Hello everyone! I arrived back safely in the good ol' USA. Adjusting wasn't too difficult for me-it only took a few days to get over jet lag and to get used to my room, house, and home town again. I had an unforgettable experience in France and now I am applying that to this new chapter I now begin in my life, as well as the rest of the years to come.
I wanted to give a final run down of all the places I visited during my year abroad. Ready? Here goes:
France:
Middle: Orleans, Tours, Saumur
South: Nimes, Arles, Avignon
Like duh: Versailles, Paris
Belgium:
Brussels
Denmark:
Copenhagen
Italy:
Milan
Venice
Florence
Rome
Germany:
Berlin
Potsdam
Hamburg
Austria:
Vienna
Spain:
Barcelona
Greece:
Mainland: Athens
Islands: Delos, Mykonos, Santorini
Whew! What a year. I am so thankful I got to travel to all of these places, especially at such a young age. I now have a thirst for travel-and know how to do it! And you can bet that one day I will be returning to France, to relive once again all of my wonderful adventures.
See you all real soon!!!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Au revoir France
Bonjour tous le monde!
This is my last blog post...I am heading home in a few short days!!!
I know I haven't updated in a long time, but there will be tons of stories to share when I arrive home. We just got back from our final sketch/travel break for the year. This one was a lot of fun, because it was three weeks long and the destinations were unbeatable. I started off by traveling to Venice, Florence, and Rome with a group of friends. I absorbed so much culture and learned lots in each city that I visited. In Venice I convinced my friends to go on a gondola boat ride with me. I was enchanted by the "sinking city," which was coherently beautiful and ancient all the way through. I didn't want to leave. In Florence we visited lots of art museums, including the famous one where Michelangelo's David is housed. There was also lots of interesting architecture to discover. Of all the cities I visited, Rome had the most to offer. Every turn around the corner gave way to a structure, statue, or monument that was 2,000 years old. We explored the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Forum, the Vatican and Sistine chapel, and a few Baroque churches by the masters Bernini and Borromini. The churches were my favorite.
After our week-long trip throughout Italy we flew to Athens to begin the sketching portion of our trip. A group of about 10 of us was led by a sketch instructor who had previously been a student of the Versailles program many years back. We spent one day in Athens, sketching on the Acropolis. Then the next day we took a ferry to Mykonos, where we spent about four days. I liked Mykonos the best. It is the island with the "five windmills," very picturesque structures that are no longer in use, yet much adored for their quaint history. I loved walking through the winding streets of the maze of white-block buildings, red- and blue-domed churches, and laid-back cafes and giftshops that made me feel like I was on a tropical honeymoon vacation. Everyone agreed that it was paradise. On day on Mykonos we took a small boat to a nearby uninhabited island, Delos, to check out the archeological ruins. It was worthwhile.
Our next, and final, stop was the island of Santorini, acclaimed to be the best and most "picturesque" of all the Greek islands. We stayed in the part of the island called "Fera" and traveled to "Oia" to watch the sunset the first night we arrived. Unlike Mykonos, Santorini has really steep cliffs covered with white block-houses. It's churches have even bluer domes and are more perfect in geometry. But I liked Mykonos better. We walked to the very top of Oia and looked down on the city below us. A single sailboat tottered its way far out away from shore, giving its occupants the perfect view of what was to come. Soon the sun dipped beneath the clouds and the sky was soaked pink-red. It was an evening to remember.
Another night we stayed on Santorini the Greek family running our hotel held a party outside and invited us. They had live Greek music and were dancing just like the Greeks do. They pulled us out of our seats and told us to join them. We all gathered in a circle and danced like crazy. Then we sat down and they treated us to a Greek buffet. I had a wonderful time. Nobody wanted to leave Greece.
After our Greece sketch trip I traveled to Vienna to enjoy one more city before heading back to France. In Vienna I visited the Belvedere(where Gustav Klimt's 'The Kiss' is held) and listened to a classical music concert where they played the Four Seasons.
Upon arriving back in France I relaxed and spent my time going into Paris and doing the remaining things I wanted to do. I ate at an American diner(which was fabulous), walked through the catacombs, traversed the Champs-Elysees(for the last time) and climbed to the top of the Arche de Triomphe, and passed the Eiffel Tower for a final glance at the structure. Then the following day I visited the Chateau and had lunch in the gardens. Soon afterwards the fountains started going off and classical music was playing. It was the perfect day.
