Merry Christmas

After spending couple of hours in Milwaukee, we got ready to work on the evening plan…visiting Chicago was one of the options and as expected, everyone finalized it more than happily. So we headed to Chicago – all time charming city. As we have been to the city before, this time we decided to enjoy just night life. When we approached towards it, I felt that whole city was fully soaked in a festive mood…every individual soul was in a dazzling spirit and already got ready to welcome coming Christmas!!

Place - Chicago,IL, Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 18-55 Canon lens

Santiago Calatrava: Sculpture Into Architecture - III

And here is the internal hallway which leads you to the permanent collection of old masters and 19th and 20th century work and German expressionism. If you are big fan of‘Georgia Keefe’ this the place to visit...!

So now you know that Milwaukee's fame is not limited only as a brewing and manufacturing powerhouses but the city is reshaping its image by adding such wonderful bold expressions on its soil...:)
See Yahh Milwaukee..!!

What is next?



Place - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 18-55 Canon lens

Santiago Calatrava: Sculpture Into Architecture - II

His elegant and daring Montjuic Communications Tower in Barcelona , Spain (1991) in the heart of the 1992 Olympic site was a turning point in his career, leading to a wide range of commissions. The Quadracci Pavilion (2001) of the Milwaukee Art Museum was his first US building.

Calatrava's style has been heralded as bridging the division between structural engineering and architecture . He is also a prolific sculptor and painter, claiming that the practice of architecture combines all the arts into one.


Place - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 18-55 Canon lens

Santiago Calatrava: Sculpture Into Architecture - I

After enjoying St. Louis’ beauty we headed towards Milwaukee to explore one of the best architectonic expressions of modern age - Milwaukee Art Museum. I always wanted to see this marvelous work designed by one of my favorite legend, Santiago Calatrava! and yes, ...this visit paid me more than what I have expected, you will get to see few glimpses of it over here, ...n yaah, gorgeous weather made it more pleasant and boosted our enthusiasm for the rest of the day trip...:)

Santiago Calatrava Valls, is an internationally recognized and award-winning Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer. He was born in a rural part of Valencia, Spain , where he pursued undergraduate studies at the Architecture School and Arts and Crafts School.


Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_Calatrava


Place - Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 18-55 Canon lens

Gateway to the West

Okay...by seeing these snaps, you know where I had been for this Thanksgiving...!Yes, St. Louis! We drove to the Midwest USA (St. Louis, Milwaukee and Chicago) from Baltimore. I know, this doesn’t sound good and few of our friends wondered why we are doing such crazy thing, driving so far, that too in these wintry days when this part started to turn white...!But still we drove there, as that was the only part we haven’t visited yet and then if not now, then when...;)?? Now tell me was it not a good excuse??...;o)

The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (also known as the Gateway Arch or simply The Arch) is located in St. Louis, Missouri. The Arch is known as the "Gateway to the West". Designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen and structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel, it stands 630 feet (192 m) tall, and is 630 feet (192 m) wide at its base. Construction began February 12, 1963 and the last section of the Arch was put into place on October 28, 1965. It is the tallest habitable structure in St. Louis, and the second tallest in Missouri, as well as the world's tallest monument.

Here are some interesting facts about arch:

Outer Width - Outside North Leg to Outer South Leg - 630' (192m)
Maximum Height - 630' (192m)
Shape of Arch Section - Equilateral Triangle
Dimension of Arch at Base - 54 ft. (16.46m)
Dimension of Arch at Top - 17 ft. (5.18m)
Size of Windows - Approx. 7" x 27" (180 mm x 690 mm)

Capacity of Observation Platform - 100 - 140 persons
Deflection of Arch - 18" in 150 MPH wind (0.46 m in 240 km/h wind)
Number of Sections in Arch - 142
Thickness of Plates for Outer Skin - 1/4" (6.3mm)
Type of Material Used in Arch Exterior - Stainless Steel; #3 Finish Type 304
Structural Capacity of Observation Area - 100 lb/sq. ft (488 kg/m)

Needless to say, being an architect, I absolutely love this monument and so the trip, as we visited few more interesting things in Milwaukee and Chicago.

