Though there weren’t too many cars on the road, I still felt constricted by the lack of space. Walking on a small street and sidewalk between buildings on my left and right, I was relieved when I came to Washington Square South and was presented with open space, blue skies, and lots of colorful trees.

There were a lot more people in this open area and on the streets that followed, and I noticed another juxtaposition in space as I walked by many NYU buildings. There apparently was a sort of open house for NYU that day, and many newly accepted students, their parents, and current students were outside giving and receiving tours. Washington Square Park occupied one side of the street while NYU buildings occupied the other. On the left side there were trees, grass, statues, frolickers, and an air of joy, and on the other was concrete, academia, shade, and an air of seriousness.

Reaching the intersection of Stonewall Place and Grove Street, I thought it was interesting that the two converged in a triangle shape with a triangular building in between. Right near the point of convergence also stood a flag pole with four flags on it, though I could only identify the American flag.

As I finished my tour on the last remaining streets, everything was pretty much quiet and secluded. There weren’t many people out in the area, but I did see some interesting art. Painted on one wall was a large pro-Israel mural that said “Who would you want at your wedding?” Almost half of it was defaced with graffiti.

Another interesting find was the series of apartment buildings that were painted in different colors. Though they were the same shape and almost the same height, each building looked very individual and occupied a very particular space.

I noticed that there were many bits of nature inserted into the city landscape where I was journeying. Certain streets were lined with a few trees, small areas were marked off for gardens, and flower pots sat outside of buildings. These incremental moments of nature seemed to build up into the culmination that was my arrival at Central Park, which preceded The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibition at the Met is called “Street” and consists of a video made by James Nares. The video tracks the movement of people in Manhattan, but has been tremendously slowed down and accompanied by guitars. There was a relatively small, dark room where the video was being played, and two adjacent rooms that included artwork from the Met that Nares chose to accompany his work in interesting ways. The art pieces that he chose differed vastly in medium and time, but all seemed to be extremely relevant to his work. For instance, I was drawn to a case that held the fragmented remains of a Roman statue from the 2^nd or 1^st century A.D. Directly across from that case was another that had a 1960s work that contained glass jars with bottle caps and pull-tabs off cans. Juxtapositions like this allow the viewer to make their own connections, and overall, they have a significant connection with Nares video.

The room playing the video was the most crowded while I was there, and the video itself had a mesmerizing effect. It was so simple, but really drew everyone in. There was a communal sort of feeling evoked from everyone watching the video together. Here’s a link to information about the exhibition, which include all the pieces that Nares picked to accompany his video, and a short clip of the video itself: http://www.metmuseum.org/en/exhibitions/listings/2013/street

When I reach the last stop on my tour, which is beyond its official end at City Hall, I am tired, a little hungry and still wondering if I should have cheated and nabbed one of those bikes.  But, the African Burial Ground is the perfect place for me to pause before rushing back into the accelerated pace of the city.  It is quiet in this area and there is only one other person there beside myself, a woman, who moves thru the placards outside slowly as I do, reading and capturing bits of Africa, America and the history created when their fates collided.  I think of this area in relation to the WTC memorial, and I think about how just as many bones may be buried here.  But, there is significantly much less camera flash, no police surveillance, and, at least on the outside, no memorabilia for sale.  Perhaps this is because the nature of the history that lives here is much more of a negative stain on American soil.  Perhaps this is only because the monument is closed on Sundays.  Whatever the case, I am grateful for this serenity as it gives me a chance, just one moment, to reach back and touch, if only in spirit a piece of my ancestral past.

As one comes nearer St. Peter’s Hospital, one is to enter an artificial city scene. The traffic light stopping at a three-way intersection, people crossing the streets at their own whim, all make for a stereotypical city corner. As I turn onto Huntington Street, with it’s park to the left and bank to the right, it becomes a suburban development. There are some doctors’ offices and women pushing strollers exiting the park. Upon crossing Wycoff Street, I immediately leave this brief suburban life for urban city living. Houses with mere feet in between properties and garbage of beer cases and liquor bottles, college life has again overwhelmed me. But then as I turn back onto College Avenue, the overbearing library reminds me that there is an academic side to this campus, though only appearing when one wants to see it.

After recovering the intended route I was struck by another reminder of home.  In Paterson, 33rd St. acts as a demarcation from the vast urban area and the ‘Upper East Side,’ a historical district that the city has worked hard to preserve and beautify.  Delancey St. became 33rd.  Making my way towards Avenue A, Chinese food stores became replaced with those “characteristic” New York City restaurants, “Food Mart” with a grocery boasting a huge organic selection, and the streets became dotted with trendy looking young people and I couldn’t help but wonder how frequently they traversed Delancey.

On Saturday April 20th in downtown Toronto,  we went on a walk like no other, to physically explore the secret life of water in the city and its intersection with energy. We revisited sites and images of the past exhibiting the dramatic changes that transformed Ontario into Canada’s industrial “powerhouse”.

40 guests joined us (thank you for braving the chilling winds!) and were led by Helen Mills, Founder of Lost Rivers and co-led by Mariko Uda, who assisted in authoring Riversides Report on the energy footprint of Toronto’s water.  We definitely had a well of knowledge at our fingertips assisted by historical architecture. We also teamed up on a #CreativityChallenge with @WCIWToronto #WCIW (World Creativity & Innovation Week) who planted post-it notes along our route to heighten our creativity on this walk!

What did we learn?

• We passed through several lost creeks: Victoria, Court, Newgate and Russell
• We made a stop at the Bay Adelaide Centre to learn it was LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certified and collects rainwater for use in its main floor toilets and to water 100% of outside landscape.
  

• We discovered that the water footprint of luxury tourism is 1200 litres** per person per day. The Shangri La Hotel was able to reduce its water footprint to 900+ from 1200+ litres per day worldwide yet the Trump Tower has no sustainability program.

**compared with average use in the City of Toronto of 253 litres per person per day and in Mozambique of 4 litres per day!

