Monday, December 22, 2014

Romance of the Ruin--Trim, Doneraile, Ireland




Sunday, December 21, 2014

Bicycling the City--Cork, Ireland

On Thursday, Cork joined the ranks of other cities around the world with a public bicycle system. New bike stations have popped up near campus, along the Grand Parade, in Shandon and near other convenient city spots. The service is very affordable compared to NYC and Denver where I have used the service. For 3 euro, one can rent the bicycle for for 3 days (at 30 minute intervals) or city dwellers can sign up for a whole year of service for only 10 euro. Limerick and Galaway have also followed suit. 


Saturday, December 20, 2014

A snapshot from September--Cork, Ireland


Thursday, December 18, 2014

The Last Rounds--Fitzgerald Park, Cork

For my last few days in Cork I have planned to go to all of the places I have always wanted to go, but never have, to revisit my three favorite spots, two of which I visited today already--Fitzgerald Park and the Glucksman Gallery--and to take photos of every building I've had my eye on, but have never captured. As exams are complete, I pick my camera back up after a long 'rest' and spend my days in the crisp almost-winter air exploring. I hope to document my view of the city and share a few snapshots with you. 






Monday, December 15, 2014

Christmas Market or Carnival?--Grand Parade, Cork

The advertised Christmas market of Cork is reminiscent of a carnival: carnival rides, long lines, and food vendors. It's nothing like I had imagined when I observed the set-up of the small wooden booths and decoration preparations in Brussels. Were is the Christmas market with the paper star lanterns, the antique-looking ornaments and the roasted chestnuts? Despite my initial disappointment--maybe next year, I'll have to visit Germany--the atmosphere of the city feels homely. The festival draws residents from neighboring towns, and I can feel the sense of community. 



Sunday, December 14, 2014

Christmas in Cork--Grand Parade, Cork

Christmas time in Cork: I dodge scampering children as they run from their parents--too excited in anticipation to ride the merry-go-round to wait any longer for their parents to catch up. The Ferris wheel goes round and round, offering views of the entire city. Young teens share a meal of crepes and kebabs with their crush. Families rush into and out of the Dunnes Store on St. Patrick's Street, bags in tow. A choral group sings carols outside of a hidden Christmas craft market. Street performers play the harp, violin, piano, guitar. I count the towering Christmas trees located around the city: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6...The lights at night create a magical ambiance.


Saturday, December 13, 2014

The Irish Countryside--Cork Co., Ireland



Friday, December 12, 2014

Blue Doors--Cork Co., Ireland

No door in Cork is the same: old, new, glossy, weathered, solid, paneled, etc. Despite these differences, color seems to signify the most. For me, there's something about the color blue that's attractive. Maybe it is because the color complements the orange brick or grey stone or that it mirrors the hues of the sky? What ever the draw, I seem to have accumulated a wide array of photographs of blue doors, each with a unique difference.  




Tuesday, December 9, 2014

An Architectural Archive--Blackpool, Cork

In October I mentioned an archival drawing assignment for my architectural conservation module (post found here). After four more wandering sessions and 233 photographs later, I chose a small structure to draw that incorporated all of my favorite Irish architectural features--red brick, a colorful door, two decorative, well-used chimneys. Having not drawn a structure to this degree of accuracy, I struggled in the beginning, especially with using a metric scale (which should have been the easiest part for me!). I measured brick sizes on various buildings and used proportions of dimensions of materials to dimensions measured from my photographs imported to autocad. After many hours, cups of coffee, and spilled watercolors, I had recreated the building. My drawing is now a part of an architectural archive of student drawings of the Blackpool neighborhood of Cork. I have successfully left a part of me in Ireland!



Friday, December 5, 2014

Photo graffiti--Brussels, Belguim

Sometimes I see decoupaged photographs around cities. Most are typically silly--elderly women wearing outrageous hats in Belfast or young dancers in over-sized tango costumes in Cork. However, Brussels caught my eye. This photograph was found pasted on a far-stretching wall littered in tagging. The photograph seems to melt into the scenery as if were forgotten some time ago. 


Thursday, December 4, 2014

The Multifaceted realm of Blogging--Cork, Ireland

Classes have now ended, and I now bury my head in urban planning texts, gathering information as I read to transform into three essays. Because of this, I have not been in the mood to write much for pleasure. But before I get completely lost in the argument of gentrification and urban renewal, I would like to share a work of mine from the semester--a series of blog entries relating to the rise of modernity for module titled the Historical Geographies of Cities. My three blog entries all seemed to revolve around the introduction of modern technologies and infrastructure, which is not surprising given my engineering background.