Prego: A Way of Life

So after leaving Spain, the bus headed back into France for a two city stop before finishing out in Italy. The two areas we focused on were Nimes and Aix en Provence, both of which were kind of lackluster experiences due to unforeseen circumstances. The biggest draw in this region and one of my most anticipated buildings, the Maison Carree, had it's front completely covered up due to restoration...a real downer for sure. One of the most influential buildings in the history of architecture, was not to be seen this time. Aix is a small Provence in south France and was mainly just a rest stop for the trip but that didn't stop it from being eventful. After intense negotiation of convincing people not to strip in order to swim in foundations and mysterious glass bottles dropping from hotel rooms with the local authorities asking questions, it was clear that a Italian intervention was needed.

Italy has to have been my favorite country on the trip. It was the perfect mix of feeling like you are in a foreign place without being too overwhelmed with all that is around you. The food is awesome, the landscape was beautiful, and too many sights to see in one visit. The language barrier even seems non-existant at times due to the high number of tourist,  most of the people speak enough english to make interactions simple and less complicated than in other countries. At times, it felt like more people spoke english here than in England itself. If all else fails, just throw in a "prego" it's pretty much interchanged for any word here.

Our stay began in Como, a city technically in Italy but right on the Switz boarder so it made day trips into Switzerland relatively easy. Como, Riva and Lugano are all situated on these huge lakes with grand mountains running right up to the shores. The beauty of this place attracts people from all of the world, including George Clooney, who has a summer house on the lake. Unfortunately, not saying I didn't try to, Dr Doug Ross was no where to be found.

Venice was our first true Italian feeling city and easily one of the best experiences on the trip. The most amazing thing about Venice is the fact that you are dropped off in a large plaza and after you cross the bridge, you will not see any car within the city. Implemented across a series of canals with crossing streets, it can be a little confusing finding your way around first, but when you find the main waterways, it becomes a little easier. It is by far not the cleanest city and you'll experience some smells that will take your breath away, but is one of the most interesting places you could ever hope to visit.

Looking Back into Venice

Exploring each of the narrow streets and watching the gondolas drift by and under bridges is a experience you will miss when it's over. The main streets are filled with people visiting the countless number of stores and restaurants that give life to the area. Murano glass is the big seller in the city and the number of fine glass stores seems to be infinite with each one selling at lease one unique thing. Of course during our stay here, we were missing Halloween back home, so several of us took the opportunity to purchase a venetian mask to wear to dinner that night.  Even though you are in Venice, wearing one of these long nosed masks will still get you plenty of strange looks.

In our studies, we visited the Scarpa museum in Venice, which incorporates the canals into the building, and a Tadao Ando modern art museum that had some of the strangest exhibits I had ever seen...everything from a horse with it's head stuck 3/4's of the way up a wall to anime character statues that at 23 years old, I couldn't stand in the room without blushing. The real draw of the city, really most Italian cities, is exploring the streets and the places in between.

Ally of Venice

After Venice came Florence and although  it was a little strange seeing cars again, it was still a real treat to navigate through the connecting streets. Our hotel this time was only one block over from one of the buildings I was most excited to see, Santa Maria and the Duomo. One of the most important buildings in the history of architecture, the dome marked the advancement in technology and engineering thinks to it's designer, Brunelleschi. There is no more powerful feeling in Florence than walking down an ally and catching a glimpse of this massive cathedral in the distance.

View of Duomo from street

The larget dome of it's time, tourist can still walk between the two shells that it is composed of to get a breathtaking view of Florence and Tuscany. The trip up is not exactly the most pleasant thing as some spaces are less than two feet wide with the same passage being used for those entering and leaving the dome. Theres a lot of waiting in confined, dark spaces and you have to take opportunities to move as soon as you get them. In comparison to the Eiffel Tower, this didn't leave my legs feeling near as bad, but the low clearance would get me every now and then. Any pain getting up is worth it just to take in the surrounding view of the countryside.

Overlooking Florence on the Duomo

There really is a ton to see here, from Brunelleschi to Michelangelo to David...even to Galileo's severed finger...Florence is not short on what it has to offer. Perhaps above any of the architecture, Florence has become known for it's open air markets in the city. Leather is the hot commodity here and there are plenty of vendors that are not afraid to lure you in to get a sell. I hadn't seen so many sales pitches since the red light district in Amsterdam. I ended up leaving Florence with quite a bit less Euros and looking forward to closing the trip out in Rome.

Adios Espana, Ciao Italia

So, I have officially been back home for over a month now and I feel like its about time I wrapped up the Europe blog. Over the next few days, we will go all the way from Valencia to Rome.

Our last two stops in Spain were Valencia and Barcelona, with modern architecture a plenty and lots of famous buildings from the likes of Calatrava, Nouvel, Van der Rohe and Gaudi. Valencia itself is an interesting city in that it really does not feel very Spanish at all...at least in the way of the popular architecture, sure there is the typical bull ring of most Spanish cities and the cuisine, but it just seems to take a back seat to more modern standards. Home to Santiago Calatrava, Valencia has really developed into a showcase for his work and has a special area dedicated just to him and his design. This massive complex is almost like a playground design strait from his imagination and developed on a large scale. A series of about five buildings are laid out within sight of each other and are connected through various walkways and reflecting pools.

