Brett in Europe

Rome - Colosseum

2009-08-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Rome - Piazza Venezia

2009-08-05T21:46:00.000-07:00

Rome - Spanish steps

2009-08-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

Rome - san Carlo alle quattro fontane

2009-08-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

Rome - Inside the Pantheon

2009-08-05T21:39:00.000-07:00

Rome - Dome at St. Peter's

2009-08-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

Rome - Line for St. Peter's

2009-08-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Florence - view from Michaelangelo's Pavilion

2009-08-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

Florence - Santa Maria Novella

2009-08-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

Florence - Duomo

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Florence - Duomo

2009-08-05T21:25:00.000-07:00

Florence - Basilica of Santa Croce

2009-07-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

Genova

2009-07-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

Genova - university

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Genova - tucked away old church

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Genova - hidden courtyard

2009-07-08T19:50:00.000-07:00

Milan - Duomo

2009-07-08T19:39:00.000-07:00

Milan - galleria

2009-07-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

Milan - neat old building

2009-07-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

Southern Switzerland - walking through Maroggia

2009-07-08T19:14:00.000-07:00

Southern Switzerland - leaving Lugano

2009-07-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

Lugano - between the buildings

2009-07-08T18:59:00.000-07:00

Lugano - Lake Lugano

2009-07-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

Lugano

2009-07-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

Airolo

2009-07-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

Airolo - over the roof tops

2009-07-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Airolo - cool spring water

2009-07-06T10:15:00.000-07:00

Airolo - downtown

2009-07-06T10:12:00.000-07:00

Central Switzerland - village in the valley

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Central Switzerland - through the mountains

2009-07-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

Central Switzerland - leaving Luzern

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Luzern - pretty backdrop

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Luzern - pretty pose

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Luzern - Altstadt

2009-06-20T20:18:00.000-07:00

Northern Switzerland - somewhere near Luzern

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Northern Switzerland - somewhere near Aarau

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Northern Switzerland - town of Aarau

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Northern Switzerland - town of Anwil

2009-06-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

Basel - my overstuffed bicycle

2009-06-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

Basel - Herzog and de Meuron's apartment building

2009-06-20T19:49:00.000-07:00

Basel - Herzog and de Meuron's signal box

2009-06-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

Basel - Altstadt

2009-06-20T19:30:00.000-07:00

Weil am Rhein

2009-06-20T19:29:00.002-07:00

Weil am Rhein is a little city on the German corner of the Swiss-French-German border. It contains many contemporary architectural gems owned by Vitra, a world-renowned designer furniture company. They include masterworks of Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando, Nicholas Grimmshaw, and Alvaro Siza. I forked over some money for the museum admission and to go on a walking tour through the buildings. It was so worth it! The buildings were everything but boring and the museum had a great feature exhibit on American artist and designer George Nelson. I was totally feeling the vibes of artistic expression and wasn't about to let it end. I flipped through my architectural book on Basel, which was given to me by a coworker, and found there was another building by Zaha Hadid just a bus ride away from the Vitra Museum. After greeting some people I recognized from the hostel, I invited the two strangers to come with me. When we arrived at our destination stop, we saw nothing but an empty parking lot. No building. No signage. No nothin. In a second wave of panic, I noticed something else was missing. No camera! My day of intellectual delight had instantly turned into a frustrating scavenger hunt and I dragged these two poor souls with me! First thing's first. I didn't want to bring these people there for nothing. I decided to trust my gut and lead them through the empty parking lot, hoping for something beyond. We found a pretty lame park with a pretty lame map, then eventually the pretty lame building (must have been maintained by public funds). Our mission was a half-success and one of the strangers said she'd email her pictures to me. As we made our way back to the bus stop, I couldn't think of anything but my camera, my first and only camera for six years...

No way!!! I am so lucky! I thought my camera was gone! I was already grieving the loss of those beautiful pictures of southern Germany, the interesting buildings I saw, the documented memories of my trip! I can't believe the SAME, EXACT bus driver came back on his route with my camera in his hand! I owe it all to the honest people on bus route 55.

