhmVg4oR-pzObV2mE7501fnzjZ0Q8uXrXNzOLxbKtsbfmfFh_7hHf4nz_4ZNd6lmNJncbuW8yCcnZtRkbJEWrFM5V83/s200/IMG_1729.JPG" width="200" /></a>Sunday morning we woke up early and went to breakfast at Cafe 50s and then drove over to the Santa Monica Farmer's Market. After that I took them on Mulholland Drive, but I sensed that they were bored so we stopped by the house to take a bathroom break and then headed down to Long Beach. The last time I went to Long Beach was my first week out in LA. I went for the aquarium last time so I didn't get to see much of the waterfront or attractions because it was night time, but this time we went during the day and saw much more. It's a really charming part of LA with docks, a lighthouse, shops and restaurants. When we were finished exploring Long Beach, we went up to the Griffith Observatory to see the view. At this point, I can safely say that the Griffith is my favorite spot in LA. I love being on top of the city and having the stars above me and the bright lights below me. <br />
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The next morning, they left for home in New York, and I began my final week at Behnisch. I finished on Friday so now I have one more week before I go back to Boston. I'll update again later about this weekend.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865390682733363765.post-19945169103646144282011-01-03T23:27:00.000-08:002011-01-03T23:27:57.765-08:00Rome<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3i3YYqCWWU__sKSkaOuMXRXXhGYTQjycWbCBueeTPmN4rqgKsldM9lZfUdd7OgsR4ruDdSpMinPJovU7gBljmVBp9wOGtR35PEuMwfVXtoDi4VzLYDQ0O8o2_x4nV1h2ocB553GA5T7Bi/s1600/DSC_6856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3i3YYqCWWU__sKSkaOuMXRXXhGYTQjycWbCBueeTPmN4rqgKsldM9lZfUdd7OgsR4ruDdSpMinPJovU7gBljmVBp9wOGtR35PEuMwfVXtoDi4VzLYDQ0O8o2_x4nV1h2ocB553GA5T7Bi/s320/DSC_6856.JPG" width="320" /></a>On New Year's Eve, I got my lazy ass out of the house and went to the Getty Villa in Malibu. Like the Getty Center, it was free to visit, but unlike the Getty Center, you have to reserve advance tickets to get in because they have a limit of people allowed in at a time.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKzfLiF9SRJ0c4hpaBZNjIC18ht0Oi2kcSveAS3svrNdLZ8U5YIkdrqP1BQRWX8uUHqrlgPgM5GwusYFIVw9FNiD23DZ5le7GTgrtz7MghII1RjxCyBrdwZd99m9q3YgK224O_FWcjqLY/s1600/DSC_6908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKzfLiF9SRJ0c4hpaBZNjIC18ht0Oi2kcSveAS3svrNdLZ8U5YIkdrqP1BQRWX8uUHqrlgPgM5GwusYFIVw9FNiD23DZ5le7GTgrtz7MghII1RjxCyBrdwZd99m9q3YgK224O_FWcjqLY/s200/DSC_6908.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZtnacenR3sz5idsSCjg_TRkpumLiMYisbYU-p9PYk7avF1wMkx83uXCTZ4w5qJ6JK70BPtwF-VcACBfgjYd-iUJiKVHyzb-xMxTWL_ehg2kCoDrSxC9wSuF3LJTJP373OhjIn-p2Otrf/s1600/DSC_6922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRZtnacenR3sz5idsSCjg_TRkpumLiMYisbYU-p9PYk7avF1wMkx83uXCTZ4w5qJ6JK70BPtwF-VcACBfgjYd-iUJiKVHyzb-xMxTWL_ehg2kCoDrSxC9wSuF3LJTJP373OhjIn-p2Otrf/s200/DSC_6922.JPG" width="200" /></a>The Villa was beautiful. All of the art on display was either Roman, Greek, or Etruscan. I was reminded of Art & Theory from sophomore year when we studied how the sculptures of each region differed. Though, to be honest, I didn't really pay attention to the art. The Villa had these beautiful outdoor spaces with reflection pools, gardens, and corridors that kept me distracted. My timed admission ticket was for 3pm, so I stayed at the villa until it closed at 5pm. Unfortunately, I didn't see much of a sunset; my view was blocked by the parking garage and trees. However, if you're high enough, the villa overlooks the Pacific Ocean, so that was a nice view.<br />
On the right, I uploaded a picture of my favorite architectural detail. The wooden handrail transitions into the marble wall, so the handrail is carved directly from the wall. Pretty sweet.<br />
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Next up: my cousin Kim comes to visit! Stay tuned...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1