Cycling Croatia's Hvar Island

Days 6-9: Hvar! Ancient Greek Ports and Lavender Fields

I am now officially and deeply in love with Croatia. The fall climate is lovely. The villages are immaculate, the water is radiant blue and the locals are sincerely friendly (with many speaking perfect English).

Day Six began on the Island of Brac and ended on the Island of Hvar. The ride was a beautiful downhill ride to the seaside town of Bol and arguably Croatia's best swimming beach Zlatni Rat (the Golden Horn). 

 

 Zlatni Rat - The Golden Horseshoe

While awaiting our water taxi to Hvar we enjoyed a great alfresco lunch in one of Bol's waterfront cafes.

The boat then shuttled us to the village of Jelsa on the scenic island of Hvar. Conde Nast proclaimed Hvar (along with Zanzibar, Capri, Mykonos and Bali) as one of the most beautiful Islands in the world. And, with only 12.000 residents, it is very quiet and peaceful.

Hvar's Fortress at Night

 

Venetian Influenced Architecture in Hvar

Hvar Town

Upon arrval in Jelsa we boarded buses for transfer to Hvar Town and our hotel overlooking St. Stephen's Plaza. Dinner was hosted by a local chef who gave us a cooking class on how to grill perfect tuna steaks.

 

Tuna Steaks and Fleur de Sel

Day Seven began with a hearty and (very lovely breakfast with great homemade pastries). Sated, we walked to our bicycles for a ride to the top of of the island to enjoy views and the chance to buy local lavender products. Then it was all downhill to the port city of Stari Grad. This port dates back over 2400 years when it was built by the Greeks. Our 34 mile ride came with a chance to swim in the crystal clear Adriatic.

 Morning Route Review With Mario

Hvar's Elaborately Terraced Farmlands

Stari Grad

 

An Inquisitive Donkey

Fields Near Stari Grad

 
Day Eight, the last cycling day of the trip began and ended in Stari Grad. We had a bunch of chances to swim and enjoyed a picnic l,unch created by our host Neven followed by rides through lavender fields. We finished the evening at the hotel's terrace with a farewell dinner.

Neven's Picnic at Jelsa

Hotel Terrace

Day Nine began with a round of good-byes, a ferry transfer to Split and an Uber ride to the airport for my flight on to Rome. 


Roadboy's Travels © 2018

Cycling Croatia's Brac Island

Days 4-5: Spectacular Vista's, Some Rain & The Stonecutter's School

Day Four began by giving my electric assist "e-bike" its first workout with a ride that went straight uphill to the village of Skrip. In Skrip we admired the views and visited an olive mill for a tasting. Although some of our routing took us on some of the islands main roads we found the riding easy. Other than near the ferry terminous in Supertar the number of vehicles traveling throughout Brac was very and pretty courteous to cyclists.

Olive Oil Tasting in Skrip

From Skrip we rode through the rolling hills of Brac Island along its coastline to the stunning village of Pucisca for lunch and a visit to its Stonecutter's School.  The town of Pucisca was also one of the most immaculate little cities I have ever seen.

  

Pucisca

After lunch we visited Pucisca's Stonecutter's School. Here 60-100 high school age students enroll to learn the traditional art of Roman stonecutting. The school's students are trained to do all work by hand with chisels. There are no power tools. Students live at the school and may choose one of two training tracks: a three year track that prepares them for traditional masonry jobs, and the other track is four years and prepares students destined for university arts programs in sculpture and/or historic preservation work. Works from the school are never sold.

The strategic location of the school is based on its proximity to Brac's extensive limestone quarry's that date back to the Romans plus access to deep water ports.

 Students Were Off During Our Saturday Visit

Touring The Studio

In-Process Work

Stonecutter Tools

All Work Uses Traditional Measuring Devices

The Island Offers Views From Every Turn

Day Five began with grey skies and hard driving rain. The original intent was to shuttle us to the top of the highest hill on the island of Brac, enjoy the view and then ride down to the seaside town of Milne.  With the hilltop in fog we instead began the ride lower down the hill.  

A Little Tree Growing From Roof of This Church in Nerezisca 

(Considered a Miracle to Locals)

We began the day with our route review looking out the hotel dining room windows to sheets of rain. Reports told us the mountaintop was in deep fog.  So it was decided to begin our riding lower down the mountain where episodes of rain were starting to be mixed with hints of sun. The roads were slippery though so the riding was a bit slower than usual. 

But as the day progressed and the sun came out, we all concluded it was actually a great day to ride.

