Melby's Travels

MARCH 29 My preferred way of exploring a city is by walking through the streets. Coincidentally, the temperature (50-60 degrees F) was perfect for walking. Melissa and I headed down Jefferson Ave from Liz's place and along Magazine Street until we reached the French Quarter. One of the first things that struck me was how there was greenery everywhere, in sharp contrast to the brown grass and bare trees in Boston and New York. Sweet flowers perfumed the air, magnificent oak trees lined the streets, and lizards scurried across the sidewalk. The grand houses along Jefferson Ave turned into the cute shops of Magazine Street and then the bars and overhanging balconies of Bourbon Street. Along the way, we hit up spots like Lafayette Square, Harmony Circle, St. Louis Cathedral, Jackson Square, Woldenberg Park, and the French Market. Fairy tale house along Jefferson Ave Colorful (smaller) houses along Magazine Street Huge oak trees... ...that can also be sprawling Jefferson Square and St. ...

FEB 1 NATIONAL GALLERY OF ARMENIA The permanent collection of the museum was closed for renovation, so only a few exhibits were open. The artists in the Impressionist exhibit used the same techniques as European Impressionists, except some of their subjects were Armenian. I really liked these two paintings below by Arakelian because of the movement in the paintings. Also The one of the left is cool because it depicts a oleaster tree, which doesn't look that big in photos. However, in this painting, the tree looks quite grand. Another artist that stood out to me is the sculptor Gyurjian. his style is one I've never seen before. His figures are generally quite slender. For instance, his depiction of Jesus Christ is much thinner and less muscular than what I'm used to. Same with his angels. Also, the combination of curvature joined sharply with lines is unlike the Roman / Greek sculpture I'm used to. The closest I've seen before are Egyptian carvings. However, Gyurjian...