Design Inspiration: Geoffrey Bawa



Geoffrey Bawa is without a doubt the most renowned, influential and celebrated architect in Sri Lanka, and whilst I was in Sri Lanka, I learnt exactly why. Bawa was born in 1919 and spent his childhood in Sri Lanka, before moving to England for college, followed by many years of travelling and working around the world. It wasn't until 1948 that he returned to Sri Lanka, and it was then that he bought an abandoned rubber estate at Lunuganga which would later became his country home, and, arguably, the birthplace of "tropical modernism".

Now a boutique hotel, Bawa's country house at Lunuganga is made up of various small buildings scattered across the grounds, almost like little farmhouses, surrounded by exquisite gardens. In perfect harmony with its natural surroundings, each room is opened out to maximise and invite in light and air. Peaceful, tranquil, organic are all words that spring to mind whilst wandering the grounds of the property. It was somewhat of a spiritual experience, even, to witness such perfect unity between man and nature, and the incredible simplistic and natural approach Bawa took in his work.









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India



Despite having spent a very significant portion of my year last year overseas, I was blessed enough to be eased back into real life very slowly upon my return with the opportunity to go to India and Sri Lanka. A family friend was going to India for the birthday of a close friend and was taking her daughter Michelle, a year younger than me, and Michelle's friend Charlie, and asked if I wanted to come too. Six years ago, I travelled to India with my family, and I have the fondest memories of that holiday - India was like nothing I had ever seen before, it was the most amazing cultural learning experience, and ever since then I've intended to return. So, of course, I said yes!

Straight after Christmas we set off, and after an initial (major) hiccup involving flight stuff ups we arrived in Mumbai, where we spent the majority of our time. We also spent time in Madhya Pradesh, around Jabulpur, where we stayed in a tiger sanctuary, went on safari, and took a boat ride in the village of Bhedaghat, down the Narmada River, which is lined with magnificent limestone cliffs.

We were in Mumbai over New Year's Eve, and man was it a party! The group of people we were with, mostly from the States, knew people who lived in Mumbai, and so we spent the night dancing on the rooftop terrace of their friend's apartment, drinking and feasting, and honing our Bollywood dance skills. Mumbai was filled with much drinking, a huge amount of delicious eating (ah, authentic Indian food…), lots of shopping, with a bit of culture thrown in. We visited the famous Gateway to India, as well as the former Prince of Wales museum, which had a wonderful collection of not only Indian sculpture and historical artefacts, but also Nepalese and Tibetan displays.

From India, we made our way down to Sri Lanka, which I'm in the process of making a post about! In the mean time, here are a few of the photos that were taken on my iPhone 4s in India.


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The home stretch: Berlin



I write this from the warmth of a sunny spot in my backyard, a world apart from the fast-approaching European winter that these photos were taken in. Somehow four months hurricaned past me, and this post is the last of the adventures of my wonderful, whirlwind time backpacking around Europe.

The endlessly fascinating and multilayered city of Berlin was my final stop. The first couple of days I was there, I was blessed with sunshine and not-completely-freezing weather. The sun was going down at around 4pm and then the icy cold would set in, so I spent the short daylight hours that I had walking everywhere. I visited the Berlin Wall memorial site, the absolutely impressive Jewish museum, the victory column and the wonderful surrounding park, the Brandenburg gate, soaked up the festivities of the Chrismas markets, and hunted down lovely cafes to hide away in with tea and soup.

The past four months were some of the greatest months of my life, and included some of the highest highs and lows that I've ever experienced, from which I have come away from stronger, wiser, and more self assured than I could have ever hoped to be.

Here is the final installment of my European photos, taken on my iPhone. Stay tuned for future travels; I've got some pretty exciting adventures planned for January.






































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The Czech Republic



Despite having already been to Prague three months ago, I loved it so much that I decided to head back to the Czech Republic on my way up to Berlin. After Vienna, I stayed in the absolutely beautiful little medieval village of Česky Krumlov, in the most wonderful, cosy cottage hostel ever. Winter has really set in here in Europe, and I woke up each morning to the breathtaking view of the rooftops of the town covered in snow. I spent my time there wandering around the town, exploring the castle and the castle gardens, relaxing in the warmth of the hostel with a new American friend, and on Thanksgiving we cooked up a big lunch and dessert, which was my first thanksgiving ever. I was only intending to stay for two nights, but Krumlov really has such a wonderful feel to it and it was just too cosy to leave, so I ended up staying for three nights before I headed back up to Prague.

Prague remains one of my favourite cities in the world, and there's nothing quite like experiencing the festive season in that city; the buzz of the Christmas markets, the smell of hot wine and baking trdelnik, the fairy-lit trees lining the cobblestoned streets, it's all magic. I spent my one full day there climbing to the top of Petrin Hill and up the tower for a panoramic view of Prague, walking the streets and perusing the Christmas markets, sipping tea in the cosiest of cafes, and climbing to the top of the famous astrological clock for the most magnificent views of the Old Town.

From Prague I've made my way to Berlin, where I fly home from in a matter of days, the final stop in my four month long journey. Stay tuned for the final European adventure post! In the meantime, here are some photos taken on my iPhone of my stay in Česky Krumlov and my brief return to Prague.



































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