Visual Diaries

Middle Age Wall Remnant

Visual Diaries

Cultural Sustainability (Wall, June 12):

Pictured to the right is a remnant of the old wall that once surrounded the city center of Bonn in the middle age. On the very first day of the program this jumped out at my and stunned me. It's so old, and I love how the city incorporates it into their new city center. In front of it is a fountain, and it is surrounded by shops. I pass by it every single day when I head to class, and it is really a marvel to look at. I love having the contrast of something so old and culturally meaningful right in the middle of the modern city that currently exists here.

Inside of the Rewe down the street

Grocery Shopping (Rewe, June 12):

The local grocery store chain, akin to HEB or Walmart is called Rewe, it is honestly shocking how similar it is to a small town grocery store. I was expecting something like what we see in the inner city, mostly small stores that sell a little bit of food and fresh groceries. I didn't expect to find a huge produce section, large aisles of snacks and breads and cheese, and even clothing racks like what we see in Walmart. The store has way better lighting than most US grocery chains, which I enjoy, and the stores are spread out and easy to navigate.

My Bushaltestelle, Lessenich

Sustainable Development (Lessenich Village, June 12):

I know, this photo doesn't seem like very much, but it means a lot to me. This is the view I have every morning, here in the village of Lessenich. This is my bus stop. Bonn is made up of several smaller villages, similar to what we would call a neighborhood, but a bit bigger. There are all intertwined with probably the best bus network I have ever experienced. I come from Austin, which has a notoriously horrible bus network. Very few lines connect very few regions of the city with the others, and here, my mind is blown by how easy it is to access other parts of the city with only public transportation.

Laocoon and his Sons, The Vatican

Cultural Sustainability, round 2 (Laocoon, June 19):

Pictured to the left is the Laocoon, a 2000 plus year old statue. This was carved by an unknown artist over two freaking thousand years ago. It was found, buried under Nero's palace in Rome, nearly 500 years ago. ever since, it has been the face of the Vatican's museum network. It is immensely important to the people of Rome, and has inspired several artists, most notably Michelangelo, who copied his right arm in his painting of Jesus in the Sistine Chapel. The use, and importantly the RE-use of art in this area is what draws so many to Rome, and what made my trip there so worth it. 

Walkable and Bike-able communities (Bike Ride, June 19):

Today, we went on a lovely bike ride throughout the city. Bonn has an amazing network of bike paths, most of which are a combined pedestrian and bike lane, connecting all parts of the city. the paths are wide enough to accommodate many walkers and bikers, and access extends to both sides of the rivers via the many bridges over the Rhine. I thoroughly enjoyed biking around the city, and it gave me a greater appreciation for the bike as a means of transport around a metropolitan area. 

Food again (Roman Restaurant, June 19)

I think what I love about Rome is their use of their tight quarters to their advantage, and the beauty found in their old environment. Sunday, we went to this very old restaurant in an alley in the city center, You could just feel the history around us. It was off the beaten path on alleys you would only take if you lived there, but we saw the tables and decided to sit down and eat. The food was great, and the environment was even better. I felt like I was a local eating at a secret spot that you would only get to if you spent a lot of time walking around there.

Renewable Energy (Rotterdam, June 25)

In the Netherlands, we got the opportunity to see several wind farms that dotted the landscape. The entire country seemed like it was covered with some sort of contraption to catch the wind to serve a sustainable purpose for the Dutch. It is such a stark contrast to Texas where I feel like I have seen very few wind farms. The only one I can remember genuinely is in Denton outside of the University of North Texas. The Dutch have mastered the wind for centuries to aid their society, from using wind mills to pump water out of fields or to power their cities, they have truly conquered air as a tool to improve their country. 

Stormwater Management (Rotterdam, June 25)

The Dutch have constructed a massive moveable dam, called the Measlant Barrier, that protects Rotterdam from storm surge from swells in the North Sea. This massive barrier is the largest robot on Earth, and also uses the world's largest ball bearings. It remains on land until needed to block a surge, and when necessary, can be fully deployed in 30 minutes. The front of the barrier floods with water and sinks into the bed, where it can withstand the harsh currents of a surge. Its groundbreaking design is globally admired and Galveston bay seeks to deploy a similar structure to protect the bay from hurricane surges. It's genuinely amazing technology and believably it is quite effective. 

Stormwater Management Round 2 (Cologne, June 25)

Down the Reine in Cologne, the Germans have to combat storm water as well. The Reine has been known to swell over its banks in the past, and often causes massive damage to businesses that dot the riverside. To combat this, they have employed a deployable wall that can be built off the banks in front of the storefronts to prevent Reine swelling from destroying property. The people of cologne love spending their time by the river at bars, restaurants and the long parks that line the waterfront, so obviously they would want to protect it. I think the use of a buildable wall instead of a permanent seawall of sorts is best, because it keeps the space open and beautiful for recreational activities like being at the park and restaurants that line the landscape. 

 Sustainable Development (Munich, July 1)

(I KNOW I LIFTED THIS PICTURE, MY PICTURE WAS BLURRY AND THIS ILLUSTRATES IT BETTER)

This is an aerial shot of the 1972 Olympic Village in Munich. We got to walk around these colorful homes on our first full day walking around the city. In 1972, they were used as single homes for female athletes competing in the olympic games, and now, they are used as (very desirable) homes for students studying at the nearby university. The homes are decorated on the outside by the owners, bearing paintings of whatever they feel like should adorn their home. Too often we see images of run-down and unused remains of former olympic villages and stadiums, and the Germans did an amazing job finding use for their massive olympic-built structures. 

Public Shared Spaces (Munich, July 1)

Pictured is the town hall in Munich, in the Marienplatz. At the middle of the bell tower is a famous animatronic show, the Glockenspiel. At 5 PM the Glockenspiel tells two stories, of a wedding, and of the end of the plague. Hundreds were gathered to witness this show, even though compared to modern electronic displays this is ancient technology. The space is amazing, surrounded by shops and restaurants, with a fountain in the middle. There's a golden statue of the Virgin Mary, built to thank Mary for not letting the protestants destroy the city during an occupation. I think the Marienplatz is the most beautiful city center I've visited so far, full of people and great architecture. 

Renewable Energy (Munich Airport, July 1)

Pictured is an airbus A350, the newer, modern one. The previous model used four engines, obviously very heavy and fuel inefficient. The new A350 is now built with carbon fiber, and uses only two, more efficient engines to propel the plan through the sky. The plane can carry a load, 400 kilometers using only 3 liters of fuel per person. This saves a dramatic amount of fossil fuel, leaving less of a carbon footprint per flight. Our tour around the airport was amazing, and will probably prove useful when I try to navigate it at 4 AM on Wednesday.