View Across the Reflecting Pool

It's really a lot to take in at once, with most buildings looking like they are right out of the Star Wars universe. They all have a different function such as museums, garden, aquarium, auditorium and even a pedestrian bridge. Structurally, the buildings are a tribute in themselves to the advancement of structural engineering with soaring cantilevers and overhangs, but at times lack a fluid continuity between each other. There really is no common point and kind of feels like an amusement park at times but never-the-less, is a true attention getter.

View from side of Calatrava's Science Museum

Barcellona was officially the last city in Spain and is known for such historical architecture as the works of Gaudi and the much loved, Barcelona Pavilion by Meis van der Rohe. These are some of the most talked about buildings no matter if you study architecture or not, you have probably heard about these at some point. If you are looking at taking a look into some of these buildings while in Spain, be prepared to wait in line, crowds flock to these all day.  Gaudi's Sagrada Familia has been in construction for well over one hundred years and still attracts crowds around the block to get a glimpse inside the sand-castle appearance of the church. The Barcellona Pavilion is a little easier to get into and was also a real treat to see the huge slabs of stone that make up the walls and to get a look at the famous dancing lady. The much copied, never duplicated pavilion still holds up well to works of the modern era.

Dancing Lady of Barcelona Pavilion

One of the most recent additions to Barcelona and the most promenade on the skyline in the tower of Torre Agbar by Jean Nouvel. The tower itself is clad in thousands of glass panels the give it a distinctive look and add a outside layer to the concrete shell. At night, the tower lights up in a brilliant display of blue and red that can be seen from far away. Security on the inside is pretty tight and only about half the bottom floor is open to the public with pictures being limited, a real shame when you know that some of the best work is locked away, never to be seen by the public. Regardless, its an excellent interpretation of a modern day skyscraper and extremely hard to miss.

Torre Agbar

All in all, Barcelona has what you expect from such a large city with two much to see over a course of three days. Over that time, I actually felt like I had walked around every street in the city as much as my feet hurt. You'd be surprised how easy it is to get turned around when looking for a giant skyscraper. I can say that I learned a couple of important things while in Spain, the most important being to never trust the food and that Guns N' Roses will literally play in any city I am in a week before or after I leave.

Missed Connections

Up next, a very quick trip back to France and wrapping it up in Italy...

Hola España

So I guess the first major sign that you have been out of the States too long is the fact that you get excited to see a Burger King that has free refills.

With the first of the last two countries upon us, Spain is definitely a sign that the travel program is winding down. For the second part of independent travel, we chose Madrid as our place of study and it worked out since it was close to where the program would resume in several days. The travel here was long and involved several cabs and two plane trips before we got to our hotel late in the evening. The hotel was rather nice and we were staying on the top floor of a busy plaza in the city. Of course this was one of the more interesting parts of the city as well, as we found out that night when each person in my group was grabbed by a different “lady”, trying to get us to buy into their business. I guess a hotel with a McDonalds and hookers right outside would be ideal for some, but when you get grabbed by one looking like an older Snookie, it’s not so fun.

Madrid is one of those cities that is really starting to get big and develop into something more. Architecturally, it has some big plans in mind, but with recent recessions, some of the work that was due to be completed was put on hold. That’s not to say that there is nothing to see, there are still some pretty prominent architects here such as Herzog and de Meuron and the Caixa Forum, a revitalization of an older building into a community center. Herzog and de Meuron are obsessed with the skin of the building and this one is no exception, retrofitting bronze plating on an old brick facade with perforations that can be seen from the ground, playing with the light.. The old window placements are then disregarded and bricked up, allowing voids to be creating and creating light in the areas that now need it within the new floor plan. The building is accessed from underneath the older building that is now lifted on steel and concrete, creating a cool gathering spot out of the sun. The inside still has a very modern theme with a grand staircase and views of the bronze screen where you can really study the pattern.

Caixa Forum, Madrid

Seville was where the travel program started back up and it didn’t have the best start and by far the worst ending of anywhere on the trip. Waiting on the public transportation system here takes awhile and the first time we used it happened to be at night, trying to look at some bridges in the area. Our instructor basically took us to one of the darker areas of the city. We had homeless people shouting at us and skater kids making passes at the girls most of the time we were there. The next day wasn't much better because we only had one place to go and it didn’t really catch any of our interest, but the city itself is nice during the day and there were a lot of nice shops in the more expensive parts of the city. The final day, the bus trip out of Seville, had to be one of the worst days of my life in terms of how I physically felt. I woke up sick and was in the bathroom most of the morning. Getting ready to go seemed almost impossible and when finally making it down the stairs, I realized I wasn’t the only one that was feeling ill. About half of the group had contracted food poisoning from the hotel food the day before. The total time on the bus this day was about four hours in total and involved me holding on to a trash bag for a good part of it.

