Sorry I haven't written in a few days- I have forgotten a lot of the finer details, but here is a nice overview:
5.9.10
Left Edinburgh for Kiplin and stopped in New Castle on the way home. We parted ways with Larry there because he took the train to Manchester from there. The market was going on so we all just walked along the waterfront and went into an awesome contemporary art museum and a ridiculous Norman Foster theater complex. Got to Kiplin and ate then watched a movie (?). Not completely sure but knowing us, I’m sure we did. We went to the roof of Kiplin Hall, which was cool to see- got some good aerial photos, then we played SPUD on the lawn in front of the house. Not sure why I had never played this game before but its like 500 on steroids- so fun.
5.10.10
Did work most of the day. Pretty much finished my last paper. We went to watch Iron Man 2 at the Station (our last bargain movie!!) and then went back for dinner.
5.11.10
We kidnapped DuPuy today. We (the girls) made a bit of a scavenger hunt for him complete with puzzle pieces and rhyming hints to take him to a few last places before we left Kiplin for good. We went to Easby Abbey, Rapeseed fields (that one was kind of for me), Richmond Castle, and Bolton Castle. We had an excellent cheese, wine, and grape party out of the back of the van at Bolton Castle. Great day. Back at Kiplin we did some work on our papers and had a packing/cleaning party. Thai takeout for dinner. We decided to play capture the flag on the property- not an excellent idea when there are only 7 people playing. We decided to settle on playing SPUD again instead and went back and played beer pong. Why that was the first time we played that I have no idea. Late night, but good way to leave North Yorkshire.
5.12.10
Left for London! First stopped at Chatsworth- they filmed the Duchess and it was Mr. Darcey’s house in Pride and Prejudice (!!) It had pretty cool gardens- complete with a maze I couldn’t find the center of. We were joking around and did some classic senior pictures in the garden- very cheesy, love it. Made it to London around 7 and waited FOREVER at O’Neil’s for food- I’m very upset with them. The food was good at least, and the Guiness was flowing. Went to bed early- totally tired.
5.13.10
Ran in the morning. Followed DuPuy around during the day went way out to the middle of nowhere London to Chiswich and a few cool museums. One was an old school natural history museum with a bunch of skeletons and an aquarium- totally loved it. Took the bus back and went to get Indian with Jenny Sara and DuPuy- yum. Power napped and went out to the Zoo Bar in Leicester Square- success.
5.14.10
Free day in London. Tried to find derelict buildings with Jenny- went to old gymnasium and found a great display about an urban renewal in the St. Pancras area- very cool. Then went to Camden- very cool found a great ethnic market got Moroccan. Went to Soho area to try and find another derelict building but no luck so we went to meet the guys at Oxford Circus for shopping. Came back and I decided to go to the British Museum real quick then walked back. Read then went to the other Side with Jenny. Re-fueled with some Starbucks. I'm going to miss London. We got to see a lot of great places today- it makes me want to spend another week here!! AHHH!!!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Dear Edinburgh, I love you
5.6.10
Left Glasgow this morning. Jenny Sara and I snuck out early to get some coffee at a really awesome place- def should have gone there more- oh how I love Scottish boys and their accents. Our first stop was Falkirk Wheel- a giant rotating contraption that transports canal boats from one level of a canal to the other. It was crazy, not srue why it was necessary, but hey go for it. Then we went to ‘the Pineapple’. A building with a pineapple on it- it was weird. Then we drove through Sterling and got lunch in Duncombe- there was a market going on (!!). We went to St. Andrews next- walked around the town, played some golf, walked on the beaches. What a life those college students have! It was a really nice town, would love to be there in the summer when the British Open is there! Finally made it to Edinburgh (late) and Jenny, Dave and I went to dinner at an Indian place. I made the mistake of asking for it to be ‘a little spicy’ and ended up getting my mouth lit on fire. We went to get gelato after- for medicinal purposes of course- and went back to the hostel to read/do work.
5.7.10
Went on a run in the morning. The goal was to run up Arthur’s Seat (a –almost-mountain on one of the borders of Edinburgh) but I kind of went the wrong way and ended up running up along another hill across a ravine from Arthur’s Seat..whoops. Went for a quick coffee and met everyone for the day. We walked all around the city- climbed the acropolis, went to the Scottish Houses of Parliament- liked it a lot, great modern building- walked the ‘Royal Mile’, went to the Castle, and (most importantly) did some Scotch tasting. I had a pretty sweet one, but everyone got a different type. Some were really smoky- I felt like I was breathing in ash! After we all walked to an art museum (closed, boo!) and found dinner. Decided on a Mexican place, so good. We went back to the hostel to rest then went out. I found a cool area and we went to a college-y bar that was basically one giant dance party, a.k.a. our kind of scene. We danced until 2 and went back to the hostel. Going to be tired tomorrow!
