Making it to Madrid

Dressed for different seasons, once again, but nonetheless, enjoying the weather at the Parque del Retiro.

Magical scenery.

Puerta de Alcalá.

Touring the Palacio Real on our last rainy day.

Solo Act

On our second day in Barcelona, we stumbled across the gorgeous gothic-style Barcelona Cathedral where a group of locals were performing the sardana, a type of circle dance typical of Catalonia. Meanwhile, this bad ass in leopard and cat-eye sunglasses decided to march to the beat of her own drum...

Faux Pas #4

What is the deal with tourists taking photos with their iPads? Even worse, their lap tops. This man taking a picture (of who knows what) at Parc Guell in Barcelona is just one of too many people we have seen being guilty of this offense.

But seriously, what are you doing? There is this thing called a camera that is much lighter and way more normal. I know one day you will eventually have to upload those photos to your iPad, but I promise it won't be that hard. Let's all get with the program and start using our extensive amounts of technology correctly. Please, and thank you.

We belong in Barcelona

Sagrada Familia, a Roman Catholic church, is one of the most amazing sites we have seen since being in Europe. Although construction began in 1882, the basilica was only around a quarter of the way complete when the architect, Antoni Gaudi, died in 1926. It is still under construction today.

Amazing architecture brought to you by the bizarre Gaudi.

View from the amazing Parc Guell.

A breathtaking sunset, and a great ass.

 Clouds straight out of a fairy tale. 

The fountain show that made our jaws drop.

La Forêt Noire

This past weekend our Critical Theory program took a trip to Germany. We enjoyed various activities that included eating for free, not understanding a single word of German, and visiting Heidegger's Hut. Martin Heidegger, a philosopher we are studying, often secluded himself up in the mountains of the Black Forest in Todtnauberg, so naturally we hiked to it, read some of his most profound passages, and took in the fresh mountain air.

Finally Twenty-One

All photo credits: Lucia Radder

On Wednesday, October 17, Alyssa turned 21! While Tuesday night we celebrated like the rowdy Americans we are, Wednesday was reserved strictly for the classiest of festivities. Kylie, Tori, Lucia and I ascended the private elevator of Le Jules Verne to le deuxième étage of the Eiffel Tower to dine at one of the most well-renowned restaurants in Paris. We sat in the very location where Tom Cruise proposed to Katie Holmes. Needless to say, it was a night to remember.

Cheveux Cheris

Buste de Marie-Joséphine de Savoie (1753-1810) & Chilpéric 1er, Roi des Francs (539-584)

Série African Spirits, Samuel Fosso, 2008

Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon, 1958

Nu sous les Branches, Albert Auguste Fourié, Vers 1892

J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere: Ogun Pari, 1970 & Back Parting 1968

Trois Capes, YI, Yunnan, Chine, début du XXe siècle & Tête Réduite, Tsantsa (AKA shrunken skulls)

"The Art of Hair" exhibit posters had been hanging in the Metros for a couple weeks before I finally felt compelled to read one. It looked kind of weird. And by kind of, I mean really. So naturally Alyssa and a couple friends decided to check it out. Turns out the exhibit, located at musée du quai Branly, was actually extremely thought-provoking. And weird. The debut of the exhibit showcased statues, paintings and photographs of hairstyles throughout the centuries. Normal, and super interesting. The exhibit took a turn for the bizarre when hair started being featured in jewelry and clothing. It got disturbing when we encountered a room of shrunken skulls and other artifacts I care not to discuss. Okay they were scalps, I know you were dying to know.

Anyway, back to the thought-provoking portion of my visit. We all are conscious of our hair. In the exhibit my friends and I actually acknowledged how much we care is quite vain, yet I have never really examined how hair is part of our identity. Long or short, straight or curly, braided or loose, blonde or brown, altered or natural, done or undone; it says something about us. Hair is a personal statement. The exhibit pointed out how we use hair to either break or obey social norms, express ourselves, and the social connotations that go along with both. It also brought to light how hair can create gender ambiguousness, seduction, and even violence.

Uncomfortable sentiments aside, I would say the strangeness was balanced out by how surprisingly stimulating the overall exhibit turned out to be. Who knew hair could be so interesting?