Our first stop on this wonderful day was at Cordoba, to see the much talked aboutGreat Mosque of the city. This is a really interesting place and beautiful, but it was not a good day for me. Taking pictures proved a difficult task and looking at them afterwards showed how out of it I really was. More bad than good pictures is never a welcoming thing. The Mosque itself is a bit controversial in name as the Spanish Reconquista led to the take over of the Moor build building and converted it to a Catholic Church by inserting a cathedral inside. It's interesting to see the two styles mix and even clash in some areas, really telling the story of the times. The Moors saw saw Architecture as more in tune with nature and really letting the patterns and structure do the talking, while the Gothic influence infuses it with sculpture. The lead up to the area is a treat within itself as you cross the river and into the small town that surrounds it before you find the gates to the courtyard.

Great Mosque, Cordoba

Our final stop on this day was to Granada, a city I have no idea what it actually looks like because I was stuck in the hotel the whole other day we were there. Some other students also got hit with it after, bringing the final count to over half the class getting food poisoning. That is an experience I hope to never have again and far from my best experience in Europe thus far.

London Calling

So we made it to the halfway point in the program, the independent travel section in jolly old London. We arrived in England on a pretty dreary day as it was cold and raining...it pretty much stayed that way the entire time we were there. London does not get a lot of sun and the weather can be kind of depressing when you are walking around outside the entire day. Rain jackets were a must at all times because the sky could open up at any minute to a very cold rain. Taking pictures in this weather becomes a real challenge and sketching a building is almost impossible. We were lucky enough to get a few breaks, but they were few and far between.

But enough about the weather...it was good just to be able to understand exactly what was being said to you here. We have already encountered several different languages and they all start to run together after awhile but at least being here, you feel closer to home. Of course I let a few "thank yous" in Germans slip, but at this point, thats to be expected. The lure of London is really about its tradition, not new and modern architecture, so that made this visit a little different for us. In some ways this was time for us to be just another tourist and enjoy the sights, but there was still plenty to see and do here and it wasn't even an issue asking for directions.

Easily one of the most well know architects of today, Norman Foster, is from and has his office in England. You really can't go any where in the city without being close by a Foster and Associates building. It's easy to tell the people love their native architect and his buildings are the most well know around the city. One of the latest projects to come out of his office goes by several names, the Swiss Tower, the Gherkin, or 30 St. Mary Axe being the most common ones. London is not a city that builds up very often, so seeing this skyscraper from different parts of the city becomes an adventure in itself. The tower is situated in a business section where the winds cut right through your cloths due to the tight spaces and larger buildings around. This plays into the design of the building by allowing it to expand from the base and eventually taper back towards the top. This is so the wind is lifted up and spiraled over the building instead of causing it to just sit and twirl at the base. The white bracing can be seen spiraling up the facade and enhances the spiral effect to the eye. I has a chance to visit this on a Sunday when the businesses were close and the windows were being cleaned from the very top. The wind in the area was able to carry the water over a block away leaving a few passerbys to get their umbrellas ready.

Swiss Tower

The tourist sites of London are some of the most talked about and impossible to pass up. Special trips were made to see Big Ben and even the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. This spectacle goes up for about an hour and consist of the night guards being replaced by the familiar fuzzy hat ones. There are literally hundreds of people that show up to this each day and the sidewalks become pretty crowded. Several bands of guards march down the street playing anthems before they gather in the courtyard and basically put on a concert. The funniest song they played happened to be the very first one, as the audience was treated to the Imperial March from Star Wars. It's pretty much a mini parade complete with bands and guards on horse back that look like they are straight out of Lord of the Rings. The finale comes as the bands march back out playing and had the good fortune of having one of the horses make it an interesting march out.

Now if there is one thing you can find plenty of in London, other than clouds, its bridges. The city is located on the river and is know for it's bridges, but perhaps the most famous one today hasn't even fell down yet and is only a pedestrian bridge that connects the side of St. Paul's Cathedral to that of Shakespeare's Globe Theater. The Millennium Bridge, by surprise, Norman Foster, is a suspension bridge thats strong angles and connections make it easily recognizable. Huge tension cables support the bridge by pulling from either side and joining in the middle. Thousands of people cross the bridge daily weather it is to get to work across town of just to enjoy the views of the river.

Millennium Bridge

And thus ends our time in London, as Shakespeare would say, "Parting is such sweet sorrow" especially in a city where you understand what all is being said, but we are now in the home stretch with Spain on the way next.

Things learned:
Yes, the weather is terrible in London
No, the fish n chips were not as good as expected
Crossing cross walks is a bit harder when they drive the wrong way
Abbey Road photo shoots are more difficult than you'd think

The City of Love and Crepes

What to say about Paris that hasn't already been said. Lets start off by saying that it's true, Paris is not the cleanist city in the world, but thats not why thousands of lovers flock here...it's for all the beautiful and romantic spaces just waiting to be found. Sure, theres the tower, a famous lady named Mona, the church of Our Fair Lady and a lot of glorified arches, but the city hasn't stopped there, it's always expanding and showing that it's not all about old relics and hopless romanics. Underneath the grim of yesteryears, Paris is looking ahead and taking a almost endless city of exploration into a city full of infinate possibilities for those lucky enough to find all it has to offer. It is impossible to see all of it in the course of five days. Taking the dirtyest part of Paris, the underground, is also a diservice because of what you miss. It's no wonder why this is the city of love and perhaps no other city gives better spaces for people to meet and come together.