• The Enwave Pearl Street Steam Plant was Toronto Hydro’s first “district heating” plant when it opened in 1964, and is now part of the largest system in Canada.
  

• John St Pumping Station was Toronto’s first station built in 1841 to pump water from the bay- less than a block away from the outfall of an old sewer system!
• Salmon Run at the CN Tower- the fountain depicts 60 salmon swimming upstream through a barrier of reeds and eelgrass and represents salmon spawning in the Great Lakes. It is meant to remind us of the impacts of urban development on natural habitat. Ironically enough, the fountain was dry and surrounded by a large scale construction project across from it- to build Ripley’s Aquarium!
  
• We spoke about Line 9 reversal- a close to home pipeline concern- running between Sarnia & Montreal and passing through Toronto just north of Finch Ave. Proposals for its reversal have been partially approved, to transport raw material (“super-hot sandpaper”) from AB to Portland, Maine. If old pipes leak, the corrosive mixture threatens 3 water tables as it crosses 3 major rivers leading to Lake Ontario- the source of our drinking water. Line 9 also crosses the G. Ross Lord Reservoir near Dufferin & Finch.

A call to action on this journey was to think more creatively about ways to balance development, economy and environmental protection. How can we move beyond mere ‘approval’ or ‘opposition’ and begin to shift the system in an innovative fashion towards a sustainable water & energy future? What are the innovative ideas brewing? Who do we need to involve? How long will it take us?

It can be as simple a starting point as this: . And lead to unexpected connections.

PS: Congrats to the winners of the Trivia Hunt- a hard tie between team Selina, Olivia, Kalson and Korice and team Shishir, Beth, and Nigel! & a special thanks to Korice Moir for the photos shared on this blog. A Huge thank you to Helen and Uda for sharing their knowledge with us!

Just after Easter I took a three day trip to Krakow, with the main intention of visiting Auschwitz. I visited the harrowing site of the former concentration camp on my final day but on my second day I was pleasantly surprised to discover the beauty of Poland’s second city.

When booking the trip, I hadn’t thought much about the actual city of Krakow, using it simply as a base from which to visit Auschwitz. In all honesty I would have been unlikely to ever choose a mini-break in the city itself. Having been, however, I can not recommend it highly enough. The city is beautiful and its rich architectural history, which was spared destruction during WWII, has left the Old Town full of intriguing and intricate buildings. The Old Town is now on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites which I believe is testament to its beauty. As I was only in the city for one full day and hadn’t researched much about the city before I left, I felt the best way to learn about and explore Krakow would be on a free walking tour.

I am no stranger to free walking tours, having enjoyed them previously in Munich, Prague and Budapest. The fact that the tour guides are only paid through tips at the end of the tour mean that they do their utmost to make them interesting and engaging. And this one was no disappointment. I was fortunate to have beautiful weather on the day of the tour and the tour guide Ella, a lifelong citizen of the city, led a free walking tour through the Old Town in the morning. Meeting in Krakow’s main square (Rynek Główny w Krakowie) (pictured below), the largest medieval town square Europe, a large crowd gathered to listen to Ella’s tour. While listening to her overview of Krakow’s history I took the time to look around at the flower stalls, souvenir stands and the shops and bars lining the square. St Mary’s basilica, the gothic church located in the corner of the square was the first building of interest. It towered over the square yet somehow fit perfectly into the eclectic mix of buildings. However, it was its unique way of announcing the hour that really interested me. It didn’t have a large bell which chimed or even a small bell with a quirky tune. In fact it didn’t have a bell at all, it had a trumpeter! Every hour, on the hour, a small window was opened in the tallest of the church’s two towers and a trumpet emerged to play a fanfare. It repeated the same tune at all sides of the tower: first to the castle, historically for the king; then to the main square for the market traders followed by the rest of Krakow’s citizens. Legend has it that if the trumpeter waves at you after he has played you get good luck for the rest of the day, and lo and behold he did. Lucky me!

The two hour walking tour included many highlights. One of which was the city walls. Ella told a story about how the walls would have been completely destroyed centuries ago, if it wasn’t for the story of one smart historian who knew they would be important historical artefacts in the future. On a Sunday morning women used to visit the church of St Mary’s and walk down the street from the city walls to the church. The historian told the women that if the wall was demolished that on their way to church their long skirts would be blown upwards by the wind and they would be exposed, a terrible sin on the way to mass! The historian made out that the wall was a barrier for the wind and therefore needed to be saved from demolition. Thanks to this story, the women of Krakow were extremely worried about the consequences of demolishing the wall and the historian managed to save it for us to see today. Anecdotes such as this made the tour interesting and memorable, more so than a list of historical dates and facts.

Throughout the tour we also saw part of the university, Pope John Paul II’s former residence, a beautifully decorated church containing a replica of the Turin shroud and numerous other sites I would have never noticed in one day if I had been left to my own devices. The tour culminated in an ascend to Wawel castle, which also contains Wawel cathedral. The large courtyard in the castle was a lovely place to soak up the sun and admire the surroundings. The cathedral itself had a slightly hotchpotch appearance due to the range of architects that worked on it and the differing tastes of former monarchs. It was less prominent than St Mary’s on the main square but, like the rest of Krakow, had a unique charm. The end of the tour meant it was time to tip the guide. Despite it being advertised as a free tour there wasn’t a single person who walked away without giving something (unless they had sloped off before the end and I hadn’t noticed). I enjoyed it so much that after a quick stop for lunch on the main square I joined a second walking tour in the afternoon, this time of the Jewish Quarter.

Krakow was one of the most pleasantly surprising of all the cities I have visited. Even the food was excellent and extremely reasonable, with a three course meal for two including a bottle of wine on the main square coming in at under £40. It’s definitely given me a taste of Eastern Europe and I hope to explore a bit more in the future.

Buskers on Royal St.

