Photo of the Week: Switzerland

From:  Mt. Stanserhorn, Switzerland

Gaudi's Barcelona - Where Art and Architecture Meet

Barcelona from Park Guell

I'm riding around Barcelona on my first afternoon in the city and I'm more asleep then awake, I guess 4 hours of sleep on a plane wasn't enough.  I decide I had to get off the bus soon and as I try to think where to do that I looked up and see Sagrada Familia.  I wasn't planning on seeing the church now, but if it woke me up, then it did the job so I got off the bus.  It was time to explore Gaudi's Barcelona...

Park Guell

Antoni Gaudi was a modernistic architect with a very unique sytle, he has left his fingerprint all over Barcelona.  He's best known for his work designing Sagrada Familia; but, he is also know for Park Guell, Casa Batllo and Casa Mila.

I'm going to skip Sagrada Familia for now, except to say that it's magnificent!  It's so magnificent that it deserves its own post.  My next stop after waking up was Park Guell.

Maybe I was tired and cranky but the first thing I thought of when I walked in was the time Disney did that cheesy overlay on Cinderella's Castle, not a good sign.  Looking at it now I'm not quite so repulsed by it, it reminds me more of gingerbread houses and they're kinda cute, right?  Ok, the highlight here was that I bought a bunch of really cute necklaces for 3 euro each, I bought one for every girl I know.

Park Guell

I only ever saw Casa Mila from the outside and it's a pretty cool looking building, and not totally out of place.  It blended in with the nearby architecutre, but was also distinct.

Casa Mila

At this point, I wasn't totally digging Gaudi, I thought he was a little out there.  But I went to Casa Batllo anyway, I had heard great things.  The outside of the house doesn't do much for me, too bright and out of place on the block.  I slowly started to adjust to the place, as I started to see his designs giving flow to the house.  How much thought was put into functionality, and not just making things look good, this place really started to grow on me - this is where I started to see his architecture as a form of art.  Some of it is over the top, but the combination of nature and curved lines actually started to sit well with my contemporary design leanings.  There were a few weird things, but overall I really liked this place. 

Casa Batllo
Whether you like Guadi's work or not, he really does have a style all his own. He designs with a purpose and a lot of his work is not only functional, but is also a piece of art. I'm not sure I would hire Gaudi to design my house (ya know, from the grave - he did passed away years ago), but I wouldn't rule out the possibility either.

Casa Batllo Dining Room

Seating for a courting couple

This is the second part of a series on Barcelona, the first post can be found here.

Photo of the Week: England

From:  London - The Changing of the Guard
Hey, not all jobs are created equal - Happy Labor Day!

British Museum

Rosetta Stone

The first time I visited London I didn't have much interest in the British Museum.  But on my trip last year it was at the top of the list.  The difference?  I had been to Egypt and wanted to see the Rosetta Stone. 

The British Museum is great.  The main atrium was large and open with lots of natural light.  There were also benches where you could rest while you planned your attack on the museum. 

Off the main room is the Rosetta Stone, other then being a big rock with 3 languages (Dolmotic, Greek, Hyroglypyics) on it, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  Well, it is a BIG rock with tiny print on it, I think that was what surprised me most.  In the Egyptian temples hyroglyphics are so large, but on the Rosetta Stone it was tiny. 

I did visit the rest of the Egyptian exhibit, which had some really impressive pieces.  The collection wasn't even close to as large as The Met in New York City.  But, the pieces were better, if you don't factor in that the Met has a temple.  Hmmm, Temple vs Rosetta Stone - I think Rosetta Stone wins for it lasting influence.   

Next I went to the Greek exhibits, which were impressive in the calabre of the art - heck when you steal from the Parthenon you will get some good art.  But like most ancient greek art, it wasn't in great condition - missing arms, legs, heads, etc.  Don't get me wrong, what they had was well cared for, it just hadn't lasted the test of time before being rescued for the elements. 

After this I decided to head back to my hotel.  After flying in that morning, and visiting St. Paul's I was a bit exhausted.  But for the price of FREE - the British Museum is more then a bargain!  I did hear that the British govenrment is considering charging to visit the British Museum, so if you're to London soon that should definately be high on your list.

Reminder: I can be found on Twitter @Travelingiraffe

Photo of the Week: Italy

The Colosseum, Rome Italy

Barcelona, learning to love a city...

When I arrived in Barcelona is was early, I was tired, it was cool out, and it was cloudy.  My visit to Barcelona, while not bad, didn't start on quite the right foot.  It just felt like a city, but kinda short - as in short buildings.  But as I spent more time there the more city grew on me.  I guess it often works that way though.


I had met a woman on my flight who was going to be on my cruise through Cruise Critic, we decided to take a taxi together since our hotels weren't far from each other.  Much easier then taking the Aerobus and then walking 10 minutes to my hotel with my luggage.  We parted ways from there and I managed to meet another woman from my hotel that was on my flight.  We got to talking and ended up taking the hop on and off bus around the city.  It was nice to have company since I thought I would be alone for a lot of the cruise.  I was thankful I brought my fleece with me, it was cold on that bus!  It was also cloudy so Barcelona didn't get the chance to show its true colors, that happened when I returned to the city after the cruise.