Paris has a lot more to offer than in years past, with new developments sprouting up everywhere. Big name architects can be found almost anywhere in the city and perhaps the biggest currently is the native French-man, Jean Nouvel. As one of my favorite architects, I was looking forward to seeing the Cartier Foundation because of the stance it took on preserving the surrounding nature. When walking on the sidewalk, you are greeted with building after building running right up to the sidewalk until you get a glimpse of trees sticking through a glass wall, thats when you know you are there. Once you pass through the single free-standing curtain wall that joins the sidewalk, you enter back into nature before the actual building itself. The gallery is surrounded by trees that are actually framed between the two walls. Staircases on the outside preserve two of the larger trees on site and make nature part of the architecture itself. The feeling of being outside of the city while right in the middle of it is a hard emotion to achieve and this building nails it. Of course, they had to be changing exhibitions at the time and we were not allowed on the grounds. I still found my way on and was able to get at least a couple of pictures before I was asked to leave. Getting kicked out of one of your favorite buildings at least makes for an interesting story.

Cartier Foundation by Jean Nouvel

Of course you can't just travel to Paris without seeing any of the long talked about landmarks that made the city what it is today. Walking on the steps of Notre Dame and standing around in a large group just to see the Mona Lisa are experiences that cannot be missed. Of course, Paris wouldn't feel right without a trip to the Eiffel Tower, something I had the pleasure of doing at night as well as the day. The tower can be seen from many places all around the city, but you really don't get a feel for it until you are right there beside it. A group of us were able to sit outside a small restaurant nearby and just watch the light show it put on at the top of every hour, a dazzling display that lights up the night and is just something you don't get a chance to see everyday. The day after this was when we decided to actually up up to the second level and get a different view of Paris. Now you do have to wait and pay a little more to ride the elevator and looking back on it, that might be well worth it in the grand scheme of things. We had the brilliant idea of going up six-hundred steps an a rain soaked afternoon. Six-hundred going up, five ninety-seven on the way down...slippery when wet.

Eiffel Tower, Paris

Of course getting to the Eiffel Tower can be a bit of a tough test due to the large amount of street salesman who will try anything in their power to get you to buy their wares. You pretty much cannot move under the tower without being approached by one of these guys who sell mini replicas of the towers and toys to catch peoples eyes. It almost comical to see how these people work and how many people they hit by throwing toy planes and balls into the air. But they are prepared, the moment the rain starts to fall, they pull out umbrellas from no where and try to hand them to you...even if you are currently using one. We have been really lucky at avoiding the beggars so far, they really were not a problem here and hopefully it stays that way.


I should take a moment to mention some of the places we visited before Paris, specifically in Ronchamp, where Le Corbusier has his famous chapel. Now I have to say, looking at pictures, I was never really a big fan of this building, but it was a rather pleasant experience. The pilgrimage church is a bit of a breakaway from Corbusier's five points and quickly evident from the sharp angles and curves. The highlight is the massive roof structure, that looks heavier than it actually is, and appears to rest on glass, giving it a floating look, symbolic of resting on faith. The chapel on the outside plays host to large crowds every year while the smaller one of the inside is used year round. This is a lot different than the Villa Sayove by Corbusier, which we visited the day after, becuase it is an attempt to prove that he could step outside the box and expand on the five points without compromising them.

Notre Dame du Haut by Le Corbusier

The next part of the travel program is the independent section, where we got to choose where we would like to see that was not a part of the trip. I'm actually wrapping up the first of two cities tonight, as we leave London for Madrid tomorrow morning.

The Haus That Zumthor Built

Coming out of Germany, Bregenz, Austria was our first stop on the journey East. This is where the alps really come into play as you are usually surrounded by mountains. I guess you officially know your you are getting into Switzerland when you have to stop on the road to allow cows to pass.

This part of the tour is pretty much about Peter Zumthor and his creations. First on the list was the Kuntshaus, a gallery in the middle of the city, next to the river. The building seeks to let the art speak for itself and not have the architecture or the scenery take away from it. The outside is clad in a rain screen of glass panels that are overlapped to give a layered effect. The panels themselves are opaque and allow allow filtered light in instead of direct views outside. The current exhibition was quite disturbing and included deformed stuffed animals and strange music, not the kind of place you want to be in for a long time. The galleries are well lighted but it makes you feel closed in, especially when the exhibits have a creepy atmosphere.

Kuntshaus

The hostel here was not a fun experience. The age level of our fellow inhabitants decreased to middle school age and made eating in the dining hall a interesting experience. I also had the luck to get stuck in a small room with six other roommates and one bathroom. One of the other problems was the hostel was too far outside the city to do see anything when you are bored.