Tomorrow I have my fairwell dinner with my French family. Then two days after that I leave to head back to the United States. I am sad to be leaving France, but feel ready to go and begin a new page in my life. One thing I know for sure is that my life will never be the same...this experience has changed me into a different person, one much more intelligent, aware of her surroundings, cultured, and able to deal with all types of situations. Now I know what the previous students meant when they said that it was worth more than money can buy. I feel the full weight of the value of this trip, and I know in my heart it was the right thing, the only thing, to do to help myself grow. I have grown in all the ways that I wanted to, and I couldn't have asked for anything more.
I can't wait to see everyone when I get home, and tell you all about my wonderful year-long adventure.
See you soon!!!!
Diana
This is my last blog post...I am heading home in a few short days!!!
I know I haven't updated in a long time, but there will be tons of stories to share when I arrive home. We just got back from our final sketch/travel break for the year. This one was a lot of fun, because it was three weeks long and the destinations were unbeatable. I started off by traveling to Venice, Florence, and Rome with a group of friends. I absorbed so much culture and learned lots in each city that I visited. In Venice I convinced my friends to go on a gondola boat ride with me. I was enchanted by the "sinking city," which was coherently beautiful and ancient all the way through. I didn't want to leave. In Florence we visited lots of art museums, including the famous one where Michelangelo's David is housed. There was also lots of interesting architecture to discover. Of all the cities I visited, Rome had the most to offer. Every turn around the corner gave way to a structure, statue, or monument that was 2,000 years old. We explored the Pantheon, the Colosseum, the Forum, the Vatican and Sistine chapel, and a few Baroque churches by the masters Bernini and Borromini. The churches were my favorite.
After our week-long trip throughout Italy we flew to Athens to begin the sketching portion of our trip. A group of about 10 of us was led by a sketch instructor who had previously been a student of the Versailles program many years back. We spent one day in Athens, sketching on the Acropolis. Then the next day we took a ferry to Mykonos, where we spent about four days. I liked Mykonos the best. It is the island with the "five windmills," very picturesque structures that are no longer in use, yet much adored for their quaint history. I loved walking through the winding streets of the maze of white-block buildings, red- and blue-domed churches, and laid-back cafes and giftshops that made me feel like I was on a tropical honeymoon vacation. Everyone agreed that it was paradise. On day on Mykonos we took a small boat to a nearby uninhabited island, Delos, to check out the archeological ruins. It was worthwhile.
Our next, and final, stop was the island of Santorini, acclaimed to be the best and most "picturesque" of all the Greek islands. We stayed in the part of the island called "Fera" and traveled to "Oia" to watch the sunset the first night we arrived. Unlike Mykonos, Santorini has really steep cliffs covered with white block-houses. It's churches have even bluer domes and are more perfect in geometry. But I liked Mykonos better. We walked to the very top of Oia and looked down on the city below us. A single sailboat tottered its way far out away from shore, giving its occupants the perfect view of what was to come. Soon the sun dipped beneath the clouds and the sky was soaked pink-red. It was an evening to remember.
Another night we stayed on Santorini the Greek family running our hotel held a party outside and invited us. They had live Greek music and were dancing just like the Greeks do. They pulled us out of our seats and told us to join them. We all gathered in a circle and danced like crazy. Then we sat down and they treated us to a Greek buffet. I had a wonderful time. Nobody wanted to leave Greece.
After our Greece sketch trip I traveled to Vienna to enjoy one more city before heading back to France. In Vienna I visited the Belvedere(where Gustav Klimt's 'The Kiss' is held) and listened to a classical music concert where they played the Four Seasons.
Upon arriving back in France I relaxed and spent my time going into Paris and doing the remaining things I wanted to do. I ate at an American diner(which was fabulous), walked through the catacombs, traversed the Champs-Elysees(for the last time) and climbed to the top of the Arche de Triomphe, and passed the Eiffel Tower for a final glance at the structure. Then the following day I visited the Chateau and had lunch in the gardens. Soon afterwards the fountains started going off and classical music was playing. It was the perfect day.
Tomorrow I have my fairwell dinner with my French family. Then two days after that I leave to head back to the United States. I am sad to be leaving France, but feel ready to go and begin a new page in my life. One thing I know for sure is that my life will never be the same...this experience has changed me into a different person, one much more intelligent, aware of her surroundings, cultured, and able to deal with all types of situations. Now I know what the previous students meant when they said that it was worth more than money can buy. I feel the full weight of the value of this trip, and I know in my heart it was the right thing, the only thing, to do to help myself grow. I have grown in all the ways that I wanted to, and I couldn't have asked for anything more.
I can't wait to see everyone when I get home, and tell you all about my wonderful year-long adventure.
See you soon!!!!
Diana
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Bonjour everyone!
It's been a while since I've updated so there is lots to share!
