9 julio 2018. Picos de Europa, Spain

https://www.asturiaspicosdeeuropa.com/tourism/picos-de-europa/tourist-atractions

https://www.turismoasturias.es/en/descubre/naturaleza/reservas-de-la-biosfera/parque-nacional-de-los-picos-de-europa

http://www.vvww.net/articles/fuentedespain.html

Estamos en las montanas.

We woke up behind a bakery in a small little village 45 minutes from the entrance to the lakes in Picos de Europa, lagos de Covadonga. We woke up early before they close the roads to only shuttle buses and tour taxis. Everything was closed and I still had not found a bathroom to use. I was uncomfortable. Everything was beautiful. We hiked up a trail to view both lakes and see the clouds over the mountains. By the time we came back down again, the bathrooms were unlocked. We were let down that the lakes were not for swimming. The person in the info booth recommended that we go visit Fuente De and take the cable car up. In order to do that we had to drive all around the Park to get to the other side. We were both tired. Carla found hot springs to stop and rest at La Hermida. Unfortunately, the river was strong and had risen above the area. We were tired and spent the entire afternoon sleeping. We tried to bathe in the cold river wary of the current. Eventually, we got up and started driving to make it to Fuente De before the last rips. It was stunning. It would have been a 4.5 hours hike and 15 km to the bottom. If we had more time and were in a better headspace, it would have been good. It only took 4 minutes to get down in the cable car.

We decided to drive to Leon to sleep there. That was a journey as you can read.

8 julio 2018. Laredo, Santander & Comillas, Spain - El Capricho de Gaudi

Amanecimos en la playa.

No idea where we were going to sleep. Carla randomly picked Laredo. We discovered it was beach town. We parked n a side street by the beach next to a white camper van. When we woke up, we explored the beach and walked before deciding to go in for a morning swim. In hindsight, I wish we had spent more time there. Our camper neighbors had spent months traveling around from the UK.

We left and began our mission to Santander to complete the business of adding my status as a driver to the rental at the airport kiosk. We reported the broken trunk lock but decided to keep our spacious caravan SUV. We intended to find a beachside to pull over and enjoy lunch but we were unlucky. I decided to pull over on a random country road by the fields. I don't like traveling aimlessly without parking security. Cities are more stressful. Roads are narrow, parking is limited. The next stop was el Capricho de Gaudi in Comillas. This made me really happy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoni_Gaud%C3%AD#Personal_life
https://www.elcaprichodegaudi.com/descubre/el-capricho-de-gaudi/
http://www.antonigaudi.org/maximo-diaz-de-quijano-160.html

It was Sunday and there was entertainment in the plaza that we could hear but neither of us was interested in exploring. We began driving West.

We went to the Mirador del Fitu and stopped by a Roman Bridge after. It was getting late and we tried looking for a place to sleep. Eventually, we came across an empty lot next to a pharmacy, bakery, and inactive info kiosk. I chose to stay in the car and not see the river nearby. Mosquitos are the worst.

I was sad we did not get to Kaos Temple in Asturias.

https://ablanosdeaymar.es/nuestro-entorno/mirador-del-fitu/

5-7 julio 2018. Bilbao, Espana

De regreso a Espana.

I arrived late after traveling all day. Carla picked me up from the airport with only 3 hours of sleep. Our first priority was the nearest free parking space. We went to Parque Europa. Bilbao's language was foreign to us. We slept and looked for a hostel to shower in the next morning.

We walked through Santuxu and Casco Viejo and found luck at the Quartier Bilbao Hostel. We also stopped at some second hand stored to find blankets and other items to make our road trip more comfortable.

I wish I had walked across the Zurizubi Bridge. We walked along the river until we came across the Guggenheim. Carla requested that we get food before we walked in. We got doner kabob and celebrated. We spent the entire afternoon inside the Guggenheim until closing. We started with Richard Serra's installation "Matter of Time".
https://www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en/works/the-matter-of-time/

https://www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en/
https://arteychina.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en/
https://www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en/exhibitions/chagall-breakthrough-years-1911-1919/
https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/marc-chagall
https://www.theartstory.org/artist-chagall-marc.htm
https://joanavasconcelos.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en/
https://lta.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en/

https://www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/en/the-building/
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/49749245" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://joanavasconcelos.com/video_en.aspx?oid=569&vid=26

We walked for more than 6 hours that day. Some of that time was because we were misdirected and got lost on the way back to the car. Also, I was searching for Invader.

http://www.space-invaders.com/world/bilbao/
https://www.slideshare.net/rvleb/space-invaders-bilbao

The next morning we returned to the showers. We were given delicious Starbucks strawberry frappucino sample shots with coupons on our way to breakfast. On the way back, we cashed in on the coupons with fruit ice frappes and spent hours recharging and mapping our journey for the next few days. We showered, bought groceries, didn't get towed, and prepared to drive towards Santander.

The intention was to find shelter before nightfall. We ended up in Laredo and enjoyed dinner on a bench by the beach. we watched people walking on the path for a while before moving the car into a side street by the beach.

PEDU9200 - Part 1: Northern Spain & Morocco

This took a long time. I wish I could break projects down and keep to a timeline.

I did all the work. All the work was there. I shared parts along the way. I reflected during and after the journey. I am always reflecting. Please enjoy the following work that demonstrates my learning through travel experiences.

I am sharing this with others so that they too may be inspired to go to far away places and learn about our world history.