My boyfriend and I decided to go on a one day getaway! New Orleans was our pick because it was a quick flight, I hadn’t been there in years and he had never been there at all! Our flight landed around 10AM. We knew we only had a limited amount of time in the city so we headed straight to the French Quarter to start our visit. We are on a tight budget so rather than take a cab as everyone recommended, we took a bus all the way downtown and then walked in the direction of The Quarter. It was a long ride, but I’m so glad we took the bus! Not only was it cheap ($2 to get into the city), but we got to see parts of the city we wouldn’t have seen otherwise since most of our trip was French Quarter centered.  When we arrived in the French Quarter we just walked around. Even before noon the streets were full of people!  Street performers, tourists, and even people drinking already. Wandering up and down the streets, we found a nice little cafe’ ere we had lunch/coffees. After fueling up, we made our way to Jackson Square where we met up with our tour guide and other tourists for a free walking tour of the French Quarter.

The company we went with, Free Tours by Foot, offers a couple of different tours including a cemetery tour that we plan on taking next time! Jackson Square was beautiful in itself.  It was a nice day so there were people sunbathing, picnicking and just hanging out. On the tour, we were guided through alleys and historic streets with beautiful architecture. I was snapping pics the entire time. And listening! Anecdotes were given at every stop. The tour lasted 2 hours and gave us a brief, but detailed history on all things French Quarter. If you head to New Orleans, check it out.

Beignets!

After our tour we headed to get beignets! You can’t go to Nola without eating some beignets. Beignets are deep fried dough covered in powder. They’re the best paired with a cup of coffee and chicory. MMM! We had ours from Cafe du Monde. Probably the most famous beignet place in New Orleans. I’ve only had their beignets so I can’t say if they’re the best, but they sure are freaking delicious.

More walking, shopping, and exploring was done and then we decided to take a ghost tour. We actually didn’t decide this. The bf did. He chose a Haunted History tour. They’re supposed to be the best and are ranked #1 in New Orleans. I was a bit wary of it since their website looks terrible, but on we went!  The tour was centered around the French Quarter. A lot of the same places we heard about earlier apparently had some dark history to them. It was an entertaining tour, for sure. We went to about 7 different sites and heard a ghost story behind each. The highlight of the tour was for me was the visit to the “haunted” bar, Lafitte’s, which is reputed to be oldest structure used as a bar in the United States. I had a delicious Hurricane. If New Orleans had an official drink, this mixture of rum, grenadine and fruit juice would be it.  Though deliciously sweet, those things are strong! The rest of the night was spent on Bourbon. DRINKING! Not for very long. Like I said, those Hurricanes are strong.  We stayed in the India House Hostel  located outside of the French Quarter and right on the Canal streetcar line. It was easily one of the coolest hostels I’ve stayed in. Lively atmosphere, tons of travelers, a huge courtyard and a freaking swimming pool! We booked the day of and stayed in a private room for only $45. Would definitely stay there again.  Short and sweet trip. It definitely sparked a love for New Orleans. I can’t wait to get back and explore more-outside of the quarter and actually eat some gumbo. I didn’t get to eat any gumbo!!!!

The tour started by walking up 8^th avenue and I was invited in with the smells of barbeque, the sounds of passing taxis, and the uniform walking by the public to their next destination. While passing under tunnels of metal poles with pedestrians walking in a distinct march, only a select few dared to interrupt the passing formation. The street soon became Times Square, where the constant chit chat, laughter, and flashes echoed through the street. Careless walking wasn’t so careless here because the social rules changed and animated dreams came to life with Sesame Street, Hello Kitty, and Mario characters. Each passing store meshed into the background, and only distinct art began to stand out, such as a electric display of the American flag.

The cleaner, more colorful appearance and sound began to diminish as I traveled north on 9^th avenue. The vibe created was very constricted and compacted while walking the street, with the sounds of the metal clacking providing the music of the air. By this time, the same stores began to reemerge every few blocks, but what differed were the travelers and their pace. This section was quicker than time square and people held a similar rhythm together as they passed by cafes and stepped on metal cellar doors.

Making a right onto 51^st street was another world around the corner. The homes were gorgeous and clean buildings piled high in a sophisticated manner.

A stillness lurked while only 3 people vacated each block. Trees were present and everything above the sidewalk was taken care of, but the road was damaged and the neglected feature of the street. Cars drove by and fell into pot hole after pot hole without missing a single dip.

I kept a slow pace and could wander freely as I wished without being an interruption to anyone else.  Once I turned left onto 5^th Avenue, the road seemed to become wider and the traffic became more dense the father north I traveled. The crowds were thick, the sound was a constant hum, and traveling against traffic became a puzzle. We were the puzzle pieces that needed to fit or awkward friction would occur. Once Central Park was reached, the frenzy was gone, everyone was relaxing, and I could walk at my own pace again at last

Anyhoo, on the 16th I woke up and met my roomies, Margaret (fellow Canadian) and Ana (Portugese). We went upstairs and had the cheap breakfast (1.50 pounds) and got ready to go on the free walking tour. On our way out the door, we rounded up Ethan, and shortly after starting the tour, we picked up Kendall. Our tour guide was Ben (a true Scotsman! Not all tour guides were…) and began our 3-hr walking / story / sarcasm tour. Ben rocked it. Although later we learned it was a script, we wouldn’t have guessed it at all from his presentation, ease and tongue-in-cheek wit. I learned all about the greats and the infamous, like David Hume, Adam Smith, Deacon Brodie, Maggie Dickson and obviously, Greyfriars Bobby.

Hume, a philosopher, spent his life trying to prove that superstition was bogus, and was commemorated for his great thoughts through a statue of himself with a gold toe, which brings you luck when rubbed. Oh, the irony. Adam Smith was a colleage but apparently his statue isn’t nearly as lucky. Hard to say if he’d be happy or jealous of that fact, given his shared views with Hume.

Deacon Brodie falls under the infamous category. He was a skilled safe-cabinet maker who developed a gambling problem, and cunningly decided that he would steal from the very people who trusted him, seeing as he had made the locks. It worked for a while, but then….  well, I won’t spoil it for you, but let’s just say when the locals figured it out, he wasn’t very popular.

