Weimar, Germany – Where Bauhaus Began
Celebrating the centenary of Bauhaus Design in Weimar, Germany, where the radical design movement was founded by Walter Gropius in 1919.
Read MoreCategory: Art & Architecture
ART & ARCHITECTURE
With my background in interior design, getting familiar with the distinctive architecture of a destination – the stories, beliefs, politics and culture that influenced it and the process of its evolution – is an ever fascinating prospect.
Categorising these posts is a challenge though, since there’s quite a bit of overlap
between cultural, historical and design perspectives. These are a few that tilt more towards art and building design. You’ll find more mainstream monuments over at the TRAVEL STORIES and HISTORY & CULTURE pages.
Calçada – Portugal’s Distinctive Mosaic Pavements
The traditional mosaic pavements of Portugal – Calçada Portuguesa – can be found all across the country. Especially in the streets in the historic city centres of Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve, even the Azores Islands.
Read MoreBrussels – Exploring History Through Architecture
Art Nouveau walk in Brussels, Belgium, and an exploration of the city’s history through its eclectic architecture.
Read MoreThe Singing Bells Of Brussels
The musical bells of the carillon in Brussels, Belgium.
Read MoreThe Narrowest Church In Split
Tucked into a sentry’s walkway above the ‘Golden’ Gate to Diocletian’s palace, is an ancient church dedicated to Saint Martin, the patron saint of soldiers. It is a replica of the 6th century original, with a beautifully carved pre Romanesque altar partition that has been in situ since the 11th century. Narrow is the norm in the confined […]
Read MoreGuggenheim Bilbao – A Spectacular Symbol of Renewal
When we dashed across, nearly a decade ago, on a (crazy) day trip from Barcelona to Bilbao just to gaze upon those stunning overlapping waves of shimmering titanium, we were clueless about the city’s history of industrial decline, or of the conception of the Guggenheim museum as an icon of urban reinvention. It is hard to imagine that […]
Read MoreThe Dancing Girl And The Goddess
A primitive dancing girl and a Tantric Goddess trigger reflections on the current status of women in India.
Read MoreTomb Of Safdarjung, Delhi, India
LAST UPDATED: 02 MARCH 2022 The site is deserted, even at midday. The ₹5 entrance fee (Since hiked. See updated travel logistics below) is almost an apology, even without the elevated status of a royal tomb. This “last flicker in the lamp of Mughal architecture” is the final resting place of the erstwhile Nawab of […]
Read MoreArchitectural Reflections
I was surprised by how many architectural marvels I photographed last year, mirrored in reflection pools…….at least one from each of our 2013 destinations! You have seen the Paris reflections one too many times, so here are the rest, all from India: The Victoria Memorial, Kolkata Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi The Taj Mahal, Agra Chota […]
Read MoreArt Inspired By Faith
From dust to dust. Or in this case from the clay dredged from the bottom of the holy Ganges, and back to its murky depths. The journey of Goddess Durga, believed to be her annual sojourn in her maternal home, is a metaphor for impermanence and temporality. Of all life. But also, in the sacred ritual that […]
Read MoreParis – Oddly Juxtaposed
The integrity and identity of historic urban spaces the world over, is under threat from unbridled growth and global integration. Especially in third world countries, where cultural heritage takes a back seat to new found aspirations of development & progress, despite the efforts of conservation groups. But when managed sensitively, it is the very contradictions […]
Read MoreLuang Prabang Temples: Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham
Luang Prabang Temples: Wat Mai Suwannaphumaham was once the principle royal monastery and the repository of the gold Buddha that Laung Prabang derives its name from.
Read More
The Urge To Wander 