In February we had our two-week long sketch/travel break, and I went to Brussels(Belgium) and a few cities in the south of France(Nimes, Arles, Avignon). Brussels had wonderful food(waffles, chocolate, french fries) and the south of France was incredibly interesting. There was lots of old Roman architecture such as temples, amphitheaters, fountains, and gardens. I took a train to the south of France and used trains to transfer from one city to another. I had such an enjoyable time looking out the window on the 3-hour or so ride down there, gazing out at the rolling hills and farms, petite little villages, an occasional castle, hay bails, and scraggly little trees speckled here and there. The french countryside is beautiful. It is very picturesque-like something that Monet would paint.
The cities that I visited were small. I also got to get a taste of the French 'southern' accent. The hotels that I stayed in were old buildings, each with quirks of their own. In the hotel in Nimes the shower did not have a curtain, so I bathed behind a stone wall which was part of a cut out in the wall, and felt like I was in ancient Rome! In Nimes I saw the Pont du Gard(the tallest of the Roman aqueducts), an amphitheater, a beautiful garden with a Temple of Diana(pleasant surprise!), and the Maison Carree(one of the best preserved temples in the world).
In Arles I saw the Baths of Constantine(huge Roman baths with lots of stone vaulting), and the Alyscamps(a huge cemetery that Van Gogh painted). There was also a hospital where Van Gogh had stayed. I sketched the tiled rooftops of the city, making sure to include the plastered stone walls, the wooden shutters, and all the potted plants sitting in the windows. I saw lots of cats and dogs wandering around, as well as street performers in the square.
Avignon was interesting because the entire city was surrounded by 14th century ramparts. It was like a huge fortification with turrets and bridges. The main building to see in Avignon was the Palace of the Popes(because it was where the seat of religious power was moved during conflict at some point in history). It was a huge fortified palace-I walked all around it. I also saw a castle-like monastery with a beautiful garden which was at the top of a huge hill-so I got a great view of Avignon.
The weather was beautiful in southern France and I really enjoyed each of the cities I visited. Traveling by train was fast and easy. And one of the best parts of the trip was that my sketching improved 200%-I really made progress, so much that it looked like someone else had sketched for me! So I really got a lot out of that trip.
About a week after the break we had another sketching assignment where we picked one building in Paris and did a few pages on it. I picked the City of Fashion and Design in Paris-a modern building for fashion students. It was neat. I have spent so much time studying historic buildings that it was good for me to see the modern parts of Paris as well.
Also, after we returned from break we had a joint project with the French students-our last project with them for the year. The project was a week long intensive where you had to design a small housing unit for homeless people. It was one american to four or five french students, like the first project. All of the groups were divided into three large ones, each headed by a professor who had a slightly different project related to homelessness. For our project we designed a unit that exemplified the use of media(computers, radio, television, etc.) There was a lady with a design firm in Africa who came and headed one of the projects-she was so interesting to listen to. I felt like I learned a lot more about architecture from that project.
I also attended one of the French lectures(just for fun) and didn't understand much by ear, but was able to translate a lot of the text on the screen, so it might have helped my French a little.
The week after that I was visited by my aunt, uncle, and cousins and got to stay with them in Paris and show them around-it was so much fun! We saw Paris Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday we went to the Chateau and gardens. It was the first time someone had come to visit me, and my first time acting as tour guide ;)
In a few weeks we have another big party with the french students-It's the end of the year "American" party with a different theme each year, and this year it's "high school" themed. I'm really looking forward to it.
On the same day during the afternoon I'm going to a poetry competition in Paris at a school I've been volunteering at throughout the year. High school girls are going to recite American poems, and American students like me can volunteer to help them prepare. It's a very prestigious event, with interesting people on the jury. Renzo Piano(one of the architects of the Centre Pompidou) was invited, so it's possible I could get to meet him! It should be a wonderful time.
Hope everyone is doing well!!
A bientot,
Diana
It's been a while since I've updated so there is lots to share!
In February we had our two-week long sketch/travel break, and I went to Brussels(Belgium) and a few cities in the south of France(Nimes, Arles, Avignon). Brussels had wonderful food(waffles, chocolate, french fries) and the south of France was incredibly interesting. There was lots of old Roman architecture such as temples, amphitheaters, fountains, and gardens. I took a train to the south of France and used trains to transfer from one city to another. I had such an enjoyable time looking out the window on the 3-hour or so ride down there, gazing out at the rolling hills and farms, petite little villages, an occasional castle, hay bails, and scraggly little trees speckled here and there. The french countryside is beautiful. It is very picturesque-like something that Monet would paint.