Maggie Dickson earned the nickname Half-Hanged Maggie for surviving a hanging. When they found out she wasn’t dead, they were going to hang her again, but she was saved by a law student claiming double jeopardy. Embracing her infamy after she recovered, she would reportedly hang out her window and yell down to the poor souls who were to be hanged, “Take heart! I went through it and look at me now.”  Hahahaha! A woman after my own sarcastic heart.

Greyfriars Bobby is apparently the most famous Ediburghian, despite not being a human. He was a dog, and he has his own statue and bar, and tourist traps. He’s famous for his dedication to his owner, even after his Policeman owner passed away, staying close to his grave for 13 years.

After the walking tour, we ate some lunch, then Margaret and I decided to walk up to Arthur’s Seat for a great view of the city. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was windy in Edinburgh. And by windy, I don’t mean a lovely gentle  breeze; the wind was strong and made it hard to hear people talk if they were upwind of you. But Marg and I thought, meh, how windy could it be?

Yeah.

So….  it was WINDY. At times, we had to stop and brace ourselves, and sometimes even crouch down, until the wind died down (a bit). We kept walking up, wondering how long it would take, when FINALLY we saw the top. I could lean into the wind and not fall over. Literally. Of course, being the smart people we are, we totally realised that this could be unsafe and we stopped before getting to the top. <pause until you stop giggling> Ok, more likely, we threw caution to the wind (hahaha! see what i did there… I’m so witty) and scrambled up to the monument on Arthur’s Seat, held on for dear life, and got our pics. It was at this point we noticed we had taken the “scenic route” up, and shortened our trek back down.

We stopped at the local grocery store and I bought my first groceries for the trip. I had forgotten how much cheaper it is to buy groceries instead of eating out. My splurge was some apple pork sausages which were delish! The wind had worn us out completely, so we finished the evening by just hanging out with the others at the hostel.

…and now I must hit the sack, so I will continue to fall behind on blogging…

Some snaps and details from a recent walking tour (April 13th) with architectural historian & expert in 18th Century Dublin shops, Sarah Foster.  Unfortunately the day was a cold and grey, so forgive the dull light.  Some of these details (like the gargoyle above) Sarah pointed out, in a few other cases I wandered off the route to snap things that just caught my eye.  These pictures are in no particular order, they do not reflect the route of the tour, a tour short in distance but fascinating on history & detail.  It took place, incidentally, right in the centre, from the steps of Royal Exchange, (figure 2, below)

Then we crossed Dame St to Parliament St.,  just across the road, to view the oldest, surviving shop in Dublin:  Thomas Read & Co; Cutlers. (below)

This wonderful old place is sadly closed these last 13+ years or more, and part of the old premises were turned into a pub.  Yett the main old shop interior, with its Chippendale style cabinet work and outfitting are all still mercifully intact, (albeit currently inaccessible)

I hope to post about the tour in more detail soon. In the meanwhile, enjoy the pictures.

From outsides’ old Reads shop we simply went down Dame Street, were we saw this nice gargoyle-  if “nice” is a word one is allowed use about Gargoyles,  (probably a grievous insult in the gargoyle world, sub-culture, where being scary and menacing is all the rage)

Anyway..  here’s another plaque (see below).  Look carefully, see the ship?  There is an extraordinary story, stories in fact, behind the ship in this plaque, but that’s all for another day.

Dame Street alas, is increasingly disfigured with plastic signs, junk food, and tourist shops, (& usually clogged with busses & heavy traffic)

Did you know all the exteriors on Dame Street, and indeed on Westmoreland St and D’olier St, used to look like this?  (below)

This is one, the only small surviving section (this is on D’Olier st)  ButDame Street used to look just the same,  Unfortuneately, nearly all of these old granite classical facades on  have gone.  As far as we know there is just one, single survivor left on Dame Street.   Has it been honoured, lovingly tended, treasured and revered?   Of course not!   This is Dublin.    Sadly it looks like this! (below)

Lovely, eh?

let’s just have one more look again at the alternative, (below again) by way of comparison.  Admittedly this was an office building, not shops.  It used to be the premises of the Irish Times (newspaper) who had the resources and the wit to pay for the restoration.  They have now moved to nearby Tara St, but they did Dublin a signal service.

All the heavy traffic & plastic tat im the modern city centre, is pretty grubby & depressing.   It is especially bad on Westmoreland St, and Dame St is getting not much better.  We should have strict laws about the type of signage traders are allowed use, and what materials, as they have in the historic areas of French & Italian cities.   But I won’t hold my breath.

Yet, even now, despite so much destruction, amid all the traffic & plastic tata,  on Dame St, on those occasions when one can look upwards, the street is still full of wonderful architecture, decor & detailing.

We went down Dame St, as it changes into College Green, in front of ront Gate of Trinity College.  then around the corner of the enormous old Parliament Building here, (detail from Parliament Building below)

We were now onto Westmoreland St.   I was totally unaware that Henry Aron Baker (collaborator on the Kings Inns, and the pupil of, and de facto successor to, the great James Gandon) was at one point once commissioned by the Bank Of Ireland,  to build an enormous bank headquarters on this spot, occupying, it’s believed, the entire triangle.  This would have been truly spectacular, in both size and style.  But it was not to be.  In 1801, the Act of Union meant the Irish Parliament vacated their home on College Green and moved to London,  at which point the Bank of Ireland moved into the old (and magnificent) Parliament building.   In the end, the plots on the east side of Westmoreland St were developed in smaller, separate lots.

Nonetheless, there are many fine buildings here.  As Sarah pointed out, this was the headquarters of many of Dublin’s insurance firms.  Much like the many bank headquarters around the corner back on Dame Street, such clients tend to invest in high quality, prestige design.  So many of the buildings here, above ghastly street level, are of very high quality.   Since many of the insurance firms hailed from Edinburgh or Glasgow, there is a noticeable preference for the Victorian Revival style, notably in the Scottish Baronial idiom!

