Hello Hello Friends and Family!
I haven´t updated in a while, but I was mainly waiting until after this weekend, which was devoted to an excursion to Madrid, Spain´s capital. We didn´t have class on Friday, so we spent the entirety of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday traipsing around the lovely city.
Might as well do this in a day by day fashion, so here goes:
Friday
We started off the day by heading straight to El Prado museum, which is famous for its extensive collection of El Greco, Goya and Velazquez paintings. Namely, El Prado houses Las Meninas, indesputably Velazquez´s most important work, and arguably one of the most important paintings in the history of art! It was pretty fantastic seeing it in person, I was so excited to get a look at it and listen to our program director explain a little bit about the symbolism. Its hard not to be interested in the painting...its pretty bangarang. After a 2 hour romp in the museum, we settled in to yet another SWEET hotel to eat the lunches our madres packed for us. JMU has been putting us up in some awesome hotels lately, I can´t complain one bit about the accomidations, haha.
Next we headed to Museo Thyssen, which I was unfamiliar with. It is a private collection owned by the Thyssen familly, and contains paintings from early Italian all the way to the contemporary art of Lucian Freud. I really loved this museum. It had work from all of my favorites: Mondrian, Derain, Matisse, Degas, Pollock, and more. Lots of impressionism, lots of modern art..and free time to roam around the entire museum. It was relaxing and really a pleasant surprise. If you´re ever in Madrid, I suggest a visit!
To round out our day, we all went back to the hotel to get snazzed up for a group dinner. We were served tomatoes with mozzarella and basil, duck (my first experience with it! EEP), and a delish tiramisu. Again, I can´t complain one bit about the accomidations...we´re pretty darn lucky! After stuffing ourselves indecorously with these treats, we all went to see Bella y Bestia la musical (BEAUTY AND THE BEAST!!!!!). Seeing a musical in another language was sort of surreal...and on top of that it was Beauty and The Beast, a very familiar, well-loved Disney classic in my book. It was fun keeping up with the music, noticing the differences, and guffawing at a Spanish attempt at Gaston. All in all, a great time.
Saturday
We started our day at Palacio Real (royal palace) which no longer serves as a home for the royal family, but still holds banquets and political events. It was huge with over 3,000 rooms! Each room was as decadent as the last, marble floors, silk walls, a gigante table with at least 70 chairs in the dining hall. Yeah, it sort of reminds me of my appartment back in Harrisonburg...haha.
Next was el Museo Reina Sofia, which is a collection of Modern and Contemporary art. Most notably it houses Guernica by Picasso, a muy grande canvas painted in his cubist style that documents the bombing of the small Spanish town Guernica during WWII (i think..) The scale of the canvas was mind-blowing it took up an entire wall! and seeing the work in person made me appreciate all of the symbols and significance much more. We basically went through a warp-speed tour of everything Picasso did during his career, and although I really really enjoy art (esp. of the modern persuasion), I was too exhausted and full of culture to even look at another work by the time we were done with our tour.
Afterwards, A group of us headed to a famous shopping area, Puerto del Sol. Going there made me realize (and appreciate) how small and comfortable Salamanca is. Or perhaps how accustomed to it I have become. Madrid was a bit overwhelming for me, with all of the great aspects of a big city (tons of museums, lots of shopping, big buildings, public transportation), yet lacking the sense of home a smaller city like Salamanca seems to have. Regardless, we had fun shopping, and no surprise, ate Gelado..a new weekly requisite for myself, haha.
Me and a few of my friends got a chance to experience a bit of Madrid nightlife as well, which was fun and interesting. I swear the men in Madrid are more attractive than the ones we meet in Salamanca...but hey, I think the most guapo guy of all lives in Harrisonburg, VA.
Sunday
After very few hours of sleep, we all peeled ourselves out of bed for yet another cultural force-feed.. El Escorial. It is a giant palace built for Felipe Segundo (Phillip the Second) and served as a royal home, monastery, semenary, and burial ground for the royal family. There is also a church. This place was unbelievably big. Yet it was decorated in a very simple, humble manner unlike the Palacio Real. Our program director told us this was the case because Phillip the Second was a very devout, religious man. The most highly decorated area is the Church for this very same reason. It was a miserably cold and rainy day, so none of us were too keen on exploring the outdoors of the Escorial, but the gardens were extensive and beautiful. All in all, we were tired and ready to return to our Spanish home away from home.
