A trip to Italy…

My mum has always been interested in the architecture of the world, for as long as I can remember. (I suppose it is what influenced my decision to study architecture at university!) Although I found these trips boring when I was younger, I began to appreciate them more as I grew up and now would love to go back to all the places (Rome, Vienna…) that I sat on a bench unappreciative, and unaware, of the outstanding architecture around me.

Recently my family and I have been to various places in Italy. Some of my favourites…

Verona, the birthplace of Leonardo Da Vinci and Catullus, and was Julius Caesar’s choice holiday destination. As well as this, it is also the home of Romeo and Juliet and Juliet’s balcony. Juliet’s most famous line, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” was spoken from the balcony, making it a highly popular place for people to visit and leave letters to loved ones in the hope that they will be answered by Juliet.

Another famous feature in Verona is the Roman theatre, dating back to the late 1^st century BC. These days, only remains of the edifice remain intact but rebuilding has taken place making the theatre seem like it would in the time of the Romans.

 Venice has to be my favourite place in Italy. Full of amazing architecture and built across 117 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon, Venice is like something I have never seen before.  The gondolas and architecture, such as the Rialto Bridge, help to make Venice famous all over the world and add to its character and charm.

The distinct lack of cars is surprising yet enjoyed (I’m not very good at crossing roads, still!) and Venice is definitely a place I would visit again as everything I saw I was amazed by.

St Andrews

I am a BIG fan of St Andrews. Everything about it just makes me happy inside. I know it sounds totally stupid, but, for me, St Andrews is everything a seaside town should be. I have many fond memories of summers in St Andrews as ever since I can remember it has been the holiday destination of choice in my family. With my family owning a holiday home there, it allows me to visit a lot more often than I would if I was still living at home, due to the proximity of Dundee.

Whenever I am feeling down, or just fancy a day away from the calls of work, I take the number 99 bus, across the Tay, through Leuchars, past the Old Course Hotel, and into St Andrews.

The beach is my favourite place to go as it is always quiet and due to its size, deserted. When on the beach the last time I visited, it was very weird for there to be large quantities of frozen sand. (I can only remember snow on the beach once in St Andrews.) As I walk along the East Sands, I pass by the frozen seaweed, as I go through the harbour on my walk into the town. A typical fishing harbour, St Andrews is small and quaint in its boats. I walk over the wobbly bridge to cross the water, and I see the swans. It was too late in the year to see signets (or ‘swanlets’ as my Dad insists on calling them) but I don’t remember a spring where there has not been any signets; St Andrews must be the ‘place to be’ for swans.

To get from the harbour into the town, the massive hill must be tackled (always on foot from now on after a nasty incident involving a bike, a bollard and a very broken wrist) and once at the top of the hill, the views are spectacular. I chose to walk through the cemetery, as even though the are often portrayed as scary and sad places, this one seems to be more of a historical attraction than anything else. The shadow that the old cathedral walls cast create a highly atmospheric cemetery, but beautiful all the same. As I reach my destination of Janetta’s (the amazing 52 flavour ice cream shop) there are so many things that I know I just wouldn’t see anywhere other that St Andrews.

Although I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life in St Andrews, due to its distinct lack of night life, or large quantities of life at all, I always enjoy my time in St Andrews. Whether it be relaxing in front of the fire away from the cold winds, watching the dolphins play with each other in the summer, or tackling a foreigner for the last bottle of lemonade in Tesco at the time of the Open, St Andrews always presents a quirk that catches my eye and remains in my head forever. 

Home...

Whenever I say that I am from Houston, usually people turn their heads as if to say "where on earth is that", so to avoid confusion and a long explanation of where it is, I usually say that I am from Glasgow. As it is near to where I live, and in my opinion the best city in Scotland, I like calling it 'home'. 

It's been a long time since I have been home and I have to say, I do miss it remarkably, and greatly look forward to returning after the term is finished. As it is only a short (one hour, twenty minutes) train ride away I am forever tempted to just go back and visit for the day, but the amount of work rolling up is a severely discouraging factor in my number of visits.

One of my favourite places in Glasgow has to be the Kibble Palace in the Botanic Gardens. Its sheer architectural nature is amazing and I think it is one of the reasons I decided to do architecture at University. The detailing and beauty of the Palace is surprising as most people would just see it as ‘another greenhouse’ but I looked closer when visiting earlier in the year…

Another place in Glasgow I find highly inspiring is the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, which opened in 1901. Built in a Spanish Baroque style, Kelvingrove is one of the busiest attractions in Glasgow and its sheer size hides the amount of people within the Museum at the one time. As a child I remember the stress and panic I used to have whenever I lost my Mum and sisters, but over time we devised a plan to always meet at my then favourite piece in the museum, the lit up Elvis statue, if we ever got separated. More recently, after refurbishment, I feel that the Museum has lost some of its previous charm and things I used to love about it. For instance, there used to be something I always thought was magic, but it was a light projector that, whenever you pressed the button, held your reflection on the screen for a short time and this kept me and my sisters amused for hours whenever my Mum went to look at the ‘boring paintings’.