Weil am Rhein - George Nelson's spatial model

2009-06-20T19:29:00.001-07:00

Weil am Rhein - Frank Gehry's Vitra museum

2009-06-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

Weil am Rhein - Zaha Hadid's firehouse

2009-06-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

Weil am Rhein - Zaha Hadid's firehouse

2009-06-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

Weil am Rhein - Tadao Ando's conference pavilion

2009-06-20T19:22:00.000-07:00

Weil am Rhein - Tadao Ando's conference pavilion

2009-06-20T19:21:00.000-07:00

Freiburg

2009-06-20T08:34:00.000-07:00

Up on the observation tower, I can see where I'm heading. To the south, beyond the immediate hills speckled with dark green evergreens, which characterize the "Black Forest," are taller hazy gray mountains with speckled white peaks. Although the view is amazing and the high altitude breeze is refreshing, I can't help but feel the soreness in my shoulders from wearing my stuffed backpack not designed for hiking. The sight of the distant mountains resembles my goal and my obstacle. Still, I can exhale because I'll be in the city of Basel by tonight and have two days to relax there.

Back down in the city, the Altstadt of Freiburg is not very impressive (I can be sort of a snob on European cities by now, right?). Many of the streets are too restricting for pedestrians: they wind around with few connecting alleys, 4-story buildings tower over you on either side, trolley tracks run down the center, making crossing difficult, and there are very few places to sit, even in the occasional plaza. The area near the university is sort of hip and I found a cheap Turkish cafe where they had all-I-could-drink black tea for 50 cents. Surrounding the city center are quite neighborhoods with nice, old houses and churches. Here is where you see the reputable private gardens and fancy balconies of Freiburg. I also had a sense that it's quite ritzy and conservative. Freiburg also has a reputation of being on the forefront of solar technology in buildings but the evidence of that must have been further on the outskirts.

Freiburg - the Freiburger Münster cathedral

2009-06-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Freiburg - the Freiburger Münster cathedral

2009-06-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Freiburg - the Freiburger Münster cathedral

2009-06-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Freiburg - from the observation tower

2009-06-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Freiburg - typical street in the "Altstadt"

2009-06-19T11:13:00.000-07:00

Heidelberg

2009-06-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

First, I have to give a shout-out to the Weber family, whom I've stayed with on three separate occasions: first time was in High School through our exchange program, second time was last winter, and the third time was right before I headed off to Heidelberg. Each time they've really spoiled me with food, company, and lots of fun activities. My German "brother" Steffen took me around town, introduced me to some friends, and challenged me to darts and pool, which I was longing to play. I know I'll see him again but I think the visits will now be few and far between.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Ahhhh, on the road again. I think I'm sort of addicted to the taste. As difficult as it was to say goodbye to my German friends, I could still sense that I have some exciting travels ahead of me. I really enjoy being on the trail, wandering around cities, through nature, going on foot. I know at some point I would like to have a travel companion, but at the moment, I enjoy the peace. Plus, I totally feel like I'm on vacation: just letting my mind float instead of straining it over how to detail a door jamb for a motorized glass sliding door, framed by a concrete wall on one side, an elegant glass facade on the other, and a big slanted concrete outrigger above with a curved drop ceiling butting into it.

Still, the trip didn't really start off that nice: my ride to Heidelberg was 20 minutes late (the stereotype of German punctuality is totally not true!) and the hostel I looked up didn't exist so I had to walk 5 kilometers to the International Youth Hostel, which requires the membership card I left in Frankfurt. So, after checking in late at night and paying an extra 10 Euro, I sneaked into my bunk to a chorus of loud snores. I couldn't wait until the sun came up, so I could snap out of my restless sleep.

It's a beautiful morning in Heidelberg. The university-clinic is really nice and quiet with pristine, modern buildings; perfect for jogging and biking. A walking path leads me along the river straight to the East with the sun hanging low in front of me. My destination is the castle, which sits nestled in the shadowed hill 7 kilometers away. I remember bitterly how I arrived at dusk, missing out on the ideal evening sun for photographing the castle. However, as I overcome the steep hill and reach its plateau, satisfaction sets in when I see its peaceful remains set in front of a panoramic backdrop. There is not another person in sight until the church bells ring at 10am and groups of white-haired people come pouring in.