As March rolls around I have tons of exciting things to look forward to that I can´t wait to tell you all about: This week Alex is visiting from Los Estados Unidos, the next weekend we spend in Barcelona and then Spring Break in Valencia and Málaga!
Cariño a todos,
Lindsay
Monday, February 25, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Classes and Spanish Bowling
Buenas Dias!
I hope this post finds you all well. As a new week begins I feel its appropriate to recap the events of our first week in class and our first "free" weekend in Salamanca.
Our classes here are limited to JMU students only, which is both comforting and slightly disappointing. It is nice to see friendly, familiar faces each day, but I would love to have the social, cultural experience of getting to know some more college-age Spaniards. I am taking 5 classes here: phonetics, introduction to spanish literature, the latin american short story, latin american civilization, and Spanish Art. So far our professors are friendly and helpful, using simple vocabulary and speaking relatively slowly. My phonetics and literature professors are total babes, I have girl crushes on both of them! haha. All in all, I am glad to have a schedule that gives me things to do during the day, and I think that all of these classes will be very interesting and hopefully help me improve my comprehension of the Spanish language!
Our first free weekend here was a new experience, and a chance to get to know Salamanca a little better. The last two weekends we have been out sight-seeing other places, so this was our first chance to sleep in and relax.
The Plaza Mayor is really a sight to see on a weekend afternoon. Every cafe surrounding the area puts out tables and chairs, and people flock to whatever cafe is getting the most sun. Everyone else sprawls out on the ground in the middle of the plaza, in big and small groups. Most people grab a gelato from a nearby stand (my newest indulgence) and sit and chat until the sun moves, at which point they get up, move locations, and start all over again.
Although Salamanca has given us mostly cold weather, I realized that when sitting in the plaza on a sunny afternoon, its practically too hot for a sweater and jeans.
Saturday night, about 6 friends and I decided to head over to a mall close to my appartment, where there is a giant bowling alley/pool hall/bar. After slightly struggling through instructions, we all grabbed bowling shoes in our tw0-digit European sizes to knock down some pins. It was a lot of fun! We were probably a sight to see, clapping and cheering eachother on in Spanglish, but we had a great time- especially seeing that an activity which seems so American can cross cultures so fluidly.
I was surprised by the fact that at midnight we were joined by a gaggle of small children, plus an infant in a stroller who seemed amped and ready to go despite the late hour. I am continually impressed by this nocturnal culture...we were all asleep by 2AM...but thats really when things get started around here! Now I think I understand what these siestas in the middle of the day are for....
Well, its time to start another round of classes.
Adios!
Besos y Abrazos,
Lindsay
I hope this post finds you all well. As a new week begins I feel its appropriate to recap the events of our first week in class and our first "free" weekend in Salamanca.
Our classes here are limited to JMU students only, which is both comforting and slightly disappointing. It is nice to see friendly, familiar faces each day, but I would love to have the social, cultural experience of getting to know some more college-age Spaniards. I am taking 5 classes here: phonetics, introduction to spanish literature, the latin american short story, latin american civilization, and Spanish Art. So far our professors are friendly and helpful, using simple vocabulary and speaking relatively slowly. My phonetics and literature professors are total babes, I have girl crushes on both of them! haha. All in all, I am glad to have a schedule that gives me things to do during the day, and I think that all of these classes will be very interesting and hopefully help me improve my comprehension of the Spanish language!
Our first free weekend here was a new experience, and a chance to get to know Salamanca a little better. The last two weekends we have been out sight-seeing other places, so this was our first chance to sleep in and relax.
The Plaza Mayor is really a sight to see on a weekend afternoon. Every cafe surrounding the area puts out tables and chairs, and people flock to whatever cafe is getting the most sun. Everyone else sprawls out on the ground in the middle of the plaza, in big and small groups. Most people grab a gelato from a nearby stand (my newest indulgence) and sit and chat until the sun moves, at which point they get up, move locations, and start all over again.
Although Salamanca has given us mostly cold weather, I realized that when sitting in the plaza on a sunny afternoon, its practically too hot for a sweater and jeans.
Saturday night, about 6 friends and I decided to head over to a mall close to my appartment, where there is a giant bowling alley/pool hall/bar. After slightly struggling through instructions, we all grabbed bowling shoes in our tw0-digit European sizes to knock down some pins. It was a lot of fun! We were probably a sight to see, clapping and cheering eachother on in Spanglish, but we had a great time- especially seeing that an activity which seems so American can cross cultures so fluidly.