More to come...So stay tuned ;)




Place - St. Louis, Missouri, Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 18-55 Canon lens

Falling in love

Place - Shenandoah Valley, VA. Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 28-90 Canon lens

Rang de' Fall

Place - Shenandoah Valley, VA. Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 28-90 Canon lens

Good Morning

Place-Germantown, MD. Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 50mm Canon lens

Happy Diwali

Place-Baltimore, MD. Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 50mm Canon lens

Happy Halloween IV

Place-Fells Point, Baltimore, MD. Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 50mm Canon lens

Happy Halloween - III

On Halloween night we hangout at Fells point for the celebration. This place is quite famous for this event since many years and crazy nuts do all possible weird things you can imagine...;) Halloween always kicks off with a bang here with live music and entertainment through out the area.
And interesting part is, the place is linked with few scary stories and it says there are many ghost reside in this community....wwoouuee, am scared now...:o(

Place-Fells Point, Baltimore, MD. Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 50mm Canon lens

Happy Halloween - Part II

During the first century the Romans invaded Britain. They brought with them many of their festivals and customs. One of these was the festival know as Pomona Day, named for their goddess of fruits and gardens. It was also celebrated around the 1st of November. After hundreds of years of Roman rule the customs of the Celtic's Samhain festival and the Roman Pomona Day mixed becoming 1 major fall holiday.

The next influence came with the spread of the new Christian religion throughout Europe and Britain. In the year 835 AD the Roman Catholic Church would make November 1st a church holiday to honor all the saints. This day was called All Saint's Day, or Hallowmas, or All Hallows. Years later the Church would make November 2nd a holy day. It was called All Souls Day and was to honor the dead. It was celebrated with big bonfires, parades, and people dressing up as saints, angels and devils.

But the spread of Christianity did not make people forget their early customs. On the eve of All Hallows, Oct. 31, people continued to celebrate the festivals of Samhain and Pomona Day. Over the years the customs from all these holidays mixed. October 31st became known as All Hallow Even, eventually All Hallow's Eve, Hallowe'en, and then - Halloween.

The Halloween we celebrate today includes all of these influences, Pomona Day's apples, nuts, and harvest, the Festival of Samhain's black cats, magic, evil spirits and death, and the ghosts, skeletons and skulls from All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day.

(Well...well.., we had a little contest for best pumpkin carving in our office last week and guess what?.....my little elfin, which was first experience with pumpkin, came in first place.....Hurreeyy :)))



Place-Baltimore, MD. Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 50mm Canon lens

Happy Halloween - Part I

Halloween is one of the oldest holidays with origins going back thousands of years. The holiday we know as Halloween has had many influences from many cultures over the centuries. From the Roman's Pomona Day, to the Celtic festival of Samhain, to the Christian holidays of All Saints and All Souls Days.

Hundreds of years ago in what is now Great Britain and Northern France, lived the Celts. The Celts worshipped nature and had many gods, with the sun god as their favorite. It was "he" who commanded their work and their rest times, and who made the earth beautiful and the crops grow. The Celts celebrated their New Year on November 1st. It was celebrated every year with a festival and marked the end of the "season of the sun" and the beginning of "the season of darkness and cold." On October 31st after the crops were all harvested and stored for the long winter the cooking fires in the homes would be extinguished.

The Druids, the Celtic priests, would meet in the hilltop in the dark oak forest (oak trees were considered sacred). The Druids would light new fires and offer sacrifices of crops and animals. As they danced around the fires, the season of the sun passed and the season of darkness would begin. When the morning arrived the Druids would give an ember from their fires to each family who would then take them home to start new cooking fires. These fires would keep the homes warm and free from evil spirits.

The November 1st festival was called Samhain (pronounced "sow-en"). The festival would last for 3 days. Many people would parade in costumes made from the skins and heads of their animals. This festival would become the first Halloween

(Continue...)



Place-Conowingo Dam, MD. Camera-Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT with 50mm Canon lens