Luckily, we were headed to Vals, Switzerland, for Zumthor's Thermal Baths. The road to the resort was a little terrifiying as we were driving on the side of the alps in a huge bus with blind corners. The view from the hotel was amazing as it was situated right in the middle of the Alps. The spa itself was so relaxing and just the thing I needed to rest up. The spa is divided into several different baths. A cold bath (which is indeed very cold, I only got in to my stomach) a hot one (which was my favorite), a flower one (bits of flowers float in it to keep you smelling good, especially after long bus rides), and several regular pool areas with one being outside. They also had a very nice sauna with three levels of steam, the hottest being where I spent a good portion of time. The nicest moment was going in during early morning hours and feeling the mist hit your face when you're outside in the water, starring up at the mountains. This has been one of the most enjoyable parts on the trip so far, it just too bad that photos were not allowed inside.

Thermal Baths from Hotel

Leaving Paris tomorrow for London, expect that within the next week.

Munich: A Farewell to Germany

So the last stop on the German leg of the tour is Munich, one of the largest cities in the country. We looked at a lot of different types of buildings, everything from stadiums to modern churches to museums. The city had a lot to offer and our last chance to get our taste of Germany.

Allianz Arena

The two stadiums we looked at could not be any different from each other. The first was on the ride in to the city where we looked at Allianz Arena by Herzog and De Meuron. The firm is known for their elaborate skins and this was no different. The stadium is host to the soccer team and almost looks like a deflated soccer ball. The plastic like exterior bulges out and gives an almost transparent appearance which works well at night when the stadium is lit in the colors of red and blue for the soccer team. This white skin is attached to a concrete frame by metal anchors which are visible when walking up the staircases. Unfortunately the insides were blocked off so we did not get to look at the field set up, but at least the outside had a lot to offer.

The second stadium on the list involved a long and painful trek up a mountain to look at the Olympic Stadium of Munich. From up top you could really see how the Olympic grounds were laid out as well as the rest of the city. What’s special about this stadium is the unique tent structure that is carried out. A large arc is laid out and anchored to the ground with massive concrete structures. The rest of the tent is hung to steel columns that span from the ground and hold the points in tension. These columns are placed all over the grounds and really interact with visitors by becoming part of the path. There are many times when you enter the stadium or pass from one event to another that you are sheltered by these soaring glass panels.

Munich Olympic Stadium

The hostel is Munich did turn out to be a little rough. It seems that every hostel we stay at, the majority of the other residents get younger and younger. Most of the ones in Munich were about freshman in high school and were very noisy in the halls at night. The internet once again proved to be an issue as the wifi in this hotel didn’t seem to ever work. Much in the internet time in Europe has come from sketchy internet cafes or closed Starbucks. I would have really thought that technology like wifi would have been more prominent over here.

Speaking of technology, one place that had no problem showing it off was BMW world. Basically the headquarters of BMW, the complex stretches a couple blocks and consist of a manufacturing plant, museum and tower. The facade and interior of the museum are compromised mostly of brushed aluminum and glass. The intention of the building is clear; it seeks to grab your attention and tried to do so in flashy ways which in some points are a disadvantage. Customers purchasing their cars here are able to drive in from the museum to the outside as visitors are able to watch. There are many of exhibits of display, but the building itself may be geared more for car enthusiast over architecture. It is a really nice environment in parts but feels over done as a whole. The highlight is the glass funnel on the outside that also showcases some exhibits and catches the light rather well.

BMW World Museum

Germany was a very interesting place and I feel like I really learned a lot from it, but I honestly feel like I am ready to move on. I’m really excited about the upcoming cities and we still have a lot of places to go. Currently I am in Switzerland after a short retreat in Austria. I've spent most o my day at the Vals Thermal Spa...it's hard work but someone has to do it.

N-Berg

Nuremberg, like the other cities in Germany we visit, has a rich but dark history. Deemed one of the three favorite cities of Hitler and the Nazi party (Berlin and Munich being the other two), it was a major rallying ground and propaganda area for the country. Much of the city had been bombed out in WWII and left many of the buildings needing to be restored or even rebuilt from the ground up. They really did a nice job in keeping the buildings looking from an earlier area even though most had major work done. One of the most interesting buildings we visited was a museum that had been converted from a headquarter building of the Nazis. A lot of plans had been set forth to change Nuremberg into a strong hold and this building, made in heavy stone, was constructed mostly out of forced labor and built as a fortress. The archtitect does a nice job in cutting through large sections of the building with a radical design, symbolic of the change in thinking that took place from then and now. Most of the exhibits take you through the original building, but these cuts, visible from the oustide, guide you through it. There are also several times where the path brings you outside to see large courtyards where rallies were once held. It's really amazing to see these huge chunks cut out of the heavy stone construction and this modern steel skeleton breaking away.