I'm now under the awning of a coffee shop taking refuge from the throngs of tourists in the mid-afternoon. The vibe is actually pretty good because there are no business people pushing their way through the pedestrian traffic like in bigger cities, rather the students occupy the daily activities of the "Altstadt." The university is tied into the old part of town and I even see a study group outside of a huge baroque church. I've seen the same thing in Marburg and I would imagine there are more examples in a lot of the old, smaller cities in Germany. Immediately after WW2, West Germany was developing business districts outside of the restricting medieval city centers with wider street grids based on the American model of city planning. As a cause of this movement, many of the old downtown buildings went vacant. Because power was shifting so rapidly in West Germany and there was such a big American presence, they didn't need a lot of old government buildings either, especially in the smaller cities like Marburg or Heidelberg. These bigger buildings were ideal for university classrooms, and the big old mansions people couldn't afford were often used as dormitories. This is how a lot of these university towns came about.

The "Altstadt" buildings aren't very impressive but these old structures keep their charm with the compliment of cobblestone and decorative signs and street lamps. I definitely recommend finding a tavern with the home-brewed Heidelberger beer. It's light, crisp, and made from their very own spring water; very yummy. The nicer houses are more on the outskirts of the "Altstadt". Many of them run along the old castle wall and have great views of the city (outdoor balconies and terraces are awesome, period). If you don't like making your home accessible and open to the outdoors, you would not want to hire me as your architect.

Heidelberg - bikes at the train station

2009-06-15T20:12:00.001-07:00

Heidelberg - Print Media Academy

2009-06-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

Heidelberg - Peterskirche

2009-06-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

Heidelberg - bridge to the Altstadt

2009-06-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

Heidelberg - view of castle and city

2009-06-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

Heidelberg - view from castle

2009-06-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

Frankfurt and Wine Region Tour

2009-06-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

My last day in Düsseldorf was a bit hectic. I planned a farewell brunch for those who wanted to give one last "goodbye" before going on my last European adventure. I picked out a local tavern called "Locos" down the street from my colleague's place (where I was residing for the last week, so I wouldn't have to pay for the whole month of April at my old place, when I would only be there one week in April). I scoped the tavern out the day before and it seemed pretty comfy with outdoor seating, as well as convenient location and good signage on the corner of an intersection. However, my colleague Thomas and I arrived before 11am to find it opposite of comfy: too chilly to sit outside, menu overpriced, waitress kinda rude, acoustical nightmare with hardwood surfaces, furniture, and tall ceilings, complimented with a screeching espresso machine and a chattering triad of young moms. With this and the fact that we only had two other confirmed guests, we decided to relocate to Thomas' cozy apartment and make our own brunch.

After the amazing meal fresh from the bakery, I left my good friends and fellow colleagues Thomas and Martin, while Soo Jin helped carry some bags to the train station. My destination was Franfurt and the transportation involved meeting a complete stranger who had some kind of train pass, while trusting it would be valid enough to get me to Frankfurt. I wished this situation worked out the way I originally planned: search online for a driver to Frankfurt, set up a time to meet, pay $15, ride comfortably on the Autobahn. However, the deal changed and I had to brave the German Rail System. So, the officials made everyone switch trains TWICE on a nonstop ride for reasons unknown, then the pony-tailed man dressed in nothing but black with the train pass needed to exit the train one stop early, also for reasons unknown. Luckily, my good friend Cathy was willing to come the extra distance to pick me up.

Luggage and all, we spent some time looking at the very flashy and spacious new shopping center by Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas. Besides being jealous of his cool name, I was also pretty impressed with his building: twisting envelope of glass, floating terraces and escalators, painted spotlights on the floor, and comfortably detailed handrails. It was generous to the public, offering plenty space to walk around, relax and shop. The conditions suited Cathy and I for a while until our stomachs demanded some food. We treated ourselves to some traditional Hessen food and apple wine at a tavern in the old town of Frankfurt. It was quite enjoyable.

The next day, we toured various towns around Frankfurt in the wine region, famous for Riesling. The "Kloster Eberbach" was the most fascinating visit for me: a beautiful cloister from the Middle Ages with additions built on top of each other, marking different stages of history. The pictures speak well for themselves, but seeing those old wine presses up close was really impressive. There was also a collection of artwork, sculpture and scripts made in the cloister. Unfortunately, they stopped giving out samples of the wine.

