Only nice things to say about Nice

On our way to Nice we stopped at Le Thornet Abbey for some sketching, picnicking, and playing ball (not baseball.) And finally upon arriving in Nice, we walked along the beach around sunset. The beach is a pebble beach so it would probably have been uncomfortable to layout in but the water was very blue and had the most beautiful backdrop of the city. Since Nice was a one day trip and really only served as a stop between Avignon and Como to prevent a long bus ride, the next day we drove up the coast of Nice and into Monte Carlo. We got to see some of the most beautiful views that I have probably seen throughout this trip.

FROM NICE (FRANCE), WITH LOVE GRACE

Avignon

In Avignon we went to Maison Caree, one of the best preserved ancient Roman temples in the world and important to many architects (not me really) because of its proportions. We also visited a park with a Roman aqueduct with some really great views of the French countryside. The theme of ancient Roman architecture got our professors more excited than usual and they brought up a good point: Romans were building an empire so most of the stuff they designed and built was meant to last thousands of years, whereas, most buildings currently under construction are only made to last forty to sixty years . Depending on how you look at it though there are beneficial components from each.
FROM AVIGNON (FRANCE), WITH LOVE GRACE

Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole

Hola! We are in our last city in Spain. We started off our week in Barcelona by going to a Barca soccer game against Santander. Obviously, Barcelona won with a final score of three to zero with two goals from Messi and one from Xavi … other than that I can’t tell you much more about the game since my soccer playing boyfriend refuses to teach me anything about the sport! On another note, we went to the BARCELONA PAVILION! The Barcelona Pavilion was designed by Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 for the International Expo as a representation of the Weimar Germany: democratic, culturally progressive, prospering, and pacifist. But the best thing we did in Barcelona was Gaudi, Gaudi and MORE Gaudi! We went to the Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell. From the outside Sagrada Familia seems gloomy and dumpy, but from the inside it was well-lit and exotic. The inside was finished in 2007, but the projected completion date for the exterior is in 2026. Gaudi uses columns, arches and vaulting to give one the impression of a rainforest … which is quite an odd thing to want for a church but it is exactly what I thought of when I walked in before I read about it. Parc Guell is rather LARGE, first off it’s at the top of a massive hill that you have to climb half way up before escalators appear and thank god for those escalators! Once at the top though, you are presented with a great view of the city and the park is great. All of the palm trees and flowers are the perfect complement to the crazy Gaudi buildings and the beautiful mosaic. It was the perfect end to my week in Barcelona and my time in Spain! Adios

FROM BARCELONA (SPAIN), WITH LOVE GRACE