5.8.10
Woke up and investigated some street blocks in Craig’s New Town with Emma and Jenny then met the group to climb up a monument. Great 360 views- still really windy though! We walked around the lark and the castle then explored the college area a bit before DuPuy dropped us off at the Scottish History Museum. The design was interesting- it had a lot of really great moments, but it wasn’t too cohesive and the materials were one too many and a little cheap looking. We went to lunch then checked out some new architecture. Shopping was next on the agenda then we convinced ourselves to climb up Arthur’s Seat- big ass hill. The views were amazing from there. Edinburgh really is a beautiful city and the sun had managed to come out for us so the shadows were amazing on the buildings. We climbed back down then hit Craig’s New Town for some more shopping. I managed to get separated from Jenny and the guys so I just shopped by myself and went back to the hostel to get my book and read at a restaurant for dinner. Not going to lie- it was kind of nice being by myself for once. Being constantly surrounded by 7 people and DuPuy all the time can make alone time precious. Back at the hostel and doing some computer work. Back to Kiplin tomorrow!
Left Glasgow this morning. Jenny Sara and I snuck out early to get some coffee at a really awesome place- def should have gone there more- oh how I love Scottish boys and their accents. Our first stop was Falkirk Wheel- a giant rotating contraption that transports canal boats from one level of a canal to the other. It was crazy, not srue why it was necessary, but hey go for it. Then we went to ‘the Pineapple’. A building with a pineapple on it- it was weird. Then we drove through Sterling and got lunch in Duncombe- there was a market going on (!!). We went to St. Andrews next- walked around the town, played some golf, walked on the beaches. What a life those college students have! It was a really nice town, would love to be there in the summer when the British Open is there! Finally made it to Edinburgh (late) and Jenny, Dave and I went to dinner at an Indian place. I made the mistake of asking for it to be ‘a little spicy’ and ended up getting my mouth lit on fire. We went to get gelato after- for medicinal purposes of course- and went back to the hostel to read/do work.
5.7.10
Went on a run in the morning. The goal was to run up Arthur’s Seat (a –almost-mountain on one of the borders of Edinburgh) but I kind of went the wrong way and ended up running up along another hill across a ravine from Arthur’s Seat..whoops. Went for a quick coffee and met everyone for the day. We walked all around the city- climbed the acropolis, went to the Scottish Houses of Parliament- liked it a lot, great modern building- walked the ‘Royal Mile’, went to the Castle, and (most importantly) did some Scotch tasting. I had a pretty sweet one, but everyone got a different type. Some were really smoky- I felt like I was breathing in ash! After we all walked to an art museum (closed, boo!) and found dinner. Decided on a Mexican place, so good. We went back to the hostel to rest then went out. I found a cool area and we went to a college-y bar that was basically one giant dance party, a.k.a. our kind of scene. We danced until 2 and went back to the hostel. Going to be tired tomorrow!
5.8.10
Woke up and investigated some street blocks in Craig’s New Town with Emma and Jenny then met the group to climb up a monument. Great 360 views- still really windy though! We walked around the lark and the castle then explored the college area a bit before DuPuy dropped us off at the Scottish History Museum. The design was interesting- it had a lot of really great moments, but it wasn’t too cohesive and the materials were one too many and a little cheap looking. We went to lunch then checked out some new architecture. Shopping was next on the agenda then we convinced ourselves to climb up Arthur’s Seat- big ass hill. The views were amazing from there. Edinburgh really is a beautiful city and the sun had managed to come out for us so the shadows were amazing on the buildings. We climbed back down then hit Craig’s New Town for some more shopping. I managed to get separated from Jenny and the guys so I just shopped by myself and went back to the hostel to get my book and read at a restaurant for dinner. Not going to lie- it was kind of nice being by myself for once. Being constantly surrounded by 7 people and DuPuy all the time can make alone time precious. Back at the hostel and doing some computer work. Back to Kiplin tomorrow!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Scotland
5.5.10
Went running this morning then got ready for another Mackintosh-filled day. We went to a museum that had re-made Mackintosh’s actual house so we could walk through it. Attached to it was a museum- there were Whistlers!! Next we walked to another gallery that had a Mackintosh exhibit with some of his paintings and furniture. We made our way back to one of his churches now that we were sure it was open and sketched inside for a bit. Then lunch…at McDonalds!! I’ve definitely had an overload, two orders of chicken tenders in 3 days is plenty for me. We sketched another Mackintosh façade, which was, conveniently, across the way from the McDonalds parking lot. We drove over to a building (House for an Art Lover) that was commissioned by a group of architects who built it off of a set of architectural drawings by Mackintosh. They were for a design competition, which he didn’t win, and consequently the house was never built. The scale was ambiguous from the drawings the architects found and the interpretation was too large I felt. I think they needed to scale it down some- the spaces were much larger and less intimate than any of the other Mackintosh buildings we have been to.