We also had a chance to meet up with a local architect from the city who once attended Tech. He took us to his job site still in the construction stage. This building was going to be in the older part of the city but he wanted to give it a more modern look while keeping some of the same program of the surrounding area. These were to be apartments that started at 600,000 euros in rent, but were right on the canal system. He also gave us a tour of his office/home which was very modern and nice. We had dinner there that night and talked about his practice with some serious architecture discussion and where it was headed. We also talked about vampires, one of the running joke on this leg of the trip, where one of the girls has apparently been mistaken as one by some kids on the subway. One teacher has actually been making a lot of them, bragging about asking the subway ticket window for one vampire ticket and how she couldn't find one. I of course chimed in with "she was probably looking in the day tickets". It got a lot of laughs and I was pretty much done for the night because I couldn't top that.

Another one of the buildings we looked at was the Neues Museum which is a very modern building, still in the walls, although you wouldn't know that unless the walked down the ally. The view from the street looks just like any other on the block with the gift shop entrance doors are visible there. When you turn down the ally however, a curved wall of glass stretches into the plaza behind it and showcases the modern interior and large spiral staircases. There were a few interesting exhibits in the museum, including one of famous chairs and the impressions they made on a womans bare backside. My favorite part of this concrete building was the spiral staircase that winded its way to each gallery in its pure neutral colors. What you see is not what you always get and this building was exactly that. Just walking by the front gives no sign of what happens around the corner.

Neues Museum

We just wrapped up our first full day in Munich and we have a few more until we hit the road again. We didn't see a lot of big buildings in Nuremberg and the scale was a lot smaller, but it was a nice change for a few days. We have already seen a lot of large scale buildings, including stadiums, in Munich and have a few more to go.

Hostel Situation

So we arrived in Munich today and saw a few more buildings along the way. This also makes the second hostel in a row we have stayed at.

Nuremberg

The hostel in Nuremberg was in a large, converted stone castle. This was in a smaller section of the city, located behind walls that connect to the heavier traffic areas of the city. The major issue with this spot had to be the huge hill we were forced to climb up after every day to travel throughout the city. Most of the stores and places to eat were also at the bottom which made going out difficult. The hostel itself was not that bad, mainly because I was finally able to get some sleep, something that had been lacking in Berlin. Our room only had three people and no bunk beds, which is always a plus. The bathrooms however were shared and the showers required a button to be pressed about every twenty seconds to keep the water running. I also had the luck of taking a shower every time a large German kid was in there, which led to some nightmares. The rules are also a little different than hotels, with doors locking at one o'clock in the morning and checking out of your rooms by ten for cleaning gave some people problems.The dinner and breakfast were provided and were actually pretty good. This was also the first place to have a fresh water readily available and free, something thats hard to find here. It's usually the same price as a coke and most of the time, carbonated. I made my first mistake today of buying a large bottle of water only to find out it was gassed, a real disheartening feeling. Overall, this was a good experience and nice quiet place to live.

The hostel here in Munich does not look as promising. I'm not really sure what I had for dinner, but it was extremely heavy. I'm also back to sleeping on top of a bunk bed, not a good experience for someone with ,my height. We do have a bathroom in our room, but it's extremely small with four guys sharing it. We also have a rowdy bunch of Germans living next door that keep the door open. It's a much different culture, very open and pushy at times. I guess time will tell as we are here for another three days.

The whole Nuremberg experience will be updated later, with stories of architecture and vampires but for right now its time to live the Munich lifestyle. This is one of the biggest cities in Europe and we have a busy schedule ahead of us.

Dessau and the Bauhaus

You don't go through architecture school without learning about the Bauhaus and its founder Walter Gropius. One of the most famous art institutes in the world, the Bauhaus played an important role in the foundation of architecture to come. It is a building that was ahead of its time and the inspiration for later works. The travel program was fortunate enough to get a chance to tour this building and see the studios, apartments, stage and exhibition area. This was designed to be a place where students could live and work in the same environment while interacting with other students. The primarily neutral toned building uses the  three primary colors to establish direction and the floor you are currently on, which can be seen in variations of architecture today. It  of note to learn that it became a famous architecture school but didn't even offer those classes in its first year. It is still a major tourist attraction to this day with tours and the cafeteria open to visitors. It was a nice opportunity to visit a building that you have heard so much about over the past few years.

The Bauhaus

From Berlin, it only took us about two hours to get to Dessau. It doesn't take long to realize that the speed signs with no numbers or x's mean there is no speed limit. Sports cars fly by you and its crazy to see. Luckly the bus was nice and roomy and it was a smooth ride. Dessau is not nearly as big as Berlin, but it was refreshing to see something more on that scale. It's located south of Berlin and almost halfway to our night's destination of Nuremberg. The last night in Berlin was an eventful one with hotel glass breaking and rough sleep so now it's time to see what else is out there.

Federal Environmental Agency

The other building we got a chance to see was the new Federal Environmental Agency building headquarters in Dessau. This was a very modern building sitting in a older part on the city. Germany is one of the leaders in energy efficient architecture and this building follows that trend. Germany also has laws to give all employee offices fresh air so this building uses an atrium to give interior offices natural daylight. The outside of the building has ribbons of wood strips and colored window treatments that reflect the surrounding area. Red/Yellow on the sides facing the city and Green/Blue for areas facing the gardens. The roof and atrium are made of glass in an innovative design that allows for natural ventilation. This design allows for plants and shrubs to be grown indoors while allowing light to penetrate offices of both the inner and outer sides.