But as time went on and I got to see all the different areas of the city - the gothic quarter, Montjuic, Barceloneta, Placa Espanya, Placa de Catalunya, and a bunch of Gaudi stuff, the city grew on me.  All the different areas seem to really complement each other, the city has a great flow to its architecture and several interesting buildings.

When I first walked around the Gothic Quarter I didn't really appreciate it, I think I was distracted by the thought of getting lost.  Also, when the area is quiet, it feels a little seedy.  It's made up of lots of little alleys and tight roadways and with the tall buildings there is often isn't any direct sunlight.  But, when everything is open and people are walk around, it's lively and inviting with shops and restaurants.  Granted, most of it is touristy, but there is a great vibe in this area, once you get past the fear of getting lost ;).  There are also lots of little (and occasionally big) open spaces for people to congregate, and for restaurants to have outdoor seating.  I don't think I appreciated this until I had gotten a feel for the city and could appreciate it. 

Gothic Quarter

Gothic Quarter

Barcelona is a great city, especially if you're interested in architecture.  I think it takes some time to get to know this city, for cruise passengers who may only have a day here they might not get a chance to see all that the city has to offer, but if you have the time to find the heart of the city, you will fall in love too.

Reminder: I can be found on Twitter @Travelingiraffe

Barceloneta:

Formerly the Athletes Village

Hotel Arts

Photo of the Week: France

From the Eiffel Tower, the Seine River

Ebook Review - Getting Out of Auto (with your camera)

I recently got the opportunity to review a new Ebook - Getting Out of Auto Photo Ebook.  This was quite timely because my last trip to Europe (Cruise from Barcelona) was the first trip when I shot primarily in manual or other priority modes.  I'll admit it was occasionally a hassel, but at other times it was a fun challenge.  I also got some really great photos, and I loved hearing the compliments about them!

I highly recommend that anyone with a camera take a little time to learn about the different settings.  Even if you're happy with your Auto mode photos, occasionally the only way to get a decent photo is to play with the settings - sunrise, sunset, or night shots are prefect examples of when you'll want to know your camera.

Back to the book...

I really like the way the book simplifies Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed with different types of examples.  I have  to admit though, the more I think about Aperture, the more confused I get, I think I have a block.  It has some relevant examples, the type that make you say, "Oh, that's how I get that effect, I love that look!"

The author does a great job of explaining the "rules" of photography, not only the what, but the why.  Knowing to use the rule of thirds is one thing, understanding why it makes a better photo allows you to use it more effectively.

I found this book very interesting, even though I've started to shoot in manual modes, I was reminded of how much more I still need to learn about photography.  But remember, you can read all the books you want, if you don't go out and practice and try different things you wont improve.  My biggest complaint about the book? I was trying to take a photo in Lake George and couldn't get the settings right, a week later while reading this book I figured out my problem.  Maybe I should have read faster!

Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh

The Scottish home to the British royal family...

Visiting Holyrood Palace is the first time I've been in a palace set up to be seen as a palace, that makes me think that I need to find new friends ;).  I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, I have been to see the Hermitage and the Louvre, but since they serve as museums they are different.  

The palace, while quite lovely, was not quite as grand as I expected.  You start the tour at an outside courtyard, which is very nice and then you enter the main building.  The first stop inside is of an outside walkway around another courtyard that is enclosed by the building.  From there you finally enter the palace.

Inside the palace I got the distinct feeling that there are spaces set aside for the tour, designed to represent different points in history.  Then there are spaces that are still used by the Queen, there doesn't seem to be much overlap of these two areas.  I would guess that at 2/3rds the tour was in areas dedicated to the tour and the history of the palace and of the Scotish and English royal families. 

After going through the palace you exit at the cathedral where you can again take photos.  You are not permitted to take photos of the interior of the palace which I find frustrating.  I'm sure there are several reasons for this, some better then others.  But, my memory has faded quite a bit since I was there.  I could have bought a book about the palace, but it would just sit on my shelf with the other books I've bought in my travels and maybe gotten looked at once or twice. 

I do remember the audio tour was very good, well paced and chock full of information without being overwhelming.  I really liked the dining room and some of the other public types of spaces, though many were not quite as over the top as I would have expected in a palace.  The rooms that were part of the history were also well done, particularly the areas designated for Mary Queen of Scots. 

Who would I recommed to visit?  Those who have never seen a palace before and for those who are interested in Scotish history.  If you've been to a palace before and are short on time in Edinburgh, you might want to spend time exploring other areas of the city.

I did not visit the Queens Gallary, I'm just not a big art person so thought I would spend my time doing something else.

Photo of the Week: Vermont

Incase you're sick of the heat, this one's from Okemo in Vermont.  Hope it cools you down.