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Posts from the ‘EUROPE’ Category

Jul 31

27 Comments

An ode to British summers

View down the River Avon, Bath

Summers in Britain can be hit-and-miss, governed by the famously unpredictable weather patterns that are such a talking point among the local populace. Last Friday we witnessed a spectacular opening ceremony for the Olympics, celebrating British culture and featuring several key episodes of the nation’s history. Watching these clips brought pangs of nostalgia for the rainy islands that I called home for four influential years of my life. Read more

Jul 19

36 Comments

Five Colours from Plus Ultra

Erica from Kizzling Around has kindly nominated me to join the Capture the Colour photo competition run by TravelSupermarket.com. The idea is to publish a post with five original shots from your travels, each one representing the colours blue, green, yellow, white and red. Read more

Jun 22

39 Comments

Milestones, Awards and the Atlas Game

Lamma Island, Hong Kong

This month marks a season of celebration. Just recently Plus Ultra passed the 1,000 mark for followers, and now the blog is just shy of its 100th post! As much as I would like to throw a party in the blogosphere, there are a couple of practical issues to deal with (timezones, for instance!) so I am writing this post instead. Read more

May 1

35 Comments

Spain: An Architectural Odyssey

Renaissance Revival, Seville

If I were ever asked to name a favourite country from my travels, it would have to be Spain.

In no other place did I find such a perfect fit in the prevailing rhythm of life. Nine months of passionate living taught me to understand its people, its national love of food, and last but not least, its architecture. Read more

Apr 28

18 Comments

Valencia: Where It All Began

L’Hemisfèric, City of Arts and Sciences

Stepping out of the train at Estació del Nord, I could instantly feel my shoulders relax. In the relative darkness we gazed up at the wrought iron roof, pierced by a long skylight running down its centre. Around us the muffled footsteps lacked all the signs of a preoccupied, obsessive urgency. This city, I knew, was going to be different. Read more

Apr 26

58 Comments

Barcelona: Broken Dreams and Modernisme

Trencadís mosaic, Casa Batlló

Barcelona taught me the importance of managing my expectations.

At architecture school, it was both the Holy Grail and the magic word. So you want to build something extraordinary? Look at Barcelona. Struggling to find inspiration? Again, Barcelona. Over those four years it came to represent the ideal – a pinnacle of unspeakable beauty and the best in urban design. Read more

Apr 25

19 Comments

An Incomplete History of Biscay

Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

The locals affectionately call it “El Botxo” – The Hole.

Back in 1997 the opening of Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum catapulted the little-known Basque metropolis to international fame. But Bilbao had been planning its dramatic makeover for years. Read more

Apr 20

40 Comments

Switzerland and the Call to Europe

Summertime in Zürich

As a teenager, I could never have imagined that I would spend more than half a decade living on the other side of the world. But in the summer of 2000 my father would take us on our first-ever trip to Europe, traversing the breadth of Switzerland before heading onto Vienna and Prague. Read more

Apr 4

16 Comments

7 Super Shots from Plus Ultra

Quite a while ago Bama from What an Amazing World! kindly nominated me to join in on HostelBookers’ 7 super shots. I realise I am super late jumping on the bandwagon, but choosing your best photos is like choosing your favourite children – you’re hesitant because you love them all for different reasons! Read more

Mar 20

24 Comments

Memories of Salamanca, Spain

Cloister, Convento de San Esteban

In Spanish the expression for “handwritten” is “de mi puño y letra” – of my fist and handwriting. Today I was flipping through my Spanish notebook when I came across a page scribbled with several verses, an early attempt to write a poem on Salamanca. Read more

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