WhereWestmoreland St meets the edge of O’Connells St Bridge (southside) we hair-pinned around and went back up the other side of the triangle, up D’Olier St.   That’s where Sarah pointed out the last remaining granite facades.  We also had another look at the back of the marvelous old Gas Company Headquarters  (below)

all completely bogus and pastiche of course, Victorian revival Tudor (very rare in Dublin, but if you know Liberties shop in London….)  but very good of its kind.  As Dubliners know, the front of this building, back on Westmoreland St, is completely different, a very cool art deco classic (below)

Since this type of Art Deco is also pretty rare in Dublin, I reckon thats a double score for the gas company)  Here,back again on the mock Tudor sid,. is a 1820s plaque from the old firm,   (below)

We also took a good look at the amazingly richly decoration of the old D’olier Chambers, that occupies the last plot on the street.  (detail below)

We finished near old Screen cinema,by Pearse St. Gardaí station. (that’s our police for overseas readers)   The same building goes back to the old days of the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Dublin Metropolitan Police.  Unable to resist here showing you one last pair of  decoration,  familiar to all Dubliners, the terrific carved policemans heads from the exterior of the police station.

That’s it for now.  Hope you all enjoyed.  Comments & observations welcome as always.   Thank you for reading.     - Arran.

Irving is a relatively “new” town in Texas.  The walk was very interesting with the heritage information, the veteran’s memorial, and the other parks we walked too.  This should have been a 10K (6.2 mile) walk but due to an error in their directions we ended up walking 8.5 miles.  I had a map on the back of the written directions but didn’t consult it until I ended up on a dead end street and couldn’t go any further.    Oh well.  Chalk it up to another great Volksmarching Adventure!

Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia by PurpleGecko

Right, ok. If you fly all the way to Florence, the David is most likely on your list of must sees. Which leads me to my next confession: when I had friends visit, I wouldn’t take them to the Accademia to see David. In fact, I’d talk them out of going. Before you write me off as the worst host a world traveller could have, please allow me the rest of this post to change your mind.

The Accademia is a wonderful museum filled with treasures beyond the main attraction (Michelangelo’s Unfinished Prisoners are truly something else), but unless you’re traveling off-peak or catch a day when the Accademia is open late-night, you’re almost certainly doomed to fight crowds to get in. So if you have the time – do it! There’s nothing like getting up close and personal with the original. But if your schedule is limited and you’re up for more of a history lesson, follow us on our David walk throughout Florence. Because yes, I may have talked my visitors out of the Accademia, but I’d really be nuts if I didn’t show them the David. Confused? Let me explain.

Distance: 2.4 km  (1.5 mi)
Time: about a half hour + ample time for gawking
Cost: $0

We’ll start outside the Accademia on Via Ricasoli, where David has been kept since 1873. It was moved indoors to protect it from potential damage. Most hours of the day you’ll simply see lines outside the building, but sometimes close to closing hours the doors to the Accademia will be propped open. If you can steal a peek, you’ll look right down a long hallway and see the magnificent statue lit up in all its glory. Even from far away, it still leaves an impact. If you don’t see him, don’t worry. Head towards the Duomo for the start of David’s story.

AT THE DUOMO

Now that we’re in Piazza del Duomo, we can talk about the origins of the statue, which precede even Michelangelo. In the 15th century, the Opera del Duomo commissioned some of Florence’s best artists to create 12 Old Testament sculptures that would stand atop the buttresses of Santa Maria del Fiore. In the 1460s, an artist from Donatello’s workshop began work on a piece of Carrara marble for a statue of the David, but soon stopped once he found a flaw in the stone. The project was abandoned and shunned by other artists; the large block was decidedly ignored for the next 35 years.

But the Opera was determined to have their sculpture finished from the flawed block. In 1501, a brazen 26-year-old  Michelangelo convinced the Opera he was the man for the job. He not only had to work out the flaw but also had to incorporate the previous artist’s cuts – an incredible thought, considering how “perfect” we consider the statue to be today. And so Michelangelo got to work, strategically sculpting a work that would be able to be seen from atop the Cathedral. He tailored the sculpture’s features to the unique perspective it would be viewed from, enlarging David’s right hand and head. When viewed straight on, the exaggerations are obvious, but when placed upon the buttress, David would appear perfectly in proportion.

David on the Duomo by Team Florens 2010

Of course, the statue never ended up on top of Santa Maria del Fiore. But in 2010, our friends at Team Florens installed a fiberglass replica of David on the Duomo so the public would have an opportunity to see what it might’ve looked like if placed where originally intended. Imagine looking up to see this guy towering high above you!

AT THE PALAZZO

Time to see this sucker up close and personal. Head towards Piazza della Signoria; guarding the entrance to Palazzo Vecchio is a full-scale replica of Michelangelo’s David. Admire the veins running through his hand and his curly locks. Note that he’s yet to slay Goliath; he seems to turn the stone over in his hand in anticipation, with the slingshot hanging over his shoulder. He’s fully nude (as if you didn’t notice) thanks to Michelangelo’s love of antiquity, when the naked body was celebrated for its beauty and strength. David’s contrapposto (slouched stance) and even the funny tree stump (used in antiquity to support the sculpture’s standing leg) are also both artistic references to celebrated Greek statues.

Michelangelo’s David (from Piazza Signoria) by Albert Choi

Sure it’s not the real thing, but it does show us where the original once stood. Once Michelangelo worked out all those kinks in the marble, dignitaries and other artists began to take note that the sculpture was flawless in execution. The thought of then hoisting up onto the Duomo this 14+ foot statue – nicknamed “The Giant” – seemed (very labor intensive and) like a disservice to Michelangelo’s genius.

On January 25, 1504, a consul of Florence’s master artists were called together to debate the final placement for the David. The likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Piero di Cosimo, Andrea della Robbia and Filippino Lippi participated in the meeting (Michelangelo must’ve been loving this!). Nine different locations were proposed, including to keep it in Piazza San Giovanni, to house it under the Loggia dei Lanzi, or to place it outside Palazzo Vecchio. Opinions overwhelmingly favored moving David to Piazza della Signoria in some way.

