Here is an example of England never fully embracing winter. Those are pansies blooming above that wall.
and of course snowdrops!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Seasons Changing
Springtime has hit Leeds! There is something absolutely wonderful about the first encounter with crocuses every spring. I found these on a walk to class this past week.
Here is an example of England never fully embracing winter. Those are pansies blooming above that wall.
and of course snowdrops!
Here is an example of England never fully embracing winter. Those are pansies blooming above that wall.and of course snowdrops!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Barcelona Weekend Away
Last weekend, February 13-15, I met up with Logan in Barcelona. It was my first trip to mainland Europe since I have been in England. So far, I have just been to Copenhagen and Dublin, both on islands. Because of flight times, we only had one day to tour the city, but the weather on Saturday was phenomenal -60 degrees and sunny- especially to one who has been in a cold, dark, windy, foggy, drizzly country for five months.
When we stumbled out of our hostel the first morning, we found ourselves watching a parade. We didn't know what the occasion was, but it was a lot of fun to watch. Instead of floats, they had people wearing "costumes" of 10 foot high characters, and there were marching bands of 5-55 year old musicians in matching tshirts, children in dragons made out of what appeared to be pool toys, and plenty of individuals that may have been either crowd members or part of the parade.
One of the main streets in Barcelona is filled with street vendors. Among the most common were caricature artists, flower shops, mimes, and pet stores.
If you put the cute snuggly animals at the bottom, you draw in children.
A building near one of the Metro exits.
I saw this dessert in the window of a pastry shop and HAD to have it. It was packed with macadamia nuts and absolutely delicious.
The parts of Spain that I saw looked like a mix between a really nice San Diego neighborhood and a poor Mexican community with a touch of Texas attitude.
A couple from Minnesota took this picture of Logan and I. The garden was originally designed to be a gated community for wealthy individuals by Antoni Gaudi.
Parakeets in the palm trees!
I love little views into local life.
Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada FamÃlia or "Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family" designed by Antoni Gaudi. Construction has been in progress for 120 years.
There was a man atop this statue pointing out over the harbor. We weren't sure at what.
The docks.
While walking from the docks to find dinner (a nice little restaurant where we got delicious paella) we heard a commotion. Following the sound of music, we entered out onto a large square with an open-air concert.
The Catedral de Barcelona was situated at one end of the square holding the rock concert. There was a service going on when we visited, but you could still hear the music playing outside. It was an intriguing mix of party and God. Only in Spain.
When we stumbled out of our hostel the first morning, we found ourselves watching a parade. We didn't know what the occasion was, but it was a lot of fun to watch. Instead of floats, they had people wearing "costumes" of 10 foot high characters, and there were marching bands of 5-55 year old musicians in matching tshirts, children in dragons made out of what appeared to be pool toys, and plenty of individuals that may have been either crowd members or part of the parade.
One of the main streets in Barcelona is filled with street vendors. Among the most common were caricature artists, flower shops, mimes, and pet stores.
If you put the cute snuggly animals at the bottom, you draw in children.
A building near one of the Metro exits.
I saw this dessert in the window of a pastry shop and HAD to have it. It was packed with macadamia nuts and absolutely delicious.
The parts of Spain that I saw looked like a mix between a really nice San Diego neighborhood and a poor Mexican community with a touch of Texas attitude.
A couple from Minnesota took this picture of Logan and I. The garden was originally designed to be a gated community for wealthy individuals by Antoni Gaudi.
Parakeets in the palm trees!
I love little views into local life.
Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada FamÃlia or "Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family" designed by Antoni Gaudi. Construction has been in progress for 120 years.
There was a man atop this statue pointing out over the harbor. We weren't sure at what.
The docks.
While walking from the docks to find dinner (a nice little restaurant where we got delicious paella) we heard a commotion. Following the sound of music, we entered out onto a large square with an open-air concert.
The Catedral de Barcelona was situated at one end of the square holding the rock concert. There was a service going on when we visited, but you could still hear the music playing outside. It was an intriguing mix of party and God. Only in Spain.
Snow in Leeds!!
I thought I was going to go an entire winter without really seeing snow. We got a few inches one night before Christmas break, but it was all gone by noon that day. The first week of February, though, we got a blizzard! We had a decent blanket of snow on the ground for almost an entire week, getting a bit more almost every day. It made England feel more like home. :~)
This is the view walking out my front door in the morning.
The walk to campus is through a graveyard.
Even though we are in the depths of winter, summer refuses to completely give up its hold. There is ALWAYS some flower or another blooming, even under all our snow. The pansies in Hyde Park have been blooming straight on since I arrived last September. The frosts just make the leaves wither a bit and the ground feel like pudding.
Halo Nightclub takes up part of the former Trinity St Davids Congregational Church. Apparently there are separate floors for heaven, hell, and purgatory, but I have never gone to check it out.
This is the view walking out my front door in the morning.
The walk to campus is through a graveyard.
Even though we are in the depths of winter, summer refuses to completely give up its hold. There is ALWAYS some flower or another blooming, even under all our snow. The pansies in Hyde Park have been blooming straight on since I arrived last September. The frosts just make the leaves wither a bit and the ground feel like pudding.
Halo Nightclub takes up part of the former Trinity St Davids Congregational Church. Apparently there are separate floors for heaven, hell, and purgatory, but I have never gone to check it out.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Kirkstall Abbey
The last week of finals, the day after my last exam, my friend Kim and I ventured the two mile walk to see the Kirkstall Abbey. It was constructed early in the 12th century, used for a few hundred years, and abandoned in 1539.
The little museum was set up for children, and posters throughout the abbey used simple sentences and small facts conveyed by a cartoon monk. While I didn't learn much beyond "this is where we ate," "this was the only fire in the entire abbey," or "we prayed once an hour, even at night," there were many pretty views within the abbey.
It was also an absolultely beautiful day.
The little museum was set up for children, and posters throughout the abbey used simple sentences and small facts conveyed by a cartoon monk. While I didn't learn much beyond "this is where we ate," "this was the only fire in the entire abbey," or "we prayed once an hour, even at night," there were many pretty views within the abbey.
It was also an absolultely beautiful day.
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