The cities that I visited were small. I also got to get a taste of the French 'southern' accent. The hotels that I stayed in were old buildings, each with quirks of their own. In the hotel in Nimes the shower did not have a curtain, so I bathed behind a stone wall which was part of a cut out in the wall, and felt like I was in ancient Rome! In Nimes I saw the Pont du Gard(the tallest of the Roman aqueducts), an amphitheater, a beautiful garden with a Temple of Diana(pleasant surprise!), and the Maison Carree(one of the best preserved temples in the world).
In Arles I saw the Baths of Constantine(huge Roman baths with lots of stone vaulting), and the Alyscamps(a huge cemetery that Van Gogh painted). There was also a hospital where Van Gogh had stayed. I sketched the tiled rooftops of the city, making sure to include the plastered stone walls, the wooden shutters, and all the potted plants sitting in the windows. I saw lots of cats and dogs wandering around, as well as street performers in the square.
Avignon was interesting because the entire city was surrounded by 14th century ramparts. It was like a huge fortification with turrets and bridges. The main building to see in Avignon was the Palace of the Popes(because it was where the seat of religious power was moved during conflict at some point in history). It was a huge fortified palace-I walked all around it. I also saw a castle-like monastery with a beautiful garden which was at the top of a huge hill-so I got a great view of Avignon.
The weather was beautiful in southern France and I really enjoyed each of the cities I visited. Traveling by train was fast and easy. And one of the best parts of the trip was that my sketching improved 200%-I really made progress, so much that it looked like someone else had sketched for me! So I really got a lot out of that trip.
About a week after the break we had another sketching assignment where we picked one building in Paris and did a few pages on it. I picked the City of Fashion and Design in Paris-a modern building for fashion students. It was neat. I have spent so much time studying historic buildings that it was good for me to see the modern parts of Paris as well.
Also, after we returned from break we had a joint project with the French students-our last project with them for the year. The project was a week long intensive where you had to design a small housing unit for homeless people. It was one american to four or five french students, like the first project. All of the groups were divided into three large ones, each headed by a professor who had a slightly different project related to homelessness. For our project we designed a unit that exemplified the use of media(computers, radio, television, etc.) There was a lady with a design firm in Africa who came and headed one of the projects-she was so interesting to listen to. I felt like I learned a lot more about architecture from that project.
I also attended one of the French lectures(just for fun) and didn't understand much by ear, but was able to translate a lot of the text on the screen, so it might have helped my French a little.
The week after that I was visited by my aunt, uncle, and cousins and got to stay with them in Paris and show them around-it was so much fun! We saw Paris Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday we went to the Chateau and gardens. It was the first time someone had come to visit me, and my first time acting as tour guide ;)
In a few weeks we have another big party with the french students-It's the end of the year "American" party with a different theme each year, and this year it's "high school" themed. I'm really looking forward to it.
On the same day during the afternoon I'm going to a poetry competition in Paris at a school I've been volunteering at throughout the year. High school girls are going to recite American poems, and American students like me can volunteer to help them prepare. It's a very prestigious event, with interesting people on the jury. Renzo Piano(one of the architects of the Centre Pompidou) was invited, so it's possible I could get to meet him! It should be a wonderful time.
Hope everyone is doing well!!
A bientot,
Diana
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Bonjour tous les monde! Comment ca va?
We are back on track with a new studio project and other upcoming events. I really like our project this semester because it deals with one of my favorite things in the world...the Baroque!! We are designing a building in the Potager de Roi(The King's garden, right next to the chateau) for musicians of the Baroque music festival. Aaaahhhhhh it is so exciting!! Of course I had lots of ideas. My idea centers on bringing some of the old Baroque design ideas back to life by means of our current methods. In other words, history will make a comeback in our modern world. That was my main motivation.
One of the things I really want to do is go to a Baroque music concert here in Versailles. They hold them every Thursday in the chateau's newly restored chapel. I believe it is a choir of young people accompanied by Baroque instruments(some of the sounds you just don't hear anymore). I can't believe I haven't gone yet-I'll have to get my fanny over there, haha! I want to get a group together to go.
We have also been talking about seeing an opera(there is a special student opera that is only 10 euros) and a professional ballet performance, both of which I think will be very worthwhile. I have not seen a real performance since I've been here, if you can believe it.
Last week I went to a creperie in Paris with a group of friends. We walked along a street where it was ALL creperies-one after another all lined up. It was one of the girls birthdays and she got to pick which one she wanted to go to. It was amazing! We ate like the French and had a crepe meal for dinner(I had an egg, cheese, and ham crepe), and for dessert(chocolate, caramel, banana, etc.) We all had fun sharing eachother's dishes. It was my first time going to a real creperie. Now I am absolutely obsessed with crepes...and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon.