Federal Environmental Agency

We arrived in Nuremberg yesterday and I am staying at my first hostel, which sits high atop a large hill in an older castle construction. This is a city with a deep history and a lot to learn from. So heres to hoping I don't fall at the top.

Take My Breath Away

After about a seven hour multi-train journey from Amsterdam, we arrived Thursday in Berlin to meet up with the travel program. The arrival went a lot smoother than that of the one in Amsterdam as we took a cheap cab to our hotel. The hotel is an older building and the luxuries many of us have grown accustomed to are nowhere to be found. The internet is hard to find around here and it makes keeping things updated hard and contact even harder. The sink and shower is also open in our three-bed room so it makes taking a shower a little difficult having only a curtain between us.

The actual travel program has been very interesting so far. Berlin is a city rich in history, not the best, but a lot to learn from. It is still painfully obvious when you cross the border from West to East Berlin. The Western half is a huge city environment full of famous buildings and emerging technology. The Eastern half is not nearly as grand and still shows signs of yester-year. Buildings hear are more plain brick facades and tan colors, very dull and lifeless. There are still some good buildings there but are harder to find than in the west. One to note would be the Dutch Embassy by Rem Koolhaas which is located on the harbor and stands in contrast to the building around it which were once occupied by Nazis. This building attempts to separate the cube and use geometry to create space and help define its identity of being a part of Berlin. He uses views of the East Berlin Sphere to locate the positioning of the building while inside and embrace the history that it surrounds, something this side of the city could use more of.

Dutch Embassy

Again we have found that much like Amsterdam, Berlin has a heavy American influence. It doesn't seem to have as many people who speak English, but all the music and movies they watch are from the States. No matter if it’s a car driving down the street or in a restaurant, you hear popular American music. It's no wonder so many people have picked up English. We have found our first experience with the beggars in Europe who basically stay in plazas looking for tourist and asking for money. It can quickly ruin a nice moment when trying to take in the view.

Our first full day here was brutal; we were up at seven in the morning and walked around until about ten at night. Walking on all the stone here really kills your feet. The highlight of the day came at the end when we went to the Berlin capitol building, the Reichstag, to see our first Norman Foster construction. As one of my favorite architects, I was not disappointed. He designed the all glass dome on top of the building and the mirrored centerpiece on the inside. A coiled ramp leads visitors to the top for an unmatched view of the city. We were not lucky enough to see it at night, but we were able to get some photos of it as the sun set and these have to be my favorite so far. The wait for this seems to usually be long and we waited for about forty-five minutes in a cold drizzle to see it, but it was well worth it.

Reichstag

In Germany, the cuisine bears on the heavy side but Berlin offers a lot of food from different places. When we first got here we ate at a small cafe where I found a bottle of lemon sweet tea, so I was excited. We also got to try the local food although I don't really know how to pronounce or spell it. Luckily, we have someone in our group that speaks German, so that’s been nice. I haven’t eaten anything gross yet, but I don’t think I’m a big German food fan. On both the group dinner nights, they have taken us to an Italian restaurant down the street. I find it a little ironic taking American students to an Italian restaurant in Germany, but hey, it’s already paid for.

We have moved at a very steady pace while here and it’s hard to believe we are already leaving. Along the way we have seen buildings from such famous architects like Foster, Koolhaas, Gehry, Van der Rohe, Libeskind, Eisenman, Rossi and even a few Virginia Tech graduates, which is always nice to see. It helps to show just how far architecture can reach and how many opportunities there are out there.

Jewish Museum

Two of the more humbling visits were to the Jewish museum and Holocaust memorial. The Jewish Museum is a snake like structure that bends to create voids in the structure, symbolic of the missing Jewish people. Outside is a garden of olive trees that are planted in a grid and elevated in concrete planers so visitors can walk under them. The final where you really feel the darkness is in the tower of the museum. Inside this small concrete room, the only light comes from a small opening about forty feet up and makes the air cold, making for an eerie experience. I’m not a big fan of the building, but the attached aspects are worth visiting. The Holocaust memorial is a few train rides away, on an open sloped surface in the middle of the city. Rectangular concrete blocks rise from the ground and vary in different heights, with the tallest ones near the middle and about twelve-feet high. The spacing between these creates paths you can walk through and does a good job showing the impact of what happened just by passing through these huge blocks and seeing seemingly endless paths. It has become a very visited site where you can walk on top, sit and relax in the memorial…just don’t try to lay down.

Holocaust Memorial

Next on the agenda is a day trip to the Bauhaus, followed by a stay in Nuremburg for a couple of nights. It’s a smaller city than Berlin, so it will be interesting just to see how things are different even when they are not that far apart.

