Only two and a half weeks left....

Well, I have not blogged in awhile, but I have been quite busy traveling and working on projects. I went to Rome with my class for 5 days and we saw everything from the Colloseum to the Roman ruins to the Italian Fascist Architecture to modern Zaha Hadid buildings. I went to the Vatican, toured the Vatican museum, saw the enourmous Pantheon, threw 3 coins into the Trevi Fountain, walked up and down the Spanish Steps, walked through the Piazza del Popolo, toured the Villa d'Este just outside Rome, and also walked through the 1960's Olympics arenas. Also, we toured the Auditorium Parco della Musica by Renzo Piano. We were able to see so many different things while we were there and actually our Professor, Professor Cappelari grew up in Rome and therefore knows the city better than any American professor could. That trip ended on Friday, October 16 and from there I flew to Madrid, Spain.

The Pantheon

Inside St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican


The Vatican

"The Square Collesuem"

The Piazza del Popolo

The Spanish Steps

The Trevi Fountain

The ruins in the Roman Forum

Ruins

The Colloseum

Professor Hasse and his wife in the Gardens of the Villa d'Este

Me and TJ at the Villa d'Este

The Villa d'Este

The Olympic Stadium behind the old track

The Maxxi by Zaha Hadid

Auditorium Parco della Musica by Renzo Piano

Ara Pacis Museum by Richard Meier

San Giovanni

MADRID, SPAIN

I stayed in Madrid for 3 full days, and while I was there I ate some interesting Spanish food, and drank a lot of Starbuck's coffee. I visted several museums and exhibits including the Caixa Forum (designed by Herzog & de Meuron), the Reina Sofia (designed by Jean Nouvel), and the Prado Museum (with an addition designed by Rafael Maneo). I also visited a street on the outskirts of the city referred to as Eco Boulevard. There are many social housing buildings designed by conteporary architects. The middle of the boulvard contains a median of sorts that has 3 different "buildings" that are spread apart. Below is an image of me swinging below one of the "buildings". Each "building" is slightly different, but all contain solar panels. The only function of these buildings is to create a social space for the residents of the surrounding apartments. The solar panels are purely used to supply power to the lights that illuminate the "buildings" at night. Also, I did not know that Spain is known for its ham, so I ate dinner at "the Ham Museum", tha name of the restaurant, and it was delicious. After spending 3 days in Madrid, I flew to Berlin, Germany.

Swinging under a building on Eco Boulevard

Eco Boulevard

The Ham Museum

The Prado Museum

Santa Maria Church

BERLIN, GERMANY

Berlin was much colder than was Madrid. I bought a hat and gloves the first day I was there because I decided I wouldn't make it through the rest of the trip with out them; it was cold!! The first place I visited in Berlin was the Jewish Museum (designed by Daniel Leibskind). After the museum, I walked around much of Berlin. I saw some of the remaining Berlin Wall and also Checkpoint Charlie, which was an American checkpoint at an entry of the wall. Also, I saw the Holocaust Memorial designed by Peter Eisenman. I also ate a lot of Bratwurst and found out that curry and currywurst is my new favorite food.

The Jewish Museum by Daniel Leibskind

A reminder of where the Berlin wall once stood

The Berlin wall today

The Holocaust Memorial be Peter Eisenman

" The Brandenburg Tor"