For our second post, we decided to focus on cityscapes and architecture of the various cities are studying at.

This is a photo taken at Windsor Castle which is the royal residence of the British royal family. This was about a 90 minute drive from central London. The castle holds the history of the royal family which plays a huge role in English culture. The architecture inside the castle was also extremely amazing with audio tours explaining the history and presence of all the kings and queens of the royal family up until modern day. Although there was a rule of no photography inside the castle, the details of the walls and paintings inside were very mind blowing to see.

I took this picture while on a boat ride on river Thames, merely to get to somewhere rather than having a touristic trip. I always admire cities’ architectural landscape more than singular pieces like buildings, cathedrals, etc. I believe the landscape gives a city its identity and soul. For example, you think of Chicago with its downtown skyline or its neighbourhoods with brutalist style houses. London’s soul and style is seen from the river Thames. It is not exactly a “skyline” but the historical and signature architecture of Big Ben and the Palace of Westminister gives London its flare. 

Continuing on the theme of architecture within each of the cities we are studying in, I took this picture on the roof of the National Museum of Scotland. Through the bars at the top you can see a street below which has one of the iconic theaters in Edinburgh which is housed in a building that used to be a neo gothic church. In the background of the image you can also see many of the peaks of edinburgh’s skyline. To me this picture illuminates my experience here because this building is one I walk past almost every day when I go to class; I think it’s quite extraordinary that I live amongst such deeply historical buildings.