Traveling is very inspiring to the work that I create. It is also great to learn about the different cultures and the history of the places visited. Over the festive holiday, I had the opportunity to travel through the Mediterranean. The journey started in Spain. The second country visited was France, to places such as Nice and then onto Italy, Greece and Turkey.
There was lots to discover in each place. One of the highlights gong through France, was seeing a church designed by Cocteau, the building blended in with the surrounding architecture, however the details of the building really set it apart from the other buildings.
It was also really wonderful to visit Italy, Pisa was a highlight and seeing the leaning tower of Pisa, really lived up to expectations. It was fabulous also to wander through the city centre of Naples as well. I also visited a contemporary art gallery in Sicily and it was very interesting to see the art there. Another stop was in Rome, where I went to visit a contemporary jewellery designer called Maria Diane. I also visited a contemporary art gallery near by which was designed by Zaha Hadid.
Another highlight of the trip was visiting Greece, primarily Crete. I really enjoyed the visit and would like to go back and see more of the islands. Crete is a beautiful island. It is also quite an affluent place, which did not suffer, so much, during the recession in Greece.
The final country visited was Turkey, which has an amazing history and it was interesting to learn about the biblical references. I also visited an fantastic area, which houses an ancient library and amphitheater in Ephesus. It was truly unexpected. The architecture, although a lot of it is in ruins, must have been spectacular during its height.
