The Block of Discord
The following story is my attempt at being clever, as I merge history, art history, myth, and nicknames all into one.
The following story is my attempt at being clever, as I merge history, art history, myth, and nicknames all into one.
It was a last minute decision, but on Monday, June 22, I bought my tickets to visit my Tita Cristi and Tito Curro in Alicante for el dia de San Juan. I had only heard about this crazy festival in passing: bonfires, effigies, fun! And why waste a perfectly good day off from class sleeping in my residencia when I could witness the festivities first hand, in the city most known for the celebration!?!? § Read the rest of this entry…
*I acknowledge that the job descriptions of builders and architects differ, but for the sake of alliteration…
The Melon District Marina Residencia is located near the 22@ District, near two main streets – Glories and Diagonal. The reason I mention this is because one of the first things that everyone on my study abroad trip noticed about Barcelona was a neighboring tower, about a 15 minute walk away from us, nicknamed “The Dildo” or “The Penis.” I didn’t make the phallic connection, but I recognized it as being similar to London’s Gherkin. In reality, this tower is named Torre Agbar and was designed by a famous architect named Nouvel between the years 1999 and 2004. § Read the rest of this entry…
One of the main attractions and pulls to Barcelona tourism is the immense amount of Gaudi architecture and design in the city. Perhaps the most well known example is La Sagrada Familia, a church dedicated to the Sacred Family. Four years ago, visiting the Catalonian capital with my mother and siblings, we stopped by the immense project, walking around all four facades and reading from our photocopied tour book about the main elements of the massive undertaking. We didn’t dare to go inside, however, due to the snaking line around the block. Luckily, being part of a school group helps to shorten the wait, and this time, four years later, I was able to skip the line and walk straight in the East Facade. § Read the rest of this entry…
Today was my first content-filled day of class – The Arts of the City. I am very proud to say I am the only Art History major in the room, so I feel very knowledgeable and ready to help those in need! The course starts off with the beginnings of the city of Barcelona. We learned the basics, and then our professor, Judith Urbano, took us out into the streets to experience for ourselves! § Read the rest of this entry…
Anyone who has spoken to me throughout the Spring 2015 semester was familiar with me complaining that I was clueless as to what I was going to do this summer. I had applied to countless internships in both New York City and Washington, D.C., and as my fallback plan, signed up for Macaulay Honors College’s first ever study abroad program to Barcelona, Spain! Well, you guessed it – I’m here! § Read the rest of this entry…