This weekend we are going to Grenoble(in southern France) to go skiiing in the Alps! We are staying the entire weekend-I am really looking forward to it, it should be lots of fun.
Also, I have finished planning out my spring break and the other travel breaks I have for the rest of the semester. For the spring break(in February), I am going to Brussels(in Belgium, just north of France) with a group of girls and then taking a train to southern France to visit Nimes, Arles, and Avignon. I actually made a brochure on the Palace of the Popes in Avignon for a school project, so I am excited to finally see the building in real life. The area I am traveling to has lots of architecture, perfect for sketching and just taking in French culture.
For our next big sketching break in April I am going to Italy to visit Rome, Florence, and maybe one other city, and then the week after that we have our big sketch trip to Greece(Athens, Mikonos, and one other place). We actually have a lot of free time for traveling such as on the weekends, so during those weekends I plan on traveling to other parts of France that are just a train ride away. I would like to go to northern France to visit Giverny(where Monet lived), Lille, Reims, and Chartes. I also want to go to Lyon for a couple of days(beautiful city closer to the south of France with lots of historic architecture), Toulouse, and Bordeaux. I think it will be most worthwhile to spend my time traveling to other parts of France while I am here, instead of going to far off cities elsewhere. I think it will be amazing to say, once I've returned home, that I went to visit all those places in France!
In other news, when I look at the title of my blog...I finally understand it. Haha! I mean, when I first created this blog before I went to France I had to translate "the trip of a lifetime" online, but now, the structure of the phrase makes sense to me and I can come up with something like that on my own. My French has gotten soooo much better...it feels great knowing that you have a grasp on a language and understand the flow.
I hope that all of you are doing well. Until next time!
Au revoir,
Diana
We are back on track with a new studio project and other upcoming events. I really like our project this semester because it deals with one of my favorite things in the world...the Baroque!! We are designing a building in the Potager de Roi(The King's garden, right next to the chateau) for musicians of the Baroque music festival. Aaaahhhhhh it is so exciting!! Of course I had lots of ideas. My idea centers on bringing some of the old Baroque design ideas back to life by means of our current methods. In other words, history will make a comeback in our modern world. That was my main motivation.
One of the things I really want to do is go to a Baroque music concert here in Versailles. They hold them every Thursday in the chateau's newly restored chapel. I believe it is a choir of young people accompanied by Baroque instruments(some of the sounds you just don't hear anymore). I can't believe I haven't gone yet-I'll have to get my fanny over there, haha! I want to get a group together to go.
We have also been talking about seeing an opera(there is a special student opera that is only 10 euros) and a professional ballet performance, both of which I think will be very worthwhile. I have not seen a real performance since I've been here, if you can believe it.
Last week I went to a creperie in Paris with a group of friends. We walked along a street where it was ALL creperies-one after another all lined up. It was one of the girls birthdays and she got to pick which one she wanted to go to. It was amazing! We ate like the French and had a crepe meal for dinner(I had an egg, cheese, and ham crepe), and for dessert(chocolate, caramel, banana, etc.) We all had fun sharing eachother's dishes. It was my first time going to a real creperie. Now I am absolutely obsessed with crepes...and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon.
This weekend we are going to Grenoble(in southern France) to go skiiing in the Alps! We are staying the entire weekend-I am really looking forward to it, it should be lots of fun.
Also, I have finished planning out my spring break and the other travel breaks I have for the rest of the semester. For the spring break(in February), I am going to Brussels(in Belgium, just north of France) with a group of girls and then taking a train to southern France to visit Nimes, Arles, and Avignon. I actually made a brochure on the Palace of the Popes in Avignon for a school project, so I am excited to finally see the building in real life. The area I am traveling to has lots of architecture, perfect for sketching and just taking in French culture.
For our next big sketching break in April I am going to Italy to visit Rome, Florence, and maybe one other city, and then the week after that we have our big sketch trip to Greece(Athens, Mikonos, and one other place). We actually have a lot of free time for traveling such as on the weekends, so during those weekends I plan on traveling to other parts of France that are just a train ride away. I would like to go to northern France to visit Giverny(where Monet lived), Lille, Reims, and Chartes. I also want to go to Lyon for a couple of days(beautiful city closer to the south of France with lots of historic architecture), Toulouse, and Bordeaux. I think it will be most worthwhile to spend my time traveling to other parts of France while I am here, instead of going to far off cities elsewhere. I think it will be amazing to say, once I've returned home, that I went to visit all those places in France!
In other news, when I look at the title of my blog...I finally understand it. Haha! I mean, when I first created this blog before I went to France I had to translate "the trip of a lifetime" online, but now, the structure of the phrase makes sense to me and I can come up with something like that on my own. My French has gotten soooo much better...it feels great knowing that you have a grasp on a language and understand the flow.
