This is an exclusive for Artful Crafts using the sketch posted for their Travel and Treats party. I've had these photos on my "scrap list" for 2 entire years. Why? Because they were taken with a crappy Kodak digi camera with bad flash and worst focus. Many photos are fussy or pixelated. But enough with the apologies- I just wanted to acknowledge that I am aware the photos STIIIINK but it's my first trip to EUROPE for goodness sake! I love these shots!
On our trip my sister and I hit up London AND Barcelona. Barcelona was a wonderful surprize my sister sprung on me last minute- I'm usually not good with surprises but this one was GREAT.
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| Required red phone booth shot. Botanocal Gardens at Kew will get their own page. I wish I could live in one of those Victorian green houses! Bridge to Tate Modern designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava- his work is so EXCITING. |
On my London MUST LIST:
1. The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew- CHECK!!! Thanks Letty- you kept your cool all through my compulsive fern shooting. Ya'll don't know this but I LOVE ferns- Victorian style! (That means I collect them and kill them and mourn my evil need to have them)
2. Tate Modern- CHECK! OMG not only is the building a wonderful example of Modern architecture- it's also filled with zany modern art that Letty and I had the pleasure to "EEEEHH???" over FOR FREE! Yes!!! I almost died of glee!!!
3. London phone booth- CHECK! Get THIS- the architect for the Tate Modern, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is also the designer of the british red phone booth!
4. Royal Crown Jewels- check!! Plus a guard gave me the willies by telling me NO PHOTOS or it's THE CLINK for you! He said THE CLINK! I was WAS afraid.
5. Eat cheap and cheerful asian fare! This was great- we had a tight budget but it wasn't a problem as long as we stuck to noodles or curry take away. The dollar was 2 to 1 to the pound. I had never felt so poor in my LIFE.
5. Eat cheap and cheerful asian fare! This was great- we had a tight budget but it wasn't a problem as long as we stuck to noodles or curry take away. The dollar was 2 to 1 to the pound. I had never felt so poor in my LIFE.
On my Barcelona MUST LIST:
1. Gaudi Architecture- everything and anything. Sagrada Familia was as amazing as I imagined!!! I n addition to my inveterate Fern love I am also an architecture groupie.
2. Zara Home store- I love the Zara clothing boutiques but their clothes are for tall thin chicks. I'm a short, plump chick so I splurged on home goods and came back with bed clothes in Turquoise, Royal Purple and Hot Pink- why there's nothing like that available stateside I do NOT know.
3. Tapas bar and Flamenco Show- we got tickets super cheap from the Gaudi Hotel (where else would I stay??? Certainly NOT the unisex rooms Youth Hostel Letty booked- Oh HELL NO! I unbooked that with THE QUICKNESS!)
4. Barcelona Botanical Gardens- OH. MY. GREENESS!!! This Mediteranian garden with modern design is THE BOMB!!!! I couldn't stop staring at the gorgeous avenues, the beautiful desert flora, the lines- the WONDERFUL MODERN LINES!!!!! You simply MUST go! No ferns though- minor bummer.
If you are ever in Barcelona and need a good but inexpensive local white wine try Chardonnay El Sol- delicious!
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| Best of the crappy bunch flamenco shot. Also- fave artist Jackson Pollock- those splatters look like African art. Dude I was STARING! This painting made me want to DANCE! |
MuChOs SmOoChEs!!
Michelle
Thanks for sharing your work with us Michelle! WE loved having you as a Guest Artist and thanks HEAPS for this LO you created with our sketch.
ReplyDeleteIt is the first time a Guest has done something like that and we LOVE IT!!!
Hi Michelle! I adore your layout! Congrats on the guest design team gig! It looks like you and your sister had a blast on your trip! I have been to London, but never to Barcelona...maybe someday! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for popping by Artfull Crafts! I LOVED Barcelona - except I was a victim of the "Hand-bag theft" that I warned so many other friends of! I clutched my bag everywhere I went. I was so careful. But these guys are good and when we left our hotel we had our heavy backpacks on and our two hands were filled with daypack and handbag. And they waited on on the roadside, the passenger put his hand through the bag and accelerated. What can you do? Let's just say he got my camera... with photos from Venice, Provence and Barcelona... Luckily Graham was good at taking photos too. But I lost heaps from the Barcelona Botanic gardens - a wonderful place. I'll just have to go back one day!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fabulous layout capturing so many memories!! Love reading about your travels! :)
ReplyDeleteSo awesome Michelle! Love what you did with the sketch!!
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