LI Tsz Yan, Jazy In the surveying study tour n Spain 2013, I have learnt a lesson and experienced a lot in the trip. In these seven days, I realized others’ culture and their living habit. Also, there is a huge difference in Barcelona and Valencia in their architectures’ design. Despite gaining knowledge on the architectural sides, I have a great time with my fellow classmate and other surveying students. Moreover, staying in an oversea country, I have a wonderful chance communicate with the foreigners and the local students there. Within the seven days, I had numerous chances speaking English even though the general English level there is not as good as Hong Kong. I experienced several times with communication problem in different tourist attractions. On the other words, in these seven days, no matter whenever and wherever we are, we can learn a lot outside the books and enhance the relationship in my class. In day 1, it is amazing to have this opportunity to join the study tour oversea. This is the first day we arrive in the Spain-Barcelona. The first impression of the city unlike other country that bringing visitor to a unfamiliar country, but I feel so warm, family like in here. It is extremely in good weather here, with a pleasant temperature at around 17-25 degree and shinny here. Unlike Hong Kong, it is common to see the blue sky. In day 1, everything went fine to me. The biggest problem I met today is unfamiliar to the city map. We have spent a lot of time in finding the location of the hotel and the metro station. Every street is in grid shape and it seems the same to us which makes us confusion all the time. The tourist spot we spent on today is the Sagarda Familia, it is a memorable church with hundreds of history. Although some part of it is in maintenance stage, it is still glamorous and awesome to me. Then we have our first grilled chicken meal in a nearby restaurant. It is nice to sit with every classmate to have our first Spanish meal together. On the next day, we have the city sightseeing trip. We first went to the Museo Naxional De Arte Catalunya, and then we go to the Park Guell. It is great to see many different kinds of tour bus in the Museo Naxional De Arte Catalunya , and it is so meaningful to me. It is wide and open in Museo Naxional De Arte Catalunya, and the Barcelonan are hanging out with dogs or running there. The next stop we went is the Park Guell. In this stop, our tour separate into two teams to take on the bus and I was in the later bus. The scariest things happened in the bus is that I heard another team that took the bus already was over took the stop and reached to the bus terminal already. Then my team was in 100% attention to the bus station’s name and asked for help from the bus driver. However, deal to the communication problem, the driver advised us to take off from the stop earlier, the nightmare then started-we got off at the wrong stop. Luckily, with the map and our mobile phone, we can search our location through Google map and kept contact with the classmate to let down calm. On the way to the park, we had climb up to a long stair and went across many residential flat, which gives us another type of experience. To me, this kind of experience make us have another view of the city, should be a crucial part of the tour too. On day 3, it is still with a good weather and cool wind, but the temperature dropped a little bit that make us freezing at the night. We visited the UPC (Polytechnic University of Catalonia) in the morning. It is wonderful to have its own department library. Also, I took a lesson by the local teacher there, about the urban development of Barcelona. I found that, the architectural design of every building there is of green consideration including the use of sunlight and wind, all those natural resources. No matter when they design the building, how to maintain the urban style and make good use of the natural sunlight is of the main role. Besides, the urban is developed under control that from the harbor going into inland. And, from the map, we can see clearly that the city shape is separate into two different times. The older is one on the right part and the newer one on the left. The industrial part of the city is renovated into other uses. I feel strange when I arrive the city since seldom can I see any farmland or factory there and I was wondering how the city gains GDP. And then I realized that, the city’s income mainly come from the tourism and that is why they are easily get into financial crisis in European. On that day, we have a city walk in Catalunya, seeing the heritages of Gaudi, Casa Mila and Casa Batllo. Both houses are of elegant design for the upper class people in the past. The Casa Mila is full of a sense of imagination and makes good use of the spatial element in the design. Also, it is full of natural element in the design; no matter it is the façade, stairs, finishing, or the furniture inside the house. I like the Mila rather than Batllo, since it gives me a sense of misery and the interior design is more elegant. On the next day, we went to three companies visit near the harbor. The first company we visited is our eye-opener. Seldom do we have a chance to have a look of the city view on a roof floor of a commercial building and also getting into the technical spaces of a building to have a look into the fire system, elevator system and pipe system of the building. The trip enhanced my knowledge in building services and it gave me a clear and easy picture of the complex structural design of a building. Another company we visited is Diagonal 187, which is a new building. The architecture is of high technological design and installed many modern element. Then we went to Port Vell and see the urban renewal project there. We walked along the beach and across the narrow street inside the inner city. The impression of inner city is not as worse as Hong Kong. It is clean and with characteristic of every narrow street. Then we see the Justice City, the balance between different buildings along the harbor giving us another feeling towards the city. On the next day, we took the train in the early morning to Valencia. The impression of Valencia is more impassionate then Barcelona. On the way to hotel, the local people are willing to help us and keep smiling. It is a small town with a more rural style. On the 6thday, we visit the Polytechnic University of Valencia. The university is near the farmland and much fertilizer. We had a lesson in day 6, the teachers there is patient and passionate and I had a fruitful meal in the nearby restaurant. The students there are nice and helpful. They are proud of themselves since the university is the biggest one in town and the research team is of significant achievement and well-equipped surveying instruments. On the next day, we went back to the Barcelona to take the plane to Hong Kong. Even it was really in rush, but at last I can arrive on time. The seven days trip is over. On the tour, there may be conflict, confusion, in-cooperation or misunderstanding. However, it is a golden opportunity to chat with everyone in class. Fortunately, my classmates are mostly kind and helpful and considerate. They are willing to help when they are free. It is really great to see the relationship in class is fostered at the end.
Posted on: Mon, 09 Sep 2013 19:14:27 +0000
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