What’s the big deal, you might be thinking? The David was originally commissioned by the Opera del Duomo for Santa Maria del Fiore and intended to serve as a religious work. Moving him to Piazza della Signoria, however, put him squarely in political territory and making him a symbol of the Florentine Republic. The Signoria had only very recently regained control of the government in 1498 after decades of domination by the Medici and then Savonarola. Whereas the priest had been burned in the piazza, the Medici were still plotting to overthrow the newly established order from Rome.  For obvious reasons, the Signoria was desperate for a show of strength and chose David as their banner man. Of course, during the Renaissance, religious imagery often also served a state purpose, but this was a blatant appropriation by the Republic to symbolize their resolve in the face of outside threats.

Michelangelo’s David by Albert Choi

And so, while it was nice for the city to call a meeting of the Florentine masters, the government knew all along that David would make his home outside Palazzo Vecchio. The original remained here until 1873, as we previously said, when it was moved for protection; the replica was installed in 1910. As you approach the entrance to Palazzo Vecchio from the piazza, the figure appears heroic and confident, relaxed but ready to take on the impending challenge of slaying Goliath. But if you approach the doorway from the Uffizi corridor, you’ll encounter a much different David: his menacing expression and furrowed brow are meant to intimidate. You get a sense that the man (a.k.a. the city) is dangerous and not to be messed with.  David was strategically placed this way, staring due south towards Rome.

ABOVE THE CITY

Follow David’s intense gaze down to the Arno and start the climb up to Piazzale Michelangelo. It’s only fitting that the piazza, dedicated to the Renaissance master, has some of the best views of Florence: it was Michelangelo’s creative vision that shaped much of how we see Florence today. The piazza was built in 1869; in 1873 (the same year the real David moved to the Accademia), more than a few oxen towed a bronze replica of the famous statue up to the terrace. It is flanked on its base by bronze copies of Michelangelo’s four allegories from the Medici Chapel in San Lorenzo.

Piazzale Michelangelo by Guillaume_39

Appropriately, instead of facing outward towards a pending threat, David now overlooks the city that made him. Grab a place on the wall, enjoy the view, and consider that some poor soul might still be standing in line outside the Accademia while you’ve already explored the heart of downtown Florence. And hey – if it’s late in the day and you have a few euros to burn, retrace your steps to Via Ricasoli and slip into the museum at 6:30 p.m. (just before closing). Not only should you be able to walk right in, you’ll have a full 20 minutes to bond with the big guy himself.

during my trip in LA, i stayed in hollywood with my friends sean and kate. they live in the hollywood tower ( hollywood tower of terror at disney is modeled after this building). my dearest stacy and allan live across the street. one morning, i met stacy on the corner of franklin and argyle and we walked straight up into the hollywood hills. stacy was taking me on a walking tour of her neighborhood. her and allan, her husband, discovered the gem of a neighborhood right out there front door from a walking tour guide of LA. turned out they were amongst charlie chaplin’s old stomping grounds. sometimes we get caught up in our worlds and forget the history we are standing on. i was more than delighted to be a tourist in “my” city and with one of my favorite people as my tour guide!

it was one of those gloomy LA mornings, but to me coming from winter wonderland, what once would have been daunting, became delightful. it was warm, it was green, it smelled of exotic flowers and plants.

the first stop, stacy showed me a little yoga temple just a few blocks up the street. nestled in a neighborhood, this beautiful,worldly building sets itself off from the rest complete with a bookstore. the blooms taking place had me in awe. i forgot how exotic and exciting the vegetation is in so cal. ( i really need spring to bloom in CO). although, most of what you see is probably not native, the sheer fact that so many different species of plants can thrive in this environment is a blessing.

there are castles, wood doors, and breathtaking views all along the way. i can’t help but to wonder who lives in these houses. or who use to. what do they do? and how do i live in one?

on the tour we come across two of charlie chaplin’s dwellings. the photo above on the left is now an apartment complex, but was once his apartment. the house on the right was his house, or better – his mansion. the stories stacy would tell along the way of different old hollywood actors living in these dwellings gave me this whole different perspective of LA. being such a new city in relation to the east coast, any history i find even more fascinating. i love movies and photos of LA when it was first developing or when neighborhoods were completely different landscapes.  i tried to imagine these hills when they weren’t filled with a gazllion houses, when it might have been peaceful. i often think about old hollywood or what it was like when it was starting up. was it as cut throat? was it as egotistical? who were the starlets and the struggling actors? and who were the people behind the scenes?

i think the most interesting part of the tour for me was the krotona portion. stacy knew a whole lot of details on the era.  krotona is a theosophical ” colony that began in 1912. a utopian oasis where practitioners hoped to “ study philosophy, appreciate nature, celebrate performance and otherwise live a fuller life — all in the Hollywood Hills.”  the cheap, paradise land below what is now the hollywood sign (and a million dollars for a one bedroom), began a colony. it was finished in 1919. the colony later moved to Ojai in the 20′s as to escape the hollywoodism and growing communities that were infringing on the utopia and is still there today. The photos above are a few of the buildings from the Krotona colony. This is a good article to read for a bit more in-depth info.

somehow i identified with these people. desiring a simple utopia in the beauty of southern california. maybe i should have moved to ojai!

i love how on any given street in LA the houses can be different. spanish, modern, traditional, craftsman.  especially in the hills. occasionally, you will find these story book houses that look like snow white will be popping her head out at any given moment singing to the birds. 

just some more random buildings and architecture. the photo above on the right embodies a house where there a pianist lives and never leaves. the house is decorated with characters outside (hard to see in the photo). and you can’t help but to wonder what kind of stories this pianist could tell.

i wish i would have recorded stacy giving the tour. she did such a good job. if you take a trip to LA, my advice, skip the star tours, beverly hills, and the grauman theater. find a walking tour guide of LA. you will discover and learn more about LA than you thought ever existed. i still am! it is a magical city and i fell in love with it in a new way again. 

