Alessandra Zecchini

Saturday, January 17, 2015

MoMA, a must visit in New York

Did you ever seen the book entitled 1001 Paintings you must see before you die ? Well, if you are on an art bucket list you can tick off quite a few 'must see' just by visiting MoMa (Museum of Modern Art) in NY.

Barnett Newman
The Wild - 1950 (with my kids)

This was an amazing experience for all the family, and as a bonus there was this brilliant exhibition on too (where we could not take photos, sorry!). And here, not in any particular order, a few of my favorites.

Roy Lichtenstein
Drowning Girl - 1963

Roy Lichtenstein
Girl with Ball - 1961

Andy Warhol
Gold Marilyn Monroe - 1962

Jasper Johns
Flag - 1954-56

Frida Kahlo
Fulang-Chang and I - 1937

Pablo Picasso
Interior with a Girl Drawing - 1935

Piet Mondrian
Trafalgar Square - 1939-43

Claude Monet
Agapanthus - 1914-26

Alberto Giacometti
Hands Holding the Void (Invisible Object) - 1934 (cast c. 1954-55)

Salvador Dalí
The Persistence of Memory - 1931

Max Ernst
Lunar Asparagus - 1935 (cast 1972)

Amedeo Modigliani
Reclining Nude - c. 1919

Giorgio Morandi
Still Life - 1916

Henry Matisse
Dance (I) - 1909

Henri Rousseau
The Sleeping Gypsy - 1897

Vincent van Gogh
The Starry Night - 1889

Vincent van Gogh
The Olive Trees - 1889

Paul Gauguin
The Seed of the Areoi - 1892

Georges-Pierre Seurat
Port-en-Bessin, Entrance in the Harbor - 1888

Gustav Klimt
Hope, II - 1907-08

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Saturday, January 10, 2015

First photos from New York

This is my second visit to New York, the first one was over 20 years ago! In fact I still have a photo of me with the Twin Towers in the background, so visiting to the World Trade Centre Site was quite an experience.

The 9/11 Memorial remembers the victims' birthdays by placing a white rose on their names. There are almost 3,000 names, and the victims of the 1993 World Trade Centre Bombing are also remembered here.

It was a cold and cloudy day.

We had a sunny day too (albeit still cold!) perfect to visit the Empire State Building, and the view was great!

Other highlights were the big Xmas tree and skaters at the Rockefeller Centre...

shopping in Saks Fifth Avenue,

visiting the Central Station,

… and discovering my own coffee brand!

I also liked the Xmas decorations in NY, much more subtle that the ones in Los Angeles.

On the third day it snowed! This is the view from our window, we stayed in a wonderful place in the heart of Manhattan, a convent turned into a guest house, The Leo House. Highly recommended.

The skyscrapers are great, but there are also a lot of lovely 'shorter' buildings around, I liked this cute 'attic' on the right, with the green roof, next to MOMA (which is so good to deserves a post by itself, later on).

Arantxa was feeling at home, I am sure that she would like to live in NY!

This is all for now, I'll talk about the food another time!

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Los Angeles

Hollywood, Walk of Fame

A few of my favourite things in Los Angeles: in Hollywood I did like to see the stars on the Walk of Fame, but no much else really, so I ended up taking tons of photos of my feet!

Hollywood, Walk of Fame

Hollywood

Hollywood, Walk of Fame

I really liked the Walt Disney Concert Hall, amazing architecture!

Walt Disney Concert Hall

And I like the Mexican feel of Olvera St, very touristic, like Hollywood, but also easier to photograph (i.e. everything was 'in scale' and not so grand!).

Olvera St, Downtown

For shopping The Grove was cool but...

Xmas Bus in The Grove

… Santa Monica was better! And it is also cool at night if you walk down the Pier, and to the very end of Route 66!

Santa Monica Pier

And of course a full day was dedicated to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park.

Disneyland

California Adventure

Disney treat

Beverly Hilton

A last comment has to be about the Xmas decorations in LA, which are quite 'grand', and especially in Hollywood, Below are a few photos of the lobby in the Beverly Hilton Hotel, decorations and tree just about everywhere! And just look at the size of this cookie house, also in the Beverly Hilton : I now have some serious cookie house envy!

Beverly Hilton

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Los Angeles Venice Beach

Entering Venice

Our holiday started in LA, first time here for me, so I am quite excited to visit a new city, and to play tourist at the very photogenic Venice Beach.