Tag: architecture

November 24, 2018

Valencia, Bilbao & Mallorca

The case for traveling for one thing and one thing only An old lady and a dog, a businessman with a briefcase around his chest, and a mother with her son walk into a bar. This is not the set-up to an epic joke, just some observations I made while in the Café Bar Bilbao for breakfast. It’s one of the most popular local bars in the city. Each of those characters was greeted warmly by the waitstaff and pointed to a table full of carefully selected food. Their order. Likely the order that they’ve asked for years. I envision ...

November 16, 2017

Miami

Remember when we used to pass notes in grade school? We sketched our best friend’s name or I love so and so or acronyms for every new and made up phrase (lylas, ttyl, bffe) all over sheets of blue-lined notebook paper, folded it into some indistinct shape and passed it from desk to desk hoping not to get caught by Mr. Smith. We’d communicate in style, glitter pens on paper in bubbled or graffiti letters, saying just as much with the fonts we created than with the words themselves. It’s a lost art. A friend of mine who teaches middle ...

November 7, 2017

Prague

Prague wasn’t my idea. It was Veronica who first suggested the Eastern European city when we agreed on a trip to Amsterdam after I raved about my first visit in the fall of 2016. We had a bunch of recommendations from friends, family, and our Airbnb host, but the ultimate plans lay in the hands of the infamous Google Doc. Y’all are familiar with it. It’s that printed out document that includes the itinerary planned down to the minute. If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you’re probably not the Type A planner to build one out or even ...

September 12, 2017

Bogotá

When in Bogotá I made the mistake of staying in La Candelaria. Don’t get me wrong, the location is perfect for touring as it sits in the cultural center containing all of the main attractions and museums. I was torn between whether or not to stay there initially and read a number of articles to help me make my decision, including this one comparing the difference in nightlife between the city center and northern neighborhoods. My mistake was actually rooted in a poor order of priorities: did I want to stay close to the center of the action, backpackers, and museums ...

December 18, 2016

Barcelona

Barcelona was a cosmopolitan city with a mixture of people from all over the world. I was so in awe of how relaxed and easy going the culture was. I was so impressed by that energy and ease that I dream of living there. This is my trip in totality from my travel journal. When in Barcelona: ‘Got to Barça and had to pay for the bathroom! Went straight to our Airbnb near La Sagrada Familia as we were running behind for the football match. Called our host when we got to the front of the flat and played a ...