Milna's Sunny Harborfront Square

A Cat Lady in Milna

Milna Harbor

Some information about the Adriatic Sea. It is the bluest body of water I have ever seen.  It is very clear and was comfortable to swim in even in early October. Since it has limited connection to the Mediterranean and lots of fresh water tributaries flowing into it, there is a noticable lack of salt in the water. Locals informed us that it allows for perfect conditions to harvest the fleur de sel that chefs prize in cooking.

Notice how close the boats are to the stone harbor edge? It is the result of the unique configuration of the Adriatic Sea that results in very little tidal activity, so city waterfronts nearly touch the boats.

Milna Breaktime
(Mario Sporting His Lavender Man T-Shirt)

A local celebrity Lavender Man creates t-shirts, art works even a mockumentary. His shop on Hvar is open during the summer months. A nudist himself, customers are awarded an immediate 30% discount by entering the shop and purchasing Lavender Man products in the nude. 

Tomorrow we transfer by motor launch from Brac to the Island of Hvar. The weather is supposed to clear up and be sunny for the rest of the cycling week!

Roadboy's Travels © 2018

                          

Cycling the Dalmation Islands

Roadboy in Croatia - Days 1-3

Croatia was pretty much unknown to me prior to this trip. But every time I mentioned my intention to travel there friends all volunteered how much they or friends had loved traveling there.

Sort of like Portugal, Croatia has become a hot spot for travel. And it is easy to see why with its pristine beaches, great food and spectacular examples of legacy architecture. It is also pretty easy on a traveler's budget.

I was also warned though that it is very hot in the summer and that its top destinations (such as Dubrovnik) are overrun with tourists June, July and August. 

So scheduling a bicycling trip for late September / early October on the Islands of Brac and Hvar seemed like a perfect introduction to the country.

Day one began with a visit to Croatia's second largest city Split. Split is a thriving modern city with a picturesque Old City located at waters edge. It has lots of energy. Seemingly everywhere you go there is an urban soundtrack complete with young hipsters and pulsing music.

Waterfront Old Town Split

 The Waterfront Farmers Market

The first stop for most visitors is the palace that Roman Emperor Diocletion built in the fourth century for his retirement. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the building is the centerpiece of the waterfront. And, like seemingly every historic site in Eastern Europe, the palace was used as filming site for Season 4 of Game of Thrones.

Music is Performed in Diocletion's Palace at Night

Diocletion's Palace 

In th morning before leaving for Trogir (pronounced trogeer)I hiked up the stairs of Marjan HIll to enjoy the spectacular views of the Split waterfront.

The Views From Marjan Hill

Day Two I took a water ferry from Split Harbor to nearby Trogir to rendezvous with the bicycle touring company.

Looking Back at Split From the Ferry to Trogir

Approaching Trogir

Day Three we began the tour with a ferry to the island of Brac (pronounced "Bratch"). We got fitted for our bikes, took a short warm up ride to get the bugs ironed out, unpacked in our lovely modern hotel and then convened for the trip briefing and finished the day in the mountain village of Dol with a hearty Peka welcome dinner.

 Making Traditional Peka

("cooking under a bell")

Peka may be focused on one meat (a lamb peka is common), a combination of meats (a meat peka with lamb, veal and chicken) or seafood (octopus, etc.). In with the meat goes vegetable and some seasoning and then it is overed with a metal dome that is loaded with hot coals. When it is done everything is moist and fall-off-the-bone tender.

 Finished Meat Peka

The welcome is complete. Tomorrow the serious rides are to begin.


Roadboy's Travels © 2018

Paris' Architecture Museum

La Cité de L'Architecture et du Patrimoine

As the throngs of tourists crowd the Trocadero for arguably Paris' best view of the Eiffel Tower, many fail to notice the various museums and aquarium that comprise the site. 

Naturally the museum of interest to me was the architecture museum: La Cité de L'Architecure et du Patrimoine. This museum is dedicated to illustrating the lives and work of many of France's most renowned architects past and present as well as presenting accurate copies of art and stonework from major architecture in France. 

The Copies Gallery

 

Detail Work Rarely Seen Up Close

The building is gloriously uncrowded with a number of students parked here and there completing various sketching projects. I enjoyed the whole building with a particular emphasis on the presentation of architecture for world's Exhibitions and the various models. 

Gallery of Architectural Models

One model I found really striking was of the Decre department store built in 1931 in Nantes. The Decre model conveys the vigor of a cutting edge design lost to history.

Landmark Decre Store Nantes 1931

When the striking seven story glass and steel Decre building was completed it was considered the most important store in Europe. It included two restaurants, a terrace, a 300 seat cinema, hair salon, post office and even a puppet theater. 