As I have grown older, I have learnt to appreciate the smaller things, such as the checkerboard floor, Art Deco detailing and the heavy wooden doors, as well as the vast range of art and artifacts they have on display throughout the Museum.

So, I am counting down the days until I can go home (just now it is at 15 yay!) to relax, sleep in my own bed and get my dinner made for me. As I am becoming increasingly homesick, I feel that a month at home will do me some good. 

St John's College, Cambridge

Exactly one month after I started here, at Dundee University, my twin sister, Louise, began her 4 years at St John’s College, Cambridge.  Before her acceptance into the College, I accompanied her on her visit for the open day in March.

I don’t know what I was expecting when I visited St John’s, as I had never been to Cambridge before, but when I arrived the sheer amount of notable architecture was extraordinary.  As I walked through the main gate of the College, I was taken aback at how grand the whole place was, and the range in different styles of architecture, and materials used throughout the College. The downside of studying in a place like Cambridge is that there are so many rules I am not used to: I was told off for walking across the grass, but I imagine the aesthetics of the college are one of the main attractions for applicants.

The columns and stairways are all different, and ancient, with the main building of St John’s, the Main Gate, being built in 1516. The total presentation of St John’s College is immaculate with every blade of grass neatly trimmed, every flower alive and upright, and every tree weirdly symmetrical.

With a Michelin starred chef at Louise’s beck and call, she is bound to be shocked by a typical student life when she comes to visit me, surviving on pasta, beans and toast and take-away pizza. Her accommodation is similar to Dundee’s, situated at the far end of the College, about half a miles walk from the main entrance gate in the centre of Cambridge. The Cripps Building was built in 1966, and is considered an exemplar of late 20th-century architectural style. Although I think it is perhaps the least beautiful of all the St John’s buildings, I understand why it was believed to be a successful design. There is a definite 1960s theme to the building with its  large rectangular windows over looking the courtyard and river, its paneled wooden walls and its concrete cantilevered stairs.

The Bridge of Sighs, a bridge allowing crossing over the Cam River, is a key feature in the make-up of St John’s College, as it allows direct crossing from one building, the Third Court building, to another, the New Court building.  A past time of the ‘Johnians’ (I still can’t believe there is an actual name for someone that goes here…) is to go punting along the Cam, and from what I hear it is a lot more difficult than it looks, and Louise gained a few more bruises than before she left the safety of dry land.

Although Cambridge, and the College itself, are beautiful places, I do feel that you would be somewhat looked down upon by fellow students as many of them have come from Eton and the likes, and I wouldn’t enjoy that. What I enjoy about Dundee is that everyone is treated the same by both staff and students, and there is no demand to be someone you are not.  I have also been hearing that it’s been raining a lot more in Cambridge than Dundee, there’s a change!!

'Let's hear it for New York...'

With the ridiculous hour I had to get up at in order to get to the airport in time for my flight, I was 100% sure my sleep deprivation would be worth it. Even as a seasoned traveller, I was impatient on the seven hour flight to New York. The excitement of visiting a place for the first time was upon me and I was desperate to get off the plane and explore. Seven hours later I arrived in New York City with my family, and to the winter snow. 

Coming from Scotland, I was used to the cold temperatures and had come prepared with my hat, scarf and gloves; the snow made my experience of New York so much more exciting.

Driving down Park Avenue, peering out of the stereotypical yellow taxi, I was able to see a number of famous places I have only ever seen in films and photographs, as well as seeing the iconic places seen on postcards and on posters.

Grand Central Station

The MET 

Seeing New York at night was incredible. It was amazing to witness the change in the buildings, as well as the change in the people. With the buildings disappearing in the dark, lights would illuminate all the details of the buildings that are often hidden in the light. When seeing the details the illumination of the buildings showed, I was able to see the change in the city from the daytime to the nighttime with the most noticeable difference being in the Empire State Building and its patriotic red, white and blue lights. 

New York lit up, Chrysler Building

Visiting architectural monuments such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim Museum, and William Van Alen’s Chrysler Building, I was able to see the important part New York City plays in the development of the modern world.

Overall, my visit to New York was a very exciting one, the “lights inspired me” and I am looking forward to visiting again to explore further and see the numerous things i was unable to get to on my first visit!