below are just a few snapshots of the inside of kate and sean’s lobby and from their roof. on my birthday we relaxed in the sun on this roof, drinking a few beers, talking of life, hollywood, and what is next to come for us all.

being in middle america now and then traveling from NYC to LA- the vast difference is amazing. these cities are magnificent and filled with so much life.

i use to do a lot of hiking in LA. i hiked up the observatory several times a week when i lived in that hood. griffith park smells glorious in the spring and i longed for the old days. i realized on this hike the things i have taken for granted. the things i forgot to cherish. why must we only see it after it is gone? 

my trip to LA, as i knew it would, left me a bit confused. the city seemed different to me on this trip and i loved her in a whole new way. i have this relationship with LA, as if LA was my significant other. sure, i was probably glamorizing it again and remembering back to my dreams of wanting to move there. it was spring in LA (it starts early there). everything was in full bloom and green! (come august, it will be brown again.)  i forgot how magical and golden that sun was, and it surpassed any memory i did have. i forgot how luxurious the weather really is. i realized, how much i took for granted all the amazing things about that city. even driving didn’t feel as daunting.  funny how only 6 months away changed that place for me. lesson learned: enjoy the place you live as if you are a tourist everyday!

i still can’t say if i will go back. sometimes i want to, sometimes it feels silly to do it over again. my trip back in may i think will be another good lesson, and i can’t wait to spend more time there again.

i can say i am proud i was an angeleno…and after giving it ten years i think i can still call myself one.

The walk features the ruins of St Peter’s Seminary, Gillespie, Kidd & Coia’s architectural gem. Built in the 1960s, the site has been abandoned since 1980. On the walk you can find out about how an arts organisation is planning to revitalise the site.

You can download written and audio guides from the website. The booklet (available to download here: Kilmahew – walk booklet) includes some nice images of St Peter’s Seminary from our Gillespie, Kidd & Coia archive.

For more information about the Gillespie, Kidd & Coia archive at Glasgow School of Art, see here. See also our recent post about  BBC Radio 4 programme The Concrete and the Divine, which included an interview with GKC partner Andy MacMillan.

On Saturday 6th April I ventured to Loughton, Essex to visit The British Postal Museum Store for the Pillar Box Perfection open day. Currently studying photography at the University of Bedfordshire, I’m now in my final year working on my final major project. The visit was in aid of my university project ‘POST’ a project which looks at pillar boxes and how my generation rarely write any more.

“Pillar box alley” at The British Postal Museum Store.

We live in an age now where we are constantly tuned into our digital social lives by texting, instant messaging and emailing. In my generation the everyday analogue process of posting a letter is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Postboxes lie dormant, statues and monuments of a bygone era. Fond of analogue tradition I decided I wanted to get myself and as many people involved as possible mailing postcards in the form of photographs.

The premise is simple:

1. Take a photograph of a pillar box (Has to be taken landscape)
2. Get the photo printed at the 6×4 (Postcard size)
3. Once printed, write directly on the back of the photograph (Write whatever comes to mind, your thoughts on pillar boxes, maybe the digital age, something personal? A quote, or song lyrics? Maybe describe the location of the photo?)
4. Then stick on a stamp, add my address and send it to me in the post:
   166 Vandyke Road
   Leighton Buzzard
   Bedfordshire
   LU7 3HS

Postcard showing a Queen Elizabeth II wall box.

By getting people to photograph postboxes I hope to create a large topology to showcase the results, which will I hopefully display in a gallery space. For the time being I’ve set up a blog site where I’ve regularly up load all the entries sent to me. Which you can visit here: www.thegreatpostproject.wordpress.com.

As I love a challenge, I am hoping that my project will make people take notice of postboxes again and in the grander scheme get younger people involved in writing letters and postcards. Although it may be wishful thinking, only time will tell.

Postcard showing the message “What’s the Rush!!”.

The open day at The British Postal Museum Store was a great way to learn more about the history of the pillar box. Discovering the different types whilst being able to identify them I found it to be a rewarding experience. It really has helped me, by giving me a historical outlook which I can now apply to the project.

The staff were tremendously helpful giving talks throughout the day, and answering all my questions. A big thank you to those who work and are involved in The British Postal Museum & Archive you generosity hasn’t been unnoticed.

Their generosity also allowed me to visit London this week to participant in my very own From Pillar to Post: GPO London walking tour as I was unable to go last month! (It was only natural that I dropped in to say Hello at the Royal Mail Archives)

If you are reading this and feel intrigued by my project feel free to visit the POST blog site and get involved, and last but not least please do visit the The British Postal Museum Store when you can, it is worth it!

when we last left her, our main character had finished a tour of London’s East end. Let’s peep in on her to see what she’s been up to since.

Thu afternoon – I kept walking (a MAJOR theme of Thu) and arrived at the British Museum. On my cheeky tourist map, it was described as containing “a whole bunch of stuff we stole from other people.” I saw the Egyptian, Assyrian and Greek exhibits. All of which I saw by walking. Then I looked at my watch and figured I had time to get across town to Shakepeare’s Globe Theatre, providing I walked fast. So I did. When hopped off the Tube, I realized I’d have to run to catch the last tour, so I did. Only to find out they were staying open an hour later and hadn’t needed to. Are you tired just hearing about all my walking? because at this point, i was too, but continued on with the guided walking tour of the inside, which was very cool. The theatre is open at the top, just as it would’ve been originally. I was two weeks too early to see The Tempest, so I had bought a ticket to another musical that night – Rock of Ages, featuring all 80′s rock! It was so rad I knew all the songs and the venue and acting was more cozy and intimate, with the actors even interacting with the crowd somewhat. Left with “Don’t stop believing in my head – rock on!