DuPuy dropped us off back at the hostel and let us have some free time for the rest of the evening. Off to Edinburgh tomorrow!
Went running this morning then got ready for another Mackintosh-filled day. We went to a museum that had re-made Mackintosh’s actual house so we could walk through it. Attached to it was a museum- there were Whistlers!! Next we walked to another gallery that had a Mackintosh exhibit with some of his paintings and furniture. We made our way back to one of his churches now that we were sure it was open and sketched inside for a bit. Then lunch…at McDonalds!! I’ve definitely had an overload, two orders of chicken tenders in 3 days is plenty for me. We sketched another Mackintosh façade, which was, conveniently, across the way from the McDonalds parking lot. We drove over to a building (House for an Art Lover) that was commissioned by a group of architects who built it off of a set of architectural drawings by Mackintosh. They were for a design competition, which he didn’t win, and consequently the house was never built. The scale was ambiguous from the drawings the architects found and the interpretation was too large I felt. I think they needed to scale it down some- the spaces were much larger and less intimate than any of the other Mackintosh buildings we have been to.
DuPuy dropped us off back at the hostel and let us have some free time for the rest of the evening. Off to Edinburgh tomorrow!
Updates
4.30.10
Woke up early to get some more last minute work done on my projects- crit is at 1:30. I was actually able to get a lot of progress on my first project so I was happy with it. We made Mexican for lunch- guest crit Larry Frank is here so we all played host for him. After lunch I had my critique- it went really well. They liked the changes I had made to my swimming pool and made some good suggestions about how to make my two projects better.
Last few days at Kiplin before Scotland were really relaxed- I had already finished writing my papers for the British urbanism class so I was pretty much hanging out until we left. We went into Richmond one day to go swimming and watch Cemetery Junction- SO GOOD. I love coming of age stories…especially if the guys have British accents. Really excited to see Scotland- beautiful scenery here we come!
5.2.10
This morning we packed up and left for Scotland for a week. First stop was a castle with a view- pretty impressive. Then we went to Lindisfarne! The weather was cold and windy and slightly rainy- very poetic. I loved the house/castle remodel. The amount of detail Lutyens puts into his houses is amazing, so many little personal touches. It makes you want to be an architect. After walking around the town we drove to Muirfield golf course to see the Lutyens hotel- Greywalls. The hotel was quite swanky- you could tell by the 700 pound bottles of whiskey displayed in one of the rooms- but quite nice. The gardens out back were beautiful. After we drove to Glasgow- our hostel is in a great area. It reminds us all of Bath because of the topography and our hostel is in a curved housing piece reminiscent of the crescent and the circus in Bath. By the time we were at the hostel and out to eat it was really late and we decided on Chinese buffet- instant gratification. I may have eaten my body weight in food but it was excellent. As Chris said- you need to binge eat every once in a while. It felt great.
5.3.10
Woke up early to go running- there is a park right next to our hostel. Such a hard run through the park with all the hills!! I needed it though; you need a nice hill workout every now and then. The group went to a Mackintosh church in the morning but it was closed so we went to another of his buildings that is now a museum to him called the Lighthouse. They had so much free stuff (!!) we all stocked up and complained later about how heavy our backpacks were- worth it. Next we went to lunch at the Willow Tea Room- another building by Mackintosh- great meal. His interiors are great- especially his stair and entry sequences. They are a piece of furniture in themselves. Some of his decorations are a little too girly and precious for me, but you have to admire his design approach and how he leaves nothing undersigned- a lot like Lutyens in that way. After lunch we went to the Glasgow School of Art- one if Mackintosh’s most famous buildings- and had a tour of the place. We walked around the city a bit more and DuPuy picked us up to drive around and see some newer architecture across the river. Very interesting stuff around there, think space age. We all made a beeline for the closest McDonald's after we were done for the day because we were under the impression that the Monopoly game was still going on and that, naturally, we would be able to win something. Let down- its over. Dave and the girls went to a really great French restaurant after- I got French Onion soup and it made me reminisce about Lyon last summer.