I hope that all of you are doing well. Until next time!
Au revoir,
Diana
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Hey everyone!
I know it's been a suuuuuuper long time since I've posted...so bear with me as I catch you up on my life!
I went to Barcelona with my friends over Thanksgiving break. I was amazed by the architecture. We saw the Sagrada Familia, the Casa Milla, Parc Guell, among other things...Gaudi is one of my favorite architects, second only to Frank Lloyd Wright. I love how he includes so much color and nature into his designs...he takes ordinary programs for buildings and interprets them in new ways. I would say that his architecture is modern but it is modern in a new kind of way-curvilinear and creative. A lot of the architecture in Barcelona is like this-such a cool city!
We spent an entire day at the Sagrada. I did an analytical sketch on it(which took forever) but it turned out really nice. For those of you who don't know, the Sagrada Familia is a colossal cathedral. I don't remember when it was started, but they are hoping to finish it by 2025. I only hope that I am alive to see it's completion! Gaudi passed away a long time ago, so a lot of the design and the sculpture is not his handiwork, it's an interpretation of what he might have done. The interior was the coolest part-you walk into what looks like a forest of columns, a canopy of palm trees that seems to reach way up to the sky. The stained glass windows are merely holes punched into the thick curving concrete walls, reflecting all the brilliant colors of the rainbow. On the outside there are countless plants, animals, and figures adorning the building...perhaps it represents the notion of "birth" in general(in allusion to the birth of Christ). The four bell towers are shaped like gigantic pine cones. And there are various miniature towers with piles of colorful fruit representing the "fruits of the holy spirit." I think the main idea of the Sagrada is to take the typical program for a church and interpret it in a truly creative, beautiful way. I fell in love with the building.
I spent a lot of time walking around Barcelona and seeing parts of the city. I walked down to the harbor-which was magnificent. One night my friends and I ate out at a restaurant where we had "paella"(a popular spanish dish which consists of rice and seafood or vegetables). It was so good! Another night we came across an outdoor birthday party and danced to spanish pop music-which I really liked.
I also went inside the Casa Milla(Gaudi designed various houses('casas'), this being one of them) and walked up on the roof. The top of the wall curved all around, like a wave surrounding you. Numerous concrete structures rose out of the roof, like an army of cubist stormtroopers walking all around. (That's what they reminded me of!) On one of them Gaudi pasted together bits of broken glass. I thought, if Dr. Suess became an architect, this is what he would design...
All of the architecture in Barcelona was so cool. The first day we got there, it was a clear sunny day and we drove from the airport all throughout the city and got a taste of everything. We came across a really cool cemetery that I will never forget-it was carved into a large hill, the rows of gravestones cut out in multiple levels and weaving throughout the ground. Placed throughout the cemetery were various stone statues and plants, filling the spaces between gravestones. It was like a beautiful jungle...a maze of gravel and green. We kept telling eachother, "Look at that!...Look at that!" There were so many interesting things to see.
When I returned to Versailles we had an "American-French Thanksgiving dinner" with the french kids. The americans cooked the meal and the french brought desserts. It was a lot of fun. The next week we finished our group design project(the one with just americans), which turned out very well. For this project we had to design an art exhibition building for a real site in Paris. This involved going to the site and observing it, and developing all of the necessary floor plans, elevations, details, etc. This year is the first year we've done group projects, and I really like it.
The following weekend I bought Christmas presents for the french kids I live with. It was so much fun! I just walked around the Versailles market area(which is always booming with excitement-they sell fruits, vegetables, meat, etc. every other day, and clothes, furniture, etc. the others, like a flea market). It was my first time walking around the shops in Versailles. Even though it was simple, I loved seeing everything in French. I think that a lot of the american students here take these things for granted...I personally have fallen in love with everything and think everything is amazing, no matter how small it is.
For Christmas break I traveled to Germany to visit my cousin Lisa! She lives in Berlin. It was my favorite trip so far...I had such a wonderful time. After all these years, I finally had a chance to speak German with real German people...and I was surprised how much came back to me! In fact, I remembered pretty much all the German I had learned, which I was very happy for.
The first day in Berlin I went to a beautiful palace(The Schloss Charlottenburg) in the morning. Then I went on a walking tour where I saw the Brandenburg gate, the Reichstag(German parliament building), the Holocaust memorial, the Berlin wall, the book-burning square, and part of Museum Island(where the Berliner Dom is). Then later that night, we had dinner with a German family and I got to speak lots of German! I had a great time.