Bagel Nash, which was once the News Theatre, by Leeds Station

I continue to run at a poetical-deficit, but will catch up soon (12 and 14 to follow today)…

Here’s my poem based on going for a walk: on Sunday, I went on a walking tour of some of the forgotten/disused cinemas around Leeds city centre – which is part of the celebration of 100 years of Hyde Park Picture House – and was organised by these fine folk (Conway and Young). I put up some more pictures of this walk yesterday…

So I wrote this piece from jottings and thoughts while looking around these forgotten cinemas:

Windowless Walls

or, Cut (A Tour of Cinemas Past in Leeds)

At the News Theatre (where the only

fresh news is today’s bagels), we cut

open bags of popcorn and sniff

it like posies – warding something off -

and say how its aroma

is better than its taste.

Lyric, Lyceum, Olympia: we cut

a queue of ancient voices

through gusts of decades. Cinema

at the centre of the block-

buster’s vortex. The jump-

cuts in the waveforms of lives.

The Merrion Centre’s lights

and mirrors hold prisoner

a 1970s Odeon: the orange-brown

Autumnal kernel of

future past.

On a windowless wall, words over words

(of what was The Tower) meekly whisper how

there is Always a Good Programme. A frame

half-covering it booms Demand Everything! Now!

listing superstar DJ-names and Gatecrasher-choons.

3-D digi-HD smell-o-feel-o-vision gimmickry,

in this most flammable and malleable of media:

memory. Bricks begin to flicker.

Dust in the lens, my eyes

water: a strong wind, cut

full of particulate matter.

We, the City’s Editors -

its planners and punters -

razor-blades poised to cut

between CGI-progress

and/or

celluloid-preservation.

Look Up: Primark was once a cinema, too.

Located just a few miles west of Centralia is the Borough of Mount Carmel, named after the more well-known holy mountain in Palestine.   Mount Carmel used to be dominated by coal mining interests, which have dwindled significantly since the 1950s but still exact influence on the area.  One thing that is abundantly noticeable upon walking several blocks is the evidence of various ethnic influences that have left their mark on the area.  This is most obvious in the amount of church structures that proliferate the landscape, some empty, others thriving, and still others tenuously hanging on.  The churches provide some hints at the cross-section of different immigrant groups that relocated to Mount Carmel during its industrial boom.  Some of the churches have retained their original ‘lineage’ while others have since transferred hands, with the ethnic backgrounds of their erectors  revealed by the branding on the cornerstone blocks.  All of them are beautiful in their own right, and the concentration of them along West Mt. Carmel Avenue is astounding.  It was initially surprising how many of these churches were Roman Catholic in origin, but upon considering the ethnic groups represented (Polish, Italian, Eastern European…), it makes sense.

Jeff Kanezo has a pretty informative website with more in-depth history of the churches, other architecture, and history of the area.  Click on the ‘Virtual Walking Tour of Historic Mount Carmel’ on the left side of the screen.

Here’s a compilation of just some of the churches visited:

There is certainly a lot more to see beyond the Churches in Mt. Carmel.  And, like most places in the world, an accurate understanding of Mt. Carmel can’t really be garnered in a day, so I won’t pretend to know more than I do.  It’s common to come to conclusions, and often those assumptions are misinformed, or at the least, only a fraction of the picture.

One thing that’s clear: the commercial core has definitely bore witness to better days.  The area feels safe, the locals were nice for the most part, and you really do want to see the place do well.  Unfortunately it has been a struggle with no strong economic base to latch on to, which has so often been the decider of a population’s vitality for so many places.  Here’s a few images below taken along the commercial core of Oak Street and surrounding streets.

Dina asked me to help her spread the word about a couple of things…

Walking tours

Dina has been organizing tours of the Mexican areas of Jackson Heights and Corona in Queens for six years, and she’s holding the first one of the year next Saturday, April 20. The tour starts at noon and will take you to Mexican delis and restaurants, as well as music, clothing and religious stores. The price is $20, and it also includes a snack and a folk art souvenir. For more information, click here.

Open position at La Sirena

La Sirena seeks two mature, energetic and friendly sales people to work in a fun, creative environment. The position is part-time, and must be filled by a candidate who is passionate about Mexican culture, and dedicated to providing excellent customer service. The job is ideal for a flexible, responsible individual who has a strong desire to obtain experience managing a small business, as well as a will to learn and grow.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Providing exceptional customer service with an outgoing attitude
• Handling accurate sales transactions
• Receiving, processing and stocking merchandise
• Handling and packing delicate items for shipping
• Maintenance of store appearance, including organizing, cleaning, dusting, display
• Managing social media accounts and store promotions
• Assisting owner with small errands and projects

Requirements and skills:

• Prior retail experience
• Fluent in English and Spanish, including excellent writing and speaking skills
• Availability to work 20-35 hours a week between 11:30 am and 8 pm
• Availability to fulfill required full day (11:30-8) or half day (4-8 pm) shifts
• Tuesdays and Sundays are full days. Other shifts can be flexible.
• Maintain an upbeat attitude and work well within a team
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Strong sense of accountability and work ethics
• Desire to learn about new products, including their history and importance to Mexican culture
• Computer literacy: basic word processing, spreadsheet files for inventory
• Lifting up to 25 pounds (rarely)
• Knowledge of Mexican folk art and culture is preferred
• Knowledge of updating social media accounts and product photos is preferred
• Position to become full time is possible

If you’re interested in applying, email Dina at sales@lasirenanyc.com

Send your resume, cover letter and availability. Write “papel picado” in the subject line.

*Photos by the author.

Brittany Martin, Clayton Junkins, Kayleigh Gades, and Meghan Crawford (along with Erik Hendrickson, off camera) present their tour.

Students in Heritage Tourism (HIS440) presented a portion of their Gilded Age Walking Tour on the last day of class. They showed several of the historic hotels as well as the sites of former hotels that did not stand the test of time and development. Their project is designed as a self-guided tour with an introductory brochure that guides users to a website (with mobile platform) for more detail, historic photos, and interactive map. Have a look at their project here.

Thanks to Nick McAuliffe from the St. Augustine Archaeological Society for helping with this project!

What is now the Casa Monica Hotel has housed tourists since 1888.