5.4.10
Slept through the alarm- no running this morning. Whoops. We drove to New Lanark in the morning. It was an industrial New Town built around the same time as Lowell, Mass. Not going to lie- it was boring. I think one industrial new town was enough for the trip (Saltaire). We ate lunch there and then left for Hill House- another Mackintosh building except this one was a private house. The house was amazing. I am in love with his stairs!! Plus- I have decided that I am going to replicate his window seat in my house, I snuck a picture and sketched it for a while so I am confident I can do it :P
We drove to see Loch Lombard after so, as DuPuy says, our parents wont kill us because we went to Scotland and didn’t see a Loch., and made our way back to Glasgow. We went our for Spanish Tapas- delish. Then Sara, Zach and I went to a bar and sampled some whiskey- we’re in Scotland after all.
Woke up early to get some more last minute work done on my projects- crit is at 1:30. I was actually able to get a lot of progress on my first project so I was happy with it. We made Mexican for lunch- guest crit Larry Frank is here so we all played host for him. After lunch I had my critique- it went really well. They liked the changes I had made to my swimming pool and made some good suggestions about how to make my two projects better.
Last few days at Kiplin before Scotland were really relaxed- I had already finished writing my papers for the British urbanism class so I was pretty much hanging out until we left. We went into Richmond one day to go swimming and watch Cemetery Junction- SO GOOD. I love coming of age stories…especially if the guys have British accents. Really excited to see Scotland- beautiful scenery here we come!
5.2.10
This morning we packed up and left for Scotland for a week. First stop was a castle with a view- pretty impressive. Then we went to Lindisfarne! The weather was cold and windy and slightly rainy- very poetic. I loved the house/castle remodel. The amount of detail Lutyens puts into his houses is amazing, so many little personal touches. It makes you want to be an architect. After walking around the town we drove to Muirfield golf course to see the Lutyens hotel- Greywalls. The hotel was quite swanky- you could tell by the 700 pound bottles of whiskey displayed in one of the rooms- but quite nice. The gardens out back were beautiful. After we drove to Glasgow- our hostel is in a great area. It reminds us all of Bath because of the topography and our hostel is in a curved housing piece reminiscent of the crescent and the circus in Bath. By the time we were at the hostel and out to eat it was really late and we decided on Chinese buffet- instant gratification. I may have eaten my body weight in food but it was excellent. As Chris said- you need to binge eat every once in a while. It felt great.
5.3.10
Woke up early to go running- there is a park right next to our hostel. Such a hard run through the park with all the hills!! I needed it though; you need a nice hill workout every now and then. The group went to a Mackintosh church in the morning but it was closed so we went to another of his buildings that is now a museum to him called the Lighthouse. They had so much free stuff (!!) we all stocked up and complained later about how heavy our backpacks were- worth it. Next we went to lunch at the Willow Tea Room- another building by Mackintosh- great meal. His interiors are great- especially his stair and entry sequences. They are a piece of furniture in themselves. Some of his decorations are a little too girly and precious for me, but you have to admire his design approach and how he leaves nothing undersigned- a lot like Lutyens in that way. After lunch we went to the Glasgow School of Art- one if Mackintosh’s most famous buildings- and had a tour of the place. We walked around the city a bit more and DuPuy picked us up to drive around and see some newer architecture across the river. Very interesting stuff around there, think space age. We all made a beeline for the closest McDonald's after we were done for the day because we were under the impression that the Monopoly game was still going on and that, naturally, we would be able to win something. Let down- its over. Dave and the girls went to a really great French restaurant after- I got French Onion soup and it made me reminisce about Lyon last summer.
5.4.10
Slept through the alarm- no running this morning. Whoops. We drove to New Lanark in the morning. It was an industrial New Town built around the same time as Lowell, Mass. Not going to lie- it was boring. I think one industrial new town was enough for the trip (Saltaire). We ate lunch there and then left for Hill House- another Mackintosh building except this one was a private house. The house was amazing. I am in love with his stairs!! Plus- I have decided that I am going to replicate his window seat in my house, I snuck a picture and sketched it for a while so I am confident I can do it :P
We drove to see Loch Lombard after so, as DuPuy says, our parents wont kill us because we went to Scotland and didn’t see a Loch., and made our way back to Glasgow. We went our for Spanish Tapas- delish. Then Sara, Zach and I went to a bar and sampled some whiskey- we’re in Scotland after all.
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