More songs about buildings and food?
...and some more.
Old Havana, Cuba- not one building, but if dilapidated colonial buildings, faded grandeur and old cars interest you there is a photo opportunity on every Calle.
Napier, NZ- partially flattened by a quake in the 1930's and rebuilt in the Art Deco style, quaint. Good waves nearby (ish).
The Alhambra, Granada, Spain- beautiful late Moorish art and architecture. After spending the day wandering, then see in the evening with a beverage at the restaurant on the adjacent hill, whilst listening to impromptu Flamenco performances and watch the sun set. Dos Mojitos, por favor.
While in Southern Spain check out La Mezquita in Cordoba, another eclectic and interesting cathedral/mosque. Remember it being 45C in the shade.
Paco Pena in action.
Lockdown and the subsequent lack of travel, has got me thinking about great buildings of the world that I have been fortunate enough to visit. Here is a short but non-exhaustive summary:
Sydney Opera House- an amazing and dare I say ‘iconic’ building. How it ever got past the planning stages in conservative late 1950’s Australia is quite incredible given its radical design.
La Segrada Familia- Gaudis’ flamboyant, whimsical and idiosyncratic masterpiece in Barcelona.
Tikal near Flores in Guatemala- dotted throughout Central America are many Mayan ruins but this is possibly the best preserved.
Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire, UK- once one of the tallest buildings in Europe, still a majestic cathedral. Houses one of 4 original copies of the Magna Carta (as does Parliament House in Canberra). Was fortunate to be on a tour of the steeple whilst the choir practiced for the finale of the Salisbury festival…ethereal.
Machu Pichu- 3 day hike of the Inca trail, to be greeted by this gem as the sun rose.
The Guggenheim in Bilbao- The Frank Gehry titanium monolith, didn’t really dig the collection but the building is beautiful.
The Eiffel Tower- Far superior to seeing it on TV etc. Built for a World Fair in the late 19th century. Great close up, but dominates the skyline when viewed from elsewhere (recommend viewing from Montmartre).
The Taj Mahal- spectacularly rose out of the mist. A fitting tribute by a King to his lost love.
Eden Project, Cornwall UK- geodesic domes in an abandoned quarry, with plants from all over the world. Inspiring.
The Dancing House in Prague- Prague is an incredibly beautiful city with lots of amazing architecture, this Gehry design is a modern building juxtaposed with the traditional Gothic and Baroque buildings. Best viewed rowing up the Vtlava!
Would love to do Petra (Jordan) and Angkor Wat (Cambodia) at some stage. interested to hear of other amazing buildings to add to my list of ‘must do’ before I shuffle off…