Frankfurt - Zeil Shopping Center

2009-06-05T16:55:00.000-07:00

Frankfurt - Zeil Shopping Center

2009-06-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

Frankfurt - Zeil Shopping Center

2009-06-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

Kloster Eberbach - Alter of the Church

2009-06-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

Kloster Eberbach - Aisle of the Church

2009-06-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

Kloster Eberbach - Wine Press

2009-06-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Kloster Eberbach - Wine Cellar

2009-06-05T14:35:00.000-07:00

Frankfurt - Kloster Eberbach in Eltville am Rhein

2009-06-05T14:32:00.000-07:00

Frankfurt - Kurfürstliche Burg in Eltville am Rhein

2009-06-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

Frankfurt - Schloss Vollrads in Oestrich-Winkel

2009-06-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

Frankfurt - "100 water house" in Bad Soden am Taunus

2009-06-05T13:58:00.000-07:00

East Germany Tour

2009-06-04T13:24:00.001-07:00

My two colleagues and I begin early Saturday morning. Ralph is the driver, the tour guide and the expert who grew-up in Dessau and studied in Berlin. Soo Jin and I, the two foreigners, are in the car excited to see both cities of Dessau and Berlin. Traffic isn't too bad so Ralph takes us through a slight surprise detour. We arrive at the very old city of Quedlinburg to see the second oldest church in Germany, the church of Saint Servatius, built around 1000. Ralph shares his vast knowledge of history, pointing out the meaning of stone carvings and many other treasures in the building. It is especially interesting in that it came about at the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire, so it wasn't as decadent and out-right "Christian-looking" as the later Gothic churches.

After a coffee break, we hit the road again to Berlin. Our timing to make it to the play at the "Deutsches Theater Berlin" is pretty good. We have time for a sushi dinner as well as some review of Greek tragedies, in order to prep for the upcoming piece, "Euripides Medea." This education is much appreciated because without it, I would be so lost during the play. The dialog is plentiful and in German, while the action is seldom with interpretive modern stage design. Still, I'm on the edge of my seat getting my fill of devilish plots, jealousy, betrayal, and cruelty, until the actors take their bows. Afterwards, we hit up an artsy bar for beer and reflection.

The next day we move quickly because Ralph has more in store for us. At my request we hit up a building I learned about in architectural history class called the AEG Turbine Hall by Peter Behrens. It was built in 1910 before the movement of Modern architecture (and art) really took hold. The basic ideas were about repetition, lots of glass, and the aesthetic indication of its building type: a factory (notice how the front facade is shaped like a machine bolt). Afterwards, Ralph takes us to his recommended exhibitions in the Old Museum and the Pergamon Museum. An intricate bust of Queen Nefertiti sculpted in 1340 BC Egypt resides in the first, while the giant Pergamon Alter from 170 BC Greece is taking up an entire room in the second.

We only have a Sunday afternoon left to see the city of Dessau, home of the Bauhaus School. Because it is considered the birthplace of Western Modern Architecture, I know a good deal about it through text books, likes its state-of-the-art glass curtain wall, heating system, and the ergonomic detailing of furniture, doors, windows, handrails, etc. It was and still is a school of theory and practice. Almost everything there was designed and built by professors and students; it's original principle is "form follows function", not "form follows tradition." The Bauhaus is home to many influential architects and artists and has survived its share of wars and negligence. Although these innovative designers did not make the building bomb-proof or even very water-proof, it still stands as a great example of Architecture with a capital "A."

Quedlinburg - church of St. Servatius

2009-06-03T10:37:00.000-07:00

Quedlinburg - church of St. Servatius

2009-06-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

Quedlinburg - Soo Jin and I on castle hill

2009-06-03T10:15:00.000-07:00

Berlin - Euripides Medea at Deutsches Theater

2009-06-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

Berlin - Frieze at Pergamon Museum

2009-06-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

Berlin - AEG Turbine Hall

2009-06-03T09:20:00.000-07:00

Dessau - Bauhaus

2009-06-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Dessau - Klee House

2009-06-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

Goodbye Dinner

2009-06-03T08:39:00.000-07:00

zu Hause

2009-04-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

Eine kurze Nachricht für meine deutsche Freunde:

Ich bin schon eine Woche zu Hause und habe noch nicht meine Photos meiner Reise hochgeladet! Das ist echt unglaublich, oder? Tut mir Leid aber ich brauche eure Geduld als ich durch die Photos gucke und organisiere inzwischen Zeit mit meiner Familie. Bis nächstes Mal! Tschüs!

Last days in Italy

2009-04-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

Rome is like Disney World - so much to see and so many people fighting to get their pictures taken in front of stuff. Tonight will be my last night here and it also happens to be Rome's birthday! I'll get to see fireworks and hopefully take part in some fun festivities. Tomorrow I fly to Frankfurt then the day after that I'll be home! I can't wait!