While I was in Germany I also got to visit Potsdam(just a half an hour train ride from Berlin) and Hamburg(which is three hours away from Berlin). I spent one day in each. Then the last day I spent back in Berlin, walking around and seeing all of the major buildings I hadn't. Berlin is a huge city, with so much to see! I went back to the Berliner Dom, walked to the top, and got a great view of the city. At night I watched a film in German and actually understood a lot. I also enjoyed a lot of the German food-snitzel, various breads, "Gluhwein"(warm red wine with spices), and all the treats from the Christmas markets. There were amazing Christmas markets everywhere in Germany-Lisa and I went to one in Berlin. They are so cool to walk through-with various Christmas gear, toys, ornaments, food, German chocolate, etc. A lot of them also had mini ice rinks-I went ice skating in one in Hamburg. Overall I had a great time-it was an amazing experience. I especially enjoyed speaking German after all these years.
I returned to France shortly before Christmas. I spent Christmas in Paris with a friend...we went to a church service in Notre Dame and then ate at a wonderful cafe where I had crepes for the first time! Despite it being Christmas day, Paris was still booming with excitement and people were everywhere. Lots of restaurants were open.
For the rest of the break I remained in Versailles and went into Paris often. Paris is a vacation in itself-hahaha :) I saw so many things I hadn't before gotten around to doing...I visited the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Centre Pompidou, and various other buildings/monuments. I walked around a lot and got to know my way around the city better. Now I feel that I understand Paris very well and can picture a lot of things in my mind. I also went to a discotheque in Paris with another friend of mine. For new years I saw the eiffel tower light up...they had fireworks go off in the distance.
Another thing I did was walk through the Chateau of Versailles. I had been there before, but only briefly-this time I explored the whole thing. I saw the Hall of Mirrors along with the other beautiful rooms. I absolutely love the interiors of these historic buildings! Outside I walked along the grand canal and saw the petit and grand trianons and the Hameau de la Reine. It was a foggy day but everything still looked amazing. I'm glad I took the time to see everything.
I was absolutely amazing by the french paintings in the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay. I loved everything I saw, but the paintings were my favorite...especially the Impressionist works by Monet, Degas, Renoir, etc. and those by Van Gogh. It was my first time seeing them up close and they were incredible.
So...that is about everything up until now. Tomorrow we go back to class and start our second semester here in France. Woo hoo! I am only half-way through! Already I have done so much and had so many incredible experiences...I can't wait to see what this next semester brings me!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and happy new year!! :)
~Diana
I know it's been a suuuuuuper long time since I've posted...so bear with me as I catch you up on my life!
I went to Barcelona with my friends over Thanksgiving break. I was amazed by the architecture. We saw the Sagrada Familia, the Casa Milla, Parc Guell, among other things...Gaudi is one of my favorite architects, second only to Frank Lloyd Wright. I love how he includes so much color and nature into his designs...he takes ordinary programs for buildings and interprets them in new ways. I would say that his architecture is modern but it is modern in a new kind of way-curvilinear and creative. A lot of the architecture in Barcelona is like this-such a cool city!
We spent an entire day at the Sagrada. I did an analytical sketch on it(which took forever) but it turned out really nice. For those of you who don't know, the Sagrada Familia is a colossal cathedral. I don't remember when it was started, but they are hoping to finish it by 2025. I only hope that I am alive to see it's completion! Gaudi passed away a long time ago, so a lot of the design and the sculpture is not his handiwork, it's an interpretation of what he might have done. The interior was the coolest part-you walk into what looks like a forest of columns, a canopy of palm trees that seems to reach way up to the sky. The stained glass windows are merely holes punched into the thick curving concrete walls, reflecting all the brilliant colors of the rainbow. On the outside there are countless plants, animals, and figures adorning the building...perhaps it represents the notion of "birth" in general(in allusion to the birth of Christ). The four bell towers are shaped like gigantic pine cones. And there are various miniature towers with piles of colorful fruit representing the "fruits of the holy spirit." I think the main idea of the Sagrada is to take the typical program for a church and interpret it in a truly creative, beautiful way. I fell in love with the building.
I spent a lot of time walking around Barcelona and seeing parts of the city. I walked down to the harbor-which was magnificent. One night my friends and I ate out at a restaurant where we had "paella"(a popular spanish dish which consists of rice and seafood or vegetables). It was so good! Another night we came across an outdoor birthday party and danced to spanish pop music-which I really liked.
I also went inside the Casa Milla(Gaudi designed various houses('casas'), this being one of them) and walked up on the roof. The top of the wall curved all around, like a wave surrounding you. Numerous concrete structures rose out of the roof, like an army of cubist stormtroopers walking all around. (That's what they reminded me of!) On one of them Gaudi pasted together bits of broken glass. I thought, if Dr. Suess became an architect, this is what he would design...
