An Unceremonious Ending.

Well, I am happy/sad to say that I’m back in the US.

Conclusion: I am a poor blogger.

But for a little update:

After Istanbul we all came back to Versailles and got ready to have our final presentations on our semester design projects. A friend Kelsey and I went to Chartres for the day, two days before the last time all of my classmates and I would be together. It was a gorgeous day and the cathedral was bright and not crowded.

Crits went harsh for everyone, but that’s a good thing. We all needed some good criticism to help us grow and I’m glad to know there is a lot I can improve on. Especially the “poetry” of my architectural design.

That night everyone went out to Paris for the last time and went to Fubar and a Club. Fun.

Except the part where I had to meet two friends to go to the airport the next day. We were on our way to Helsinki and Stockholm. I forgot my passport and remembered I forgot it right when I walked into CDG, but the airlines said I could travel with my french student visa, so I did!

Helsinki was incredible and the Scandinavian people were some of the most intelligent and kind and helpful people I’ve ever met. It was amazing.  One of the four days we were there, we went to an authentic Finnish spa, woodburning and naked. It was funny because I went with a friend Amanda and Charlie. Charlie had to fend for himself. Ahahahaha.

Stockholm was reached by an overnight ferry – but it felt like a luxury liner. There were a lot of restaurants, gift stores, bars, and a grocery store, casino, and club on board. Not to mention a pool and spa.

Stockholm was beautiful again, and this time we were able to explore the natural beauty of Sweden by going to a open air museum on an island outside of town, and then a Swedish fort on another island in the bay. Oh wait, no, that was still in Finland. But in Stockholm we got to walk around the Gamla Stan (old town) and check out all the chic shops and a huge boat museum for the boat that was raised 333 years after it sank in the town harbor on its maiden voyage.

We explored all the architecture of Raphael Moneo and Aalvaro Alto.

And then before I knew it – it was the last night – a wild 60s themed party thrown by the french students in the rain until 8am the morning I left.  And I was on a plane, aisle seat and watching 5 different movies, and then in Chicago.

Voila!

This makes me sad writing this. Because I’m not there anymore!

Anywho, for all of you who stuck with me as readers until the end, feel free to contact me via email:

lizkeane2@gmail.com

or call me

217.721.7118

if you want to hear more. Or just chat.

thanks for reading.

Love love love

Liz

p.s. I’ll probably write more in here… just random stories that I remember. so maybe dont stop reading yet.

haha

Istanbul: Immediate Hit

I’m back in Versailles, unscathed except for sunburn and a few long nights traveling. It has been gorgeous in Paris and Versailles these past two days. I went to Chartres with a friend today and we couldn’t have picked a better sunny and warm day. Apparently the three weeks we were gone, it was really rainy here. Glad we missed it.

I can’t remember what I wrote about Athens right now because I’m without the internet and this is a word document, so I’ll just begin. Athens: a city. Plain ole Greek city. I know, harsh, but we were not as impressed with it as every other city before it. We spent the first day (Greek Orthodox Easter) just looking around and walking into open parks. We saw the changing of the Greek guards in front of the Presidential Residence, HIGHLY entertaining, and ate the various Easter dishes (aka Lamb soup, Lamb and potatoes, Lamb and ____). The next day was really fun, because we took a day trip to Aegina island from Piraeus. We rented motorbikes and just rode around for about four hours, up into the hills, down on the coast, remote roads, in the ruins, everywhere. I couldn’t have had a better time. That was truly a Greek place for me. And I felt bad-ass.

But the highlight of our travels outside of the sketching portion was definitely Istanbul. We were met at the airport by an old student of my Mom, now a great professor at Sabanci University, and his wife, who is also an amazing materials science prof. Not only did Mehmet know a lot about the history of Istanbul and all the buildings, but he and Cleva really showed us what Turkish food looks and tastes like. That night we had apple tea and Kebabs on the waters of the Bosphorous, talking about the politics about Istanbul, research, and the University. It was a great time. We stayed at the University in a visiting faculty residence hall above all the student cafes and proceeded to creepily stare at all of them from above, marvelling that they attend such an amazing university (built in 2000).

The next day we spend hanging out in Istanbul, going to the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi palace, the Egyptian market, the Blue Mosque, the Cistern Basilica, and other sites. We eventually met up by taking a ferry across the Bosphorous, chock full of jellyfish, to Kadikoy, where we trying a variety of different Turkish dishes with Mehmet. We drove back and got a great nights sleep.

The next day was little interesting.. the labor party in Istanbul was going to hold a gathering in Taksim Square, a main square that is now illegal to have organized gatherings in due to a number of people getting shot from the surrounding buildings in the 80s. They wanted to have the 1st of May as Labor Day like most other countries however the government was against it. There was a lot of political unrest and the police blocked all public transport, and eventually ALL transport to the square. For this reason Mehmet suggested we take a cruise down the Bosphorous. So in a roundabout way, we made it to one of the main ports and got a place on the boat. It was really gorgeous and we ate a great seafood lunch at the mouth of Bosphorous and the Black sea.  It was a great day that ended with Mehmet taking us to a great place to eat the most delicious poison ivy I have ever tasted.

I have spent so many minutes on the internet… I need a break. I’ll keep this going and include pictures in my next post!