During fall break, many of us had the wonderful opportunity to travel around Italy and Europe.
For a drastic change in climate (and color) I traveled to England: where I found ominous gray skies, beautiful green grass, and plenty of cows. I stayed in London for a few days, and then traveled to the countryside in the south of England.
In London, I was awe-struck by the design culture embedded everywhere in the retail sector. It seemed that every store in Soho had commissioned an artist or designer to create a wonderful installation inside. Entering into some of these exclusive stores felt like taking a tour of a design museum.
One of my favorite installations was at French boutique store Martin Margiela. The ceiling of the store was covered with a large sculptural chandelier, and all the surfaces at eye level were reflective. Everything in the store was uniquely crafted, from the shoes, to the dressing rooms, to the trench coats worn by the shopkeepers.
In the same area, I found an interesting hybrid of bar/art gallery/ tea room. The entire locale displayed installations by various artists and designers. The couches lining the hallway were Victorian in style, and then draped with a ghost-like mantle. The dance floor was shellfish themed. The bathroom was designed a la ‘2001:Space Odyssey.’ Each stall was shaped like a giant egg. Sitting on the toilet seat, placed inside of these capsules, felt like inhabiting a space craft.
From trendy London, I traveled south, to medieval castles and green pastures. I visited Hever castle, originally constructed in the 13th century. The castle became a Tudor House in the 1500’s, and eventually became the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. (Boleyn was one of Henry VIII’s most conspicuous wives, and the mother to Queen Elizabeth.) Today, Hever Castle has become a popular destination for tourists. Its tea-room serves tasty cream scones, and its museum offers spooky ghost tours.
After a spooky tour of Hever Castle, I traveled to the county of Devon, and stayed at a beautiful castle inside of Dartmoor National Park. The Scottish author Kenneth Grahame was allegedly inspired by the beautiful landscape nearby when he wrote his most famous work ‘Wind in the Willows’
On my way back to London, I stopped at Tintagel Castle, a famous site linked to King Arthur’s legend. According to legend, this is the site where King Uther Pendragon seduced Queen Igraine of Cornwall. As a result of this seduction came forth the legendary King Arthur. Today, we can find in this site ruins of the medieval castle situated in a beautiful coastal landscape, as well as a modern hotel named Camelot, perched atop a hill.
After visiting the British countryside, I boarded a plane to Spain. Family affairs awaited me in the Spanish countryside, outside of Burgos. This town belongs to Castilla, a region characterized by monotonous tan landscapes, where wheat fields extend forever along perpetually flat plains.
The town of Burgos is famous around Spain for its dark, blood sausage, ‘Morcilla de Burgos.’ This sausage is often deep fried, with a crispy exterior and soft, custard like interior of rice and cooked pig’s blood. And at a nearby location, stands the most important prehistoric site in Spain: La Sierra de Atapuerca is home to the fossilized remains of three different hominid species: Homo Antecessor, Homo Heidelbergensis and Homo Sapien. So after a prehistoric tour back in time, and with a filling dose of pig’s blood in my stomach, I boarded a plane and happily returned back to Rome.
click here to see landscapes of burgos