Slideshow link: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KnrmV5oon-Bci1Ly3-yxRrQ5VXIm313exIPs_Ar_ZpQ/edit?usp=sharing

Please pardon the extra grainy quality on the slides. I was frustrated with GoogleSlides because it did not let me upload my original presentation. I had to copy and enlarge each slide to share via GoogleSlides online.

Course # PEDU 9200 Developing a Curriculum for Academic Enrichment

3 credits

Part 1: Southern Spain & Morocco

Travel study has positively impacted my professional development as an art educator. I started traveling for educational experience in 2007. I studied abroad at the University of Cambridge in England in their International Summer Program. After my term of study, I did a 10-day European tour designed by my small group of peers. We worked together to travel through Greece, Italy, France, Spain, and England. I had discovered a passion for world history and I used art as a way to examine the connections between cultures and what others declared valuable. I have traveled on my own and I have had the opportunity to travel with others in a tour group. Every time I travel, I consider it to be an opportunity to gain personal experience that I can share with others.

Traveling to Southern Spain and Morocco was a dream. Perhaps it is my dreams that direct my travels. I create art based on ideas that have inspired me. Most of my inspiration came from exposure to travel shows and Carmen San Diego mystery books when I was a child. I sought to learn more about the artwork valued around the world. I learned that there were institutions that protected these treasures. I also learned that these places were each unique and the cultures that enabled their existence were worth exploring.

My own heritage had directed me to Spain through an ancestor that had immigrated to Chile, where my parents are from. I wondered about the historical events that had occurred in Spain. It inspired artists and explorers for ages. As I began to look at the Spanish treasures, I learned about their past exchanges with Northern Africa through trade with Arabic civilizations and even to the extent of the Roman Empire. It really amazes me to see how events shape the history of a place. The design of the Alhambra directly reflects the legacy of the Moors in Spain. The transformation of the Mezquita in Cordoba contains so many clues. It was valuable to visit those sites to study directly and then travel through Morocco and view firsthand the culture that is directly responsible for the design. I learned so much history and saw what elements were communicated through art. The fact that they can still be seen today supports the importance of their legacy.  The tradition of architecture in the region had been practiced for centuries. It was valued by other conquering forces that they chose to preserve it and “improve” upon them to maintain the royal status of the party in power.

Morocco was also beautiful because it felt foreign and romantic. I do not know Arabic and I am thankful I had the opportunity to discover Morocco with the help of wonderful guides. There were so many new experiences to process. I was thankful I had traveled with a group so that I could focus on being present and aware of the sights, smells, sounds, flavors and sensations. We went to many cities in Morocco. I was fascinated by the similarities in the design of the city centers. There were fortresses, markets, schools, mosque, palaces, and so much more. The markets were like mazes that featured all types of crafts: ceramics, metal, leather, textile, and spices. I appreciated the visits to studios and showrooms so that I could learn about the art forms that I practice and share with my students.

I created a journal to make art related to this trip. I also wrote in a notebook and collected hundreds of photographs to document my studies. I intend to publish my art, reflections, and photographs online to share with those who are interested. Since starting the school year, I have given my students opportunities to explore my artifacts in class and ask questions. I also created a display in my school to share highlights of my journey give them insight of the direction and influences in my curriculum for the year. We will be working on sculpture with clay, woven textile patterns, and geometric mosaic designs. I look forward to sharing the personal experiences to further support the concepts I am teaching my students. 

2 julio 2018 - Casablanca, Morocco

SO MUCH TRAFFIC - STORKS - and TRAFFIC

Rick's Cafe Photo opportunity
http://www.rickscafe.ma/


Hassan II Mosque
http://www.fmh2.ma/
http://www.fmh2.ma/fr/mosqu%C3%A9e/historique


La Corniche
https://www.britannica.com/place/Casablanca-Morocco

30 junio - 1 julio, 2018. Rabat via Volubilis via Meknes

LONG DRIVING DAY - "Are we in Rabat yet?"

Volubilis - Wild Morning Glory
Roman ruins in growing wild flowers.
Picking flowers in Volubilis to press forever.
MOULAY IDRISS circa 800

Rocks
Limestone
Order
Chaos
Mosaic
Columns
Storks

Berber land cruiser - donkey
Saturday market
The Gate of the Victorious

Ancient archeological Site, Roman City, Palace, Royal Residence
Columns take to decorate Meknes
40 hectares NO SHADE only 1 tree
Arc of Triomphe always facing Rome

https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/836

MEKNES
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/793
https://www.roughguides.com/article/meknes-morocco/

DAVID BOWIE FILMED THE TEMPTATION OF CHRIST IN THE GRANARIES AND STABLES.


RABAT
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1401
https://www.journeybeyondtravel.com/blog/hassan-tower-mohamed-v-mausoleum.html

1912 Capital of Morocco - Official Administrative Royal Residency

Rock the Casbah
"The French get out through the door but they get in through the window" - Karim, guide

New City designed by the French
Red = royal family dynasty
Green Star = muslim faith

Fez protest of French rule - move capital to Rabat
Medina sections: Andalusian, Jewish, and Turks

Tree of the Mother-in-law, Oleander = poison

INVADER in Rabat 2017 - I found a few mosaics randomly around the city.
http://www.space-invaders.com/world/rabat/
https://www.graffitistreet.com/space-invaders-invasion-of-rabat-morocco-2017/
https://www.slideshare.net/rvleb/space-invaders-morocco-maroc-in-marrakech-rabat