The South Riding RV Travels

680

25th November 2011 to 13th December - Phoenix AZ Arizona

Paolo Soleri is an Italian-born architect who worked with Frank Lloyd Wright. He has taught architecture at the university of Arizona and established several experimental communities near Phoenix.

One of his projects was to build a ceramics factory and this led to him becoming an expert in the design and casting of both ceramic and bronze wind chimes and bells. We went to his Cosanti site which is in Paradise Valley in Scottsdale.

This is the entrance to his foundry which utilizes a technique of casting concrete in situ called siltcasting.
One of several kilns used for firing the ceramics.
He is a very experimental architect and this is one of the walls of his studio.
The bronze bells are washed with an acid which gives them a green patina.
We went on several walks around the local area. Most gardens here have cacti. These are barrel cactus.
Americans are very much into quilting. These are two examples.
I prefer the second one but there are many others.
Our hosts' kids' school invited us to come and see a temporary environmental art installation which they had built in the schoolyard. It is a maze.

It had meaning to them.

We paid a visit to a local science museum and found an exhibition of gingerbread houses which had been entered into a competition. This could be thought of as English since an Englishman's home is his castle...
This one of a caravan appealed to us.
It always strikes us as odd to find a fascination with ice in Arizona. But this igloo was very well constructed.
We also went to a children's concert with the Phoenix symphony orchestra. Several of the musicians brought their instruments into the foyer before the concert and let the kids have a go. This was a small sized cello. He has the stance right....
The concert with the conductor talking to the audience.
The sun is very bright in Arizona and energy demands are predominantly for air conditioning. Despite covering the roof with panels it still does not generate all the energy this house uses but it does make a substantial contribution and may break even within the lifetime of the panels.
We think this is a Spanish dagger yucca.
Californian palms reaching up to the sky.
This is a Mediterranean fan palm. There are many varieties of palm here.
This is one of many orange trees. They crop well here.
These are date palms. The style of garden is very common. Grass does not do well here and gravel looks much tidier.
Bougainvilleas are quite common but are still susceptible to chills in the colder winters.
It will soon be Christmas and it's time to switch on the lights.