some photos!( and I am in the Croatian news!)

Here is the link to an article published in the newspaper about our work. (you could use google translator if you really wanted to. :) )
I don't look very excited in the picture, but that's because we had just hiked up 2 km elevation in a 3 km hike, in blistering heat. :) we are learning about the monastery carved in the cliffside, it was amazing!

http://www.slobodnadalmacija.hr/Split-županija/tabid/76/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/115288/Default.aspx

The end product: a government happy with our results!

We have finished our work on Brac at the stone masonry school, and also completed the recordation work on Drvenik Veli. The 18th Century village that we documented was gorgeous...very overgrown, but we took pruning shears to the trails, and had to put up with the cuts and bruises.
By the end of the week, I had built up a "focus study" on wood frame roof construction, and had also completed the work measured drawings on half of the complex.
We returned to Trogir to present the work at an exhibition for the Ministry of Culture and governmental offices of the region. The turn out was a little bit disappointing, because someone in the department had passed away and the memorial service was at the same time as our exhibit. It was unfortunate, but most of the higher authorities made an appearance, and we had a very good reception of our work.
We had a total of 8 boards, 70cm x 100 cm, that we designed and printed without the use of internet while on the small island! (As architecture students in the States who usually have everything at their disposal, it was a learning experience for us to have limited resources!)

Overall, I was very pleased with my individual results from the studies, and our combined work was said to be very detailed and even more than what the Ministry of Culture Department was looking for.
This means: The village we documented will be put on the Heritage Protection Plan, and the site will be restored eventually.
The work we did on the island of Brac was documented and the stone carving school already wants us to come back.

I learned so much on this trip...not only about the field that interests me, but the fact that our skill sets are needed world wide if we ever hope to leave our history and heritage behind for generations.

Drvenik Veli for the last 10 days!

I have been on the island of Drvenik Veli for the last ten days. Population: less than 100. The average person is over 40 and either is a fishermen or olive tree farmer. There are two restaurants, one of which has the logo “Probably one of the best grilled fish in this part of Croatia”. We laugh at the “probably”. But we have no need to eat out, our hotel has a chef that has kept us “pescatarians” happy with HUGE octopus dinners, smoked fish, fig crepes, and spreadable yogurt. ☺
The only other young people we have met are three firefighters and three guys who ship the drinking water in on a tanker…Besides the three firefighters, we are the only ones in our small hotel, let alone visiting the island. It’s so peaceful!!
However…this quiet little town has not meant a slow pace. We eat, sleep, hike, measure, and draw.
We are documenting an old village here on the island, it’s about a half hour hike up to the top of the ridge. We hike through bushes and bramble, so much so that Iliad (the owner of the hotel and local herbal doctor) will get his various oil remedies and throw them our direction.
In the morning, we hike up to the site early enough to beat the heat. There is a nice breeze on this small island though, unlike the other burning hot places we have been.
I am working on: Measurements, photographs, and analysis of about 5 homes and a collection of agricultural buildings. We have split up into teams, luckily Liz and I were able to assign ourselves to a similar project.
In the afternoons: personal studies! I love this part of the day, because we each had to choose a “focus” for our work, and I finally was able to narrow down my interests. I am studying roofs, the construction types and how to build them! I’ve walked all around the island, looking at other abandoned villages and comparing them to ours. It is just fantastic!
Without internet, a cell phone, or a book to read, I could very easily get bored..but luckily I love what I’m doing and am genuinely interested in it. Especially when it comes to continuing the studies back in Eugene with an internship.
By the end of the week: We will have an exhibition of our work back in the city. The Ministry of Culture is the branch of the government that we have been working with this entire time. Our work will be translated into Croatian and saved in formats suitable for the government…and then this village will be saved in the archives as a “protected archeological site”.
The reason this work is so good for the community: This very small island has over 10 villages, and none of which have been registered with the Ministry of Culture. (it is comparable to the European Union’s Heritage Sites.) Last years’ group was the first to do work on this island. Ours will complete the work that they left off on, and make it possible for our connections in the government to finally open up these villages as a sort of “tourist attraction” for the island.

The best part of staying in this quiet place: There was one day when I woke up cold for the first time after arriving here a month ago. I put a sweatshirt and pants on. And then…it rained all day while we were up on the hill. These “island storms” come fast, but leave fast.
Lets just say that being from Eugene…raindrops on my face never felt better. ☺
Now back to the usual hot weather, sunny days, and beautiful sunsets.