However, it would survive only 12 years before its total destruction in the bombings of World War II.

I have to admit feeling old seeing the essential tools I learned to use as an architect being presented as historical artifacts.

Before Computers

I also really enjoyed the exhibit showcasing Le Corbusier's 1947 Unité d'Habitation built in Marseilles (also referred to as the Cité Radieuse (Radiant City) or the Marseille Block). 

The Unité design was based on concepts developed by the architect in the 1920's, but it was the demand for housing during reconstruction after World War II that finally resulted in the chance to test his ideas.  

Le Corbusier argued that big vertical buildings could preserve open space by floating above preserved large green open areas. The building was to be a large grid structure where modular living units could be slid into the grid. Hallways skipped floors allowing living spaces to extend from one side of the building to the other and utilize space that otherwise would be surrendered by long corridors bisecting the building. 

Building using modular construction resulted in units with uncomfortably narrow proportions. By post war standards the units were generously sized. By today's standards they feel small.

The main idea behind the highrise and dense vertical design was Le Corbusier's contention that it was better to build higher densities and preserve open space.

 The Land Consumed By Low Rise Housing Built in Traditional Densities

The Land Left As Open Space by Le Corbusier's Unité

Le Corbusier's Unité 

Le Corbusier planned each of the large structures to be elevated above the ground plane to allow open space to flow under the building. He envisioned the building as a total community with shopping and services all contained within the buildings. Even rooftops were used as community parks.

The Museum included a full size mock-up of one of the larger living units that you could freely walk through and explore as if it you were visiting someone's Unité unit. 

Apartment Entrance

Units Were Strikingly Contemporary   

 All Space Flowed Together

(A Complete Departure From Typical Design of the Era with Lots of Small Individual Rooms. The Loft Master Bedroom Allow for borrowed Views and Higher Living Room Ceilings)

Carefully Crafted Stairs Leading to Bedrooms Above

(Repetition Meant High Attention to Design Details)

Modular Sizing Resulted in Very Narrow Children's Bedrooms 

The desire to create affordable, well designed and hygenic living space for average income families has always been a quest for the worlds most creative architects. 

Today living units in the Unité, although over 70 years old and small by today's standards, are still in high demand.

From the Museum I decided to visit the Galleries Lafayette Food Hall for lunch. The various stalls display meat, produce, spices and pastry at the level of art. It seemed somehow appropriate after a morning spent examining design.

Pastry as Art

Roadboy's Travels © 2018  

  

Frank Gehry in Paris

The Fondation* Louis Vuitton

We wanted to present Paris with an extraordinary space for art and culture, and demonstrate daring and emotion by entrusting Frank Gehry with the construction of an iconic building for the 21st century.

Bernard Arnault

On the edge of the Bois de Boulogne (a huge Parisian park few tourists ever visit) is a major gallery and cultural space designed by arguably one of America's most creative living architects; Frank Gehry FAIA.

Gehry buildings tend to provoke very visceral reactions. People either love them a lot or hate them a lot.

I've visited four of his buildings: Santa Monica Place (an early work), Disney Hall, Seattle's Experience Music Project and now Paris' Fondation Louis Vuitton.

The Louis Vuitton Foundation who commissioned the structure officially reports that the building, opened in 2014, cost $143,000,000. As an architect, I'd offer that I view the official cost with extreme skepticism (the French news magazine Marianne reported the final cast was closer to $900,000,000). 

The building was between exhibits when I toured. So with the exception of a photographer doing a fashion shoot (it is Fashion Week in Paris), all of the visitors in the building were just there to see the building itself.

At one end of the site water cascades down steps to form a reflecting pool which conveys the impression that the building floats above the water. It is interesting that here Gehry's trademark swoopy doopy lines are not executed in metal panels, they are mainly glass and held away from the building. Sort of like the building is emerging from a cocoon. 

The builder had to invent new systems and installation tools to actually construct the building.

The project underwent court challenges mainly due to its location and ultimately received approval to move forward only after a special law was passed saying that the building was in the national interest and "a major work of art for the entire world".

Here are some images for you to draw your own conclusions.

 The Curving Glass Panels

Roof Terraces Offer Wonderful Views

Straight Lines Inside the Building

The Cafe Space

Some Fashion Week Shots

The Cascading Fountain

    

I enjoyed the building. Like the controversial Centre Georges Pompidou and the Pyramid at the Louvre, it extends the boundaries of traditional architecture. I think that buildings that can do that have merit.

Roadboy's Travels © 2018

*Not a typo, it is how the Parisions spell.