I amsterdam

Amsterdam is a melting pot for different cultures and has an ever changing identity that is evident even within the architecture. Most of Amsterdam is full of row housing that extends from the inner city to the outskirts. These buildings go back to a time where the building's width accounted for the cost of the building instead of the overall area. This led to houses being built right next to each other and usually about three to four stories high. The smallest of these is only a little over two meters wide from the street view. Of course this layout is greatly determined by the canal system that runs parallel to the streets. Boats are constantly running and many offer tours from a different vantage point of the city. Just as many cars as you see parked on the sides of the canals there are boats tied in the water.

It is also home to many apartments and one of the most famous is the WoZoCo housing complex. This building was designed for senior living and is eye catching from the street due to the huge cantilevers that jettison out in front of the facade. Known for its well designed floor plans, it also provides balconys ordinated in bright colors the catch the suns rays. Many of the housing complex's to the west of the city are on a horizontal scale, but the WoZoCo takes it to a grander scale.

In the middle part of the city, Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District, is marked off with red lighting and children-to-be-accompanied-by-parents signs. This is perhaps the biggest tourist destination in the city and is home to numerous shops and bars. The biggest draw is however the ladies that rent out rooms in that area. The district occupies several streets and still maintains the overall look of the city but with more neon signs and higher traffic in the streets. This is not the area of the city for anyone to travel to and not expect to feel a little un-comfortable at some point. It's not for everyone but adds to the character of the city and sets it apart from other places in Europe. Most of the night life around the city moves to this area and mixes people of different ages and races around the canal lined streets. Most people are quick to denounce this area but it is a part that has been around for a long time and helped to build a very interesting city. There may be a lot of free thinking, but it's what helps to make the city. It's still not a good place for the timid but is an experience unlike any other and the prices in bars and dinners are no different than any other part of the city, making this a affordable place to visit...although I guess it depends on what you do. It should also be mentioned that any woman can rent the rooms...any size, any age...

The northern part of the city shows off some of Amsterdam's growing pains as construction disrupts the flow of the city. This is where a lot of the higher rising and overall bigger buildings have moved and adds for a totally different experience than the rest of the city. You don't find old churches and row houses here but rather museums and office buildings that surround a large port. this is where the old and new attempt to merge and create something different in this ever changing city. Amsterdam will be a very interesting city to see how it continues to develop and grow over the coming years. Its hard to overlook the construction now, but there is a lot of potential for the architecture to become as diverse as the culture.

Amsterdam is a very unique culture experience and really offers something for everyone. The american influence is everywhere and almost anyone you find speaks some English. This makes it a very comfortable environment to travel around the city. Most people are friendly and restaurants offer translated menus. It really puts things into perspective of how important tourism is for the city and how a different culture has affected the growth of it. It's been a good time and a nice change to see such a different place than what I'm used to and I look forward to seeing how the rest of Europe stacks up to it.

Tomorrow it's on to Berlin, Germany, where the travel program officially starts.

Amsterdam Arrival

So after over 7 hours 3,500 miles on a cramped United flight, I finally arrived in Amsterdam this morning at around 7AM local time. The weather has been pretty messy here as of late and brought light rain and 50 degree weather at the start of the day. Perhaps the biggest culture shock of all was just how week the dollar is compared to the Euro with most places exchanging $.68 to a Euro.

The cab ride to our hotel was by far more frighting than the plane ride. After leaving the airport we were approached by two guys who were battling to get fares from all of the tourist arriving. When in transit, they decided to make small talk which basically consisted of asking us if we liked marijuana and cocaine. Amsterdam after all if a "free" city. After a rather pricey cab ride we got to our hotel safely and checked in and to our surprise, ended up right next door to WoZoCo housing, which we have learned about several times in school for their efficient housing plan and colorful exterior.

We managed to get out long enough to walk down one of the waterways to a smaller park here that has a pier. Weather is just too unpredictable today. It goes from a cold rain to sun in no time at all. The wind continues to blow constantly making holding an umbrella tough. I'm on the western half of the city with more residential housing but hope to move into the city tomorrow to look at some of the different buildings. The jet lag continues to be the main problem in getting motivated so hopefully a good nights rest will do wonders. Sleeping laying down happens a lot quicker and unexpected than sitting straight up on an airplane. I hope to have a longer right up tomorrow, but for right now I'll say that Amsterdam is a very interesting place.

Amsterdam West Pier

The Journey Begins

Months of waiting and a whole lot of money later, the much anticipated study abroad session is upon us. The first half of my forth year at Virginia Tech will take place exclusively in Europe. When it is all said and done, I will have backpacked through eight different countries, flown on five different planes, hours across the rail and too much time in buses.

Sunday will be the official departure date and Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is the first city on the agenda and will be followed by Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, England, Spain and Italy.

I'm looking forward to seeing the different types of architecture that range from the new age technological structures to the monolithic structures that have stood the test of time. From the Duomo to the Therme Vals nothing will go undocumented in pictures, sketchs and watercolors. The people, the places, the culture and the language will all play a part in this new experience and can be a little daunting to think about.

But here we go...