All of the architecture in Barcelona was so cool. The first day we got there, it was a clear sunny day and we drove from the airport all throughout the city and got a taste of everything. We came across a really cool cemetery that I will never forget-it was carved into a large hill, the rows of gravestones cut out in multiple levels and weaving throughout the ground. Placed throughout the cemetery were various stone statues and plants, filling the spaces between gravestones. It was like a beautiful jungle...a maze of gravel and green. We kept telling eachother, "Look at that!...Look at that!" There were so many interesting things to see.
When I returned to Versailles we had an "American-French Thanksgiving dinner" with the french kids. The americans cooked the meal and the french brought desserts. It was a lot of fun. The next week we finished our group design project(the one with just americans), which turned out very well. For this project we had to design an art exhibition building for a real site in Paris. This involved going to the site and observing it, and developing all of the necessary floor plans, elevations, details, etc. This year is the first year we've done group projects, and I really like it.
The following weekend I bought Christmas presents for the french kids I live with. It was so much fun! I just walked around the Versailles market area(which is always booming with excitement-they sell fruits, vegetables, meat, etc. every other day, and clothes, furniture, etc. the others, like a flea market). It was my first time walking around the shops in Versailles. Even though it was simple, I loved seeing everything in French. I think that a lot of the american students here take these things for granted...I personally have fallen in love with everything and think everything is amazing, no matter how small it is.
For Christmas break I traveled to Germany to visit my cousin Lisa! She lives in Berlin. It was my favorite trip so far...I had such a wonderful time. After all these years, I finally had a chance to speak German with real German people...and I was surprised how much came back to me! In fact, I remembered pretty much all the German I had learned, which I was very happy for.
The first day in Berlin I went to a beautiful palace(The Schloss Charlottenburg) in the morning. Then I went on a walking tour where I saw the Brandenburg gate, the Reichstag(German parliament building), the Holocaust memorial, the Berlin wall, the book-burning square, and part of Museum Island(where the Berliner Dom is). Then later that night, we had dinner with a German family and I got to speak lots of German! I had a great time.
While I was in Germany I also got to visit Potsdam(just a half an hour train ride from Berlin) and Hamburg(which is three hours away from Berlin). I spent one day in each. Then the last day I spent back in Berlin, walking around and seeing all of the major buildings I hadn't. Berlin is a huge city, with so much to see! I went back to the Berliner Dom, walked to the top, and got a great view of the city. At night I watched a film in German and actually understood a lot. I also enjoyed a lot of the German food-snitzel, various breads, "Gluhwein"(warm red wine with spices), and all the treats from the Christmas markets. There were amazing Christmas markets everywhere in Germany-Lisa and I went to one in Berlin. They are so cool to walk through-with various Christmas gear, toys, ornaments, food, German chocolate, etc. A lot of them also had mini ice rinks-I went ice skating in one in Hamburg. Overall I had a great time-it was an amazing experience. I especially enjoyed speaking German after all these years.
I returned to France shortly before Christmas. I spent Christmas in Paris with a friend...we went to a church service in Notre Dame and then ate at a wonderful cafe where I had crepes for the first time! Despite it being Christmas day, Paris was still booming with excitement and people were everywhere. Lots of restaurants were open.
For the rest of the break I remained in Versailles and went into Paris often. Paris is a vacation in itself-hahaha :) I saw so many things I hadn't before gotten around to doing...I visited the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, Centre Pompidou, and various other buildings/monuments. I walked around a lot and got to know my way around the city better. Now I feel that I understand Paris very well and can picture a lot of things in my mind. I also went to a discotheque in Paris with another friend of mine. For new years I saw the eiffel tower light up...they had fireworks go off in the distance.
Another thing I did was walk through the Chateau of Versailles. I had been there before, but only briefly-this time I explored the whole thing. I saw the Hall of Mirrors along with the other beautiful rooms. I absolutely love the interiors of these historic buildings! Outside I walked along the grand canal and saw the petit and grand trianons and the Hameau de la Reine. It was a foggy day but everything still looked amazing. I'm glad I took the time to see everything.
I was absolutely amazing by the french paintings in the Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay. I loved everything I saw, but the paintings were my favorite...especially the Impressionist works by Monet, Degas, Renoir, etc. and those by Van Gogh. It was my first time seeing them up close and they were incredible.
So...that is about everything up until now. Tomorrow we go back to class and start our second semester here in France. Woo hoo! I am only half-way through! Already I have done so much and had so many incredible experiences...I can't wait to see what this next semester brings me!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and happy new year!! :)
~Diana
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