Made it to Italy!

2009-04-16T04:23:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone, just a quick note to say I made it to Milan but I couldn't do it all by bike. In fact, I only made it about 1/3rd of the way through Switzerland on two wheels, ha ha. But that's a story for next time. Gotta keep truckin! Later!

Ready for Take-off!

2009-04-11T21:52:00.000-07:00

I have my bike, maps, sleeping bag, rain cover, emergency blanket, food, water, and a beard. Unfortunately, the Swiss have different outlets than the Germans so I also have a dead cell phone. Oh well, I don't think I'll need it. Just a few more minutes and I can eat my complimentary breakfast at the YMCA hostel in Basel (which is really nice for a hostel, by the way) then I can hit the road. My goal is to at least make it to Luzern today because the way is pretty flat. It isn't until about 3/4 through Switzerland where the grade gets a little tough.

Happy Easter!

Biking through the Alps

2009-03-19T15:36:00.000-07:00

For months I've been struggling with a tough question: what should I do for my two week Euro-vacation before I come back home? Should I do something relaxing? Should I try to see as many cities as possible? Should I do something crazy? Oh, the stress! Please feel sorry for me! Most of my focus has been to head south because I've been to all the other surrounding countries already, besides Poland (Nothing against Poland, just didn't make there, that's all). So I sketched map after map, connecting dots from Frankfurt to Rome, hitting up the likes of Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Baden-Baden, Freiburg, Basel, Luzern, Lake Como, Torino, Riomaggiore, and Florence on the way. My main obstacle was Switzerland. It seems they have some kind of mountainous terrain making travel and tourism twice as expensive. I almost gave up and started looking for flights straight to Italy, but alas, a light bulb blinked on in my head: "combine your new found love for cycling, adventurous spirit, and your desire to see all those pretty places you saw on the internet, and take them to the next level!", said the talking light bulb. So I said, "yes!" then found this website and started digging for info. There are so many opportunities to see the Swiss landscape with a wide range of difficulties. I could even make it comfortably from Basel to Lugano in 8 days, which is basically going from the southern tip of Germany to the northern tip of Italy. Looks pretty cool to me!

Bicycle, bicycle!

2009-03-14T11:46:00.001-07:00

I want to ride my bicycle,
I want to ride my bike.
I want to ride my bicycle,
I want to ride it where I like...

Sorry, can't take credit for this lyrical genius, but I can still hum it in my head while riding my bicycle. Even after suffering a broken wrist, two randomly deflated tires, a busted head light, cold weather, rain, snow, and sleet, there's nothing like getting around town on two wheels powered by your own two legs. Now that the days are getting longer, I can even enjoy a little sunlight to and from work as well. In the morning I head west with the bright low sun behind me illuminating my path. In the evening, assuming I'm not working well into the night, I head back east with the dull yet warm sun painting the hard city with a shade of gold. As I ride, I think of the soft tires gripping the pavement, tearing away the rubbery grooves with every peddle. The image just makes me push faster as if the rotational force can lift me off the ground to spare my tires from friction. Oh, and to give you a better picture, this is a girl's bike with a basket in the front... ding, ding! Make way, pedestrians! Gotta get my groceries! Why do you never see me coming when crossing the street? It's like you only rely on your sense of hearing to determine the presence of a vehicle. Look both ways before you cross, you'll be amazed at what you see! Still, I will get to where I'm going, weaving swiftly through the streets, from point A to point B quicker than a car. I can dismount and lock up before the driver even finds a parking spot. The only disadvantage is that I lose the wind that was taking care of my perspiration, and my skin begins collecting the sweat from my overheated body.

Still worth the ride.

Hamburg - city of boats,

2009-03-08T16:09:00.001-07:00

... construction

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...and good food, yum

2009-03-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Hamburg - fish market

2009-03-08T16:04:00.000-07:00

Hamburg - rabbits and chickens for sale

2009-03-08T16:03:00.002-07:00

Hamburg - canals

2009-03-08T16:03:00.001-07:00

Hamburg - canals

2009-03-08T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hamburg - canals

2009-03-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

Hamburg - subway station

2009-03-08T15:59:00.002-07:00

Hamburg - city hall

2009-03-08T15:57:00.000-07:00