Design, Art, and Fiction

GE April 4, 2016

Fondazione Prada is an institution dedicated to contemporary art and culture as well. On May 2015 they opened to the public its new permanent venue in Milan. Luckily I went to Milan just in time to visit Fondazione Prada´s exhibitions.

It is a very interesting museum, most exhibits include a lot of abstract art. What I found to be the most amusing, was the architectural design of the museum itself. I do not know much about architecture. But my family has always been very involved in it, giving me a good sense of what great architecture is really about. Every corner of Fondazione Prada has a gorgeous and fine design. Good thing I happened to visit the museum with my brother and cousin which are both architects.

My cousin Eugenio, myself and my brother Stefano.

Never underestimate de power of a gold wall.

Do you know Wes Anderson? He is the film maker behind The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom and many others. If you love his movies and style used in them, you need to go to Bar Luce. It is a café designed by the great director, located inside Fondazione Prada. Just by sitting at a table you feel like you are taking part of a Wes Anderson film set in a 1950´s or 60´s Milano.

Fondazione Prada is a bit far from the historic centre but definitely worth going.

-Greta

One of the best views of the castle and park.

Treasures of Milan

GE March 25, 2016

Walking all day in the city can get pretty tiring. Not only physically but mentally. It is a good idea to find a space in your schedule where you can relax your mind and body. If yoga is not an option, you can always rely on finding a beautiful park to let your mind rest.

I am very intense while traveling. No matter what, I have to wake up early and do as much as possible every day. I love my crazy traveling days even though I end up exhausted. This is why last summer I decided to take off an evening from being a tourist and visited Parco Sempione.

Parco Sempione is located in the historic center of Milan. So far it is my favorite park in Milan. During the summer there is so much life. People playing soccer, running or just hanging out. It is the perfect place to get away from the chaos in the Piazza di Duomo area.

The park was established in 1888 and designed by Emilio Alemagna. He created beautiful panoramic views by contrasting the Castello Sforzesco and the Arco della Pace (two of the main landmarks in Milan).

If you happen to be in Milan, do not forget to visit Parco Sempione and explore its many wonders.

-Greta.

Lugano

GE February 19, 2016

Sorry for the wait, but I am back to telling you about my summer in Europe. I was in Milan for the most part of my trip. The nice thing about being in Milan is that there are many interesting cities nearby. Just take a train and in a few hours you can get to Rome, Florence or Venice! This one weekend I was quite exhausted from walking and traveling, but of course I could not let myself stay in doing nothing. That got me thinking, where should I go? A close city, different country, a relaxing day... Lugano was the answer!

Lugano is a city in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. There are no major attractions but sitting by the Lake Lugano and letting your mind wander is something you do not get to do often.

The city is very pretty with many small and unique shops. The best way to get to know Lugano is by walking, you don´t even need a destination. Explore every street and alley. Once you are tired, find yourself a cute restaurant by the lake, order a pizza and relax.

-Greta.

Roaming in Rome

GE September 14, 2015

There is no way of visiting Rome without going to the Vatican City. You do not have to be religious whatsoever. There is so much history enclosed within its walls, but the most amazing part is seeing incredible art in every corner.

St. Peter´s Square (the Vatican´s main plaza) was designes by Lorenzo Bernini in 1656. I think the entire plaza is very harmonious and radiates both respect and beauty. The main element is St. Peter´s basilica, which I found to be one of the most stunning churches I have ever seen. I was not expecting less but the exactitude and balance of all the decorations makes it abnormally fascinating. It is also home of Michelangelo´s La Pieta, sadly I did not get to take a picture of it (please look up a picture).

I thought the David was pure perfection but this sculpture goes beyond perfection. Being a dancer I find it strange how something motionless is able to transmit emotions. I have seen paintings and sculptures where there is clearly an emotion that sets the mood of the work. But somehow La Pieta, a piece of delicately carved marble, is able to make the viewer cry. Completely motionless, but Mary´s face while holding the body of Jesus portraits such an honest pain that it gives the viewer the opportunity to live that moment with her.

The Vatican museum was incredible. If you plan on visiting, I highly recommend you to not do it in mid July. There is too many people, it is not the same thing when you have no one pushing you around. Even though it was crowded, there were moments in which I was so emotionally connected to the artwork that nothing could bother me. This happened to me when I entered the famous Sistine Chapel. I stared in awe at Michelangelo´s frescoes for as long as I could and then I left the Vatican feeling gratified and overjoyed.

Rome is quite a journey. Getting lost and letting your curiosity wander around is a great way to experience and get to know the city. The Tiber River, ancient Roman sculptures, Egyptian obelisks, interesting markets and shops...there is just too much to explore!!

Altare della Patria. Just a humble monument for Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of unified Italy. — *Altare della Patria.* Just a humble monument for Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of unified Italy.

Sometimes you can find a G for Greta in some pretty strange places.

Roma you will be missed!!!!!

-Greta

Photos by Greta Elizondo and Luis Elizondo.

All Roads Lead to Rome

GE September 12, 2015

Finally Roma!! I had never visited before. We all have a lot of references about what Rome looks like but what it feels like to be walking through its streets and ruins is a completely different story.

Probably one of the most recognized landmarks of Rome is the Colosseum. It was built between 70-80 A.D, started by Emperor Vespasian and finished by his son Titus. The amphitheater could seat around 50,000 people. All sorts of games and entertainment could be seen at the Colosseum, from gladiator fights to naval combats (yes, somehow they flooded the arena for this).

It truly is an architectural masterpiece. Of course the building by itself is stunning but even the small details in the inside show that Romans had brilliant minds. For example, along the staircases there is a small canal used to drain the water out of the building, possibly very useful for cleaning.

The Roman Forum was the main plaza of ancient Rome. Surrounded by government buildings, citizens would meet here for political or economical business. Being able to walk through the Roman ruins is just incredible. It gives us a better understanding of how the Roman Empire became so powerful. In my opinion the key was not only to have a strong army but to use their architects and engineers at their fullest potential.

There is so much to discover in Rome. You can be walking around the narrow streets, not really knowing where to go and all of a sudden end up standing right in front of a magnificent ancient building, like the Pantheon.

The Pantheon is thought to be almost 2,000 years old. Aside from standing in perfect shape, the Pantheon´s elegance and explicit design is a very good example of the great architecture implemented by the Roman Empire. At first it was built as a temple to all gods but later was turned into a church, historians think this is one of the reasons why it has survived. It is very famous for its dome. The dome´s weight would have been to heavy to be supported, so Roman engineers made the walls thinner on the upper part and also used lighter materials. Also the distance from the top to the floor is proportional to its diameter making the design even more impressive! (I was lucky to be traveling with my dad who is an architect).

I learned so much about the greatness of the Roman Empire but specially the understanding of the "All roads lead to Rome" saying.

-Greta

Photos by Greta Elizondo and Gabriela Garcia.

Another Pointe