Category Architecture
Paris and Poissy
I came over on the Eurostar yesterday for some meetings in our Paris office. Natch all the public transit was on strike so no one came to the office. But I’m not one to complain about a quiet afternoon in the City of Light. After work my friend and colleague Chloe invited me to join […]
Leaving Madrid
Two days of meetings done. Little seen of the city but good connections renewed and the deliciousness of salmorejo discovered. Now back to London — but first a couple hours at the airport due to a delayed flight.
The streets of Cordoba
I didn’t think to check the opening times of the cathedral-mosque in advance — and since today is Sunday and it’s an active place of worship, I found myself with a little over 5 hours to kill between the Alcázar and when the cathedral-mosque reopened. Turns out there’s not all that much to do in […]
Cordoba
Here’s some advice for future travelers: do Cordoba first, then Sevilla. It will be easier to appreciate Cordoba’s charms when not comparing to Sevilla’s. Cordoba has an Alcázar. The palace is mostly ruined and nothing special. The gardens are wonderful, full of the noise of playing fountains and the intoxicating scent of jasmine. Not far […]
La catedral de Sevilla
In terms of volume, it’s the largest cathedral in the world (beating out the Hagia Sofia after a thousand years in the top spot) and third largest church (after Saint Peter’s in Rome and some other church I hadn’t heard of until I read about it on Wikipedia). Noteworthy, I’m sure, but to be honest, […]
El Alcazar
I think Islamic architecture may be my spirit animal. It just speaks to me in ways that nothing else does. The patterns and colours and elegant shapes laid out symmetrically and with water everywhere. It feels both maximalist and minimalist at the same time. Balanced and beautiful. That’s what’s behind the walls of the Real […]
Seville!
Praised be that I had the foresight a few weeks ago to tack on a weekend in Spain ahead of some meetings in Madrid on Monday. After one of the crappiest weeks in recent history at work, I need a mini break (and this just after a 4-day weekend in Ireland!). I left London a […]
I did not kiss the Blarney Stone
As an expat in Europe, few things betray my North Americanness more than (1) not taking an extended vacation in August, and (2) castles. I can’t seem to get over either of them. Hence my one-day August holiday to visit Irish castles… Today’s destination: Blarney Castle, just outside Cork. It’s one of the better examples […]
Cashel & Cork
It’s the August Bank Holiday weekend and I need a break. I’ve been meaning to come back to Ireland since my first short trip left me wanting more, so this was my chance. I took the day off work and caught an early flight to Dublin, hired a car at the airport and set off […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 