Lisbon’s Historic City Center
September 18, 2019Throughout my travels on the Iberian Peninsula, I always focused heavily on Spain. I studied the language back in high school and have always been interested in learning more about Spanish culture. In addition, the country has several beautiful cities in diverse regions, each with their own distinct architectural characteristics. Despite my interest in Spain,…
Bilbao: Spain’s Underrated City in the North
September 17, 2019Frank Gehry has been my favorite architect since high school. During my freshman year geometry class, my teacher had us each research a famous building and analyze its geometrical properties. I chose to study Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao: a contemporary art museum in northern Spain. The museum quickly became one of my favorites, if not my…
Barcelona’s Charming Gothic Quarter
September 16, 2019As one of the world’s architecture capitals, Barcelona is best known for its Modernisme buildings. I experienced this whimsical architectural style throughout my exploration of the Eixample district. I also visited Antoni Gaudí’s La Sagrada Família and Park Güell: two of the city’s most prominent examples of the Modernisme style. Although Barcelona is most famous…
Exploring Barcelona’s Architectural Landmarks
September 10, 2019Barcelona is a city with a style of architecture that is unlike anywhere else in the world. On my first day of sightseeing, I walked all over the Eixample district and got to experience the whimsical style known as “Modernisme.” I also toured one of the famous homes by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. La Sagrada…
Barcelona: The Colorful Catalan Capital
September 6, 2019Whenever I ask my friends about their favorite European cities, Barcelona is one of the most popular answers. People who ventured there have always described it as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is also often referred to as one of the world’s best cities for architecture. Despite this, my study…
24 Hours in Brussels
September 2, 2019As a world traveler, my adventures often lead me to unexpected places. After my successful trips to Copenhagen, Amsterdam, London, Bath, Santorini, and Paris, a third trip to Europe was inevitable. I had my eyes set on Barcelona, Bilbao, and Lisbon: three cities on the Iberian Peninsula that I had always wanted to visit. I…
The Other Side of Paris
September 1, 2019Paris is a city that I somehow always end up visiting when I travel to Europe. It was the very first city that I visited overseas when I went with my family back in 2012 before I started college. This trip was a huge eye-opener for me, as I was exposed to many beautiful architectural…
Making Friends in Santorini
August 29, 2019When I made the decision to travel back to Europe, my initial motive was to visit famous buildings and cities that I had not previously explored. I decided to plan the trips on my own since I did not want to worry about working around other people’s schedules or itinerary preferences. Although I would show…
Santorini’s Ancient Sites and Natural Wonders
August 27, 2019When most people visit Santorini, their journey doesn’t go much further than the towns of Fira and Oia. However, the island includes some ancient sites and natural wonders that can only be reached by venturing off the beaten path. To explore some of these areas, I decided to rent an ATV to have complete freedom…
Santorini: Surreal Island Beauty
August 24, 2019If you asked me to pick only one place to visit in Europe, my answer would be Santorini, Greece! As part of my Grand Tour of Europe study abroad trip, we visited Athens, along with the Greek islands of Rhodes and Mykonos. Originally, the trip was also supposed to include Santorini. However, due to a…