I was surprised by the fact that at midnight we were joined by a gaggle of small children, plus an infant in a stroller who seemed amped and ready to go despite the late hour. I am continually impressed by this nocturnal culture...we were all asleep by 2AM...but thats really when things get started around here! Now I think I understand what these siestas in the middle of the day are for....
Well, its time to start another round of classes.
Adios!
Besos y Abrazos,
Lindsay
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Toledo Y Segovia
Sadly, I have lost internet at my house, after stealing it for about 2 weeks. Its amazing how much we rely on such luxuries as instant communication! Regardless, I feel that it is time to post about what has been going on these last few days, even if it is from the computer lab at the university.
Last weekend our group took a trip to Toledo and Segovia...two very historic, beautiful places in Spain. Toledo was El Greco´s stomping ground, so naturally I was quite excited to see what was in store.
The trip was a whirlwind, a veritable exhaustive tour in two short days! After arriving in Toledo on Saturday after a 7am beginning on the bus, we promptly began our tour with a stop at The Cathedral in Toledo. Jesus, our program director and fearless leader, had much to tell us about this extremely old, sacred place. Toledo used to be the capital of Spain, so the Cathedral holds much importance and esteem in Spain. It was very large and extremely cold, and smelled like incense throughout. The Cathedral exhibits a few different architectural styles, mostly gothic, but some islamic persuasion, noticeable in the "arcos herraduras" throughout the cathedral.
My favorite part of the cathedral was an entire room dedicated to art. Jesus told us that many cathedrals had/have such rooms..put there in order to demonstrate the financial status of the cathedral. Some of the art didn´t even have a religious theme..such as two Titian still-lifes. We saw "El Expolio" by El Greco, and a Caravaggio portrait, which I was verrrryy excited about.
After the Cathedral, we went to another church which housed El Greco´s most significant work, "El entierro de Señor de Orgaz" it is HUGE...and very beautiful. There is a lot of interesting history to the work...but this post is already too long so i won´t bore you.
After some more sight-seeing, we headed to our GORGEOUS hotel with hot hot showers and comfy pillows. We all got dressed up for a dinner that was served to us buffet style...an unfortunate mass of pseudo-american food. The hamburgers and fried chicken were just...weird.
Early the next morning we filled our bellies with delicious pastries and fruit and then jumped on the bus to Segovia. We stopped off at a Summer house called La Granja..built in the style of Versailles. We romped around the gardens, and even though it was quite blustery and a bit barren, it was beautiful.
We then took in the sight of the Roman Aqueducts..the only standing aqueducts in Europe. The utility and size of it were really incredible. Those Romans were way smart. We also got to see a "mezquita" or mosque...a symbol of the many many different persuasions that have touched Spain throughout the years.
Last on the list was the Palacio of Ferdinand and Isabel..The Disney castle was modeled after it! It was beautiful and very interesting..though not as heavily ornamented as I expected it to be. The inside of the palace was large but mostly modest..except for the gorgeous guilded ceilings. Again, the arquitectural persuasion of many cultures was apparent.
Alas..it is time for fonetica española. More on classes later.
Hasta Luego!
Besos y Abrazos,
Lindsay
Last weekend our group took a trip to Toledo and Segovia...two very historic, beautiful places in Spain. Toledo was El Greco´s stomping ground, so naturally I was quite excited to see what was in store.
The trip was a whirlwind, a veritable exhaustive tour in two short days! After arriving in Toledo on Saturday after a 7am beginning on the bus, we promptly began our tour with a stop at The Cathedral in Toledo. Jesus, our program director and fearless leader, had much to tell us about this extremely old, sacred place. Toledo used to be the capital of Spain, so the Cathedral holds much importance and esteem in Spain. It was very large and extremely cold, and smelled like incense throughout. The Cathedral exhibits a few different architectural styles, mostly gothic, but some islamic persuasion, noticeable in the "arcos herraduras" throughout the cathedral.
My favorite part of the cathedral was an entire room dedicated to art. Jesus told us that many cathedrals had/have such rooms..put there in order to demonstrate the financial status of the cathedral. Some of the art didn´t even have a religious theme..such as two Titian still-lifes. We saw "El Expolio" by El Greco, and a Caravaggio portrait, which I was verrrryy excited about.
After the Cathedral, we went to another church which housed El Greco´s most significant work, "El entierro de Señor de Orgaz" it is HUGE...and very beautiful. There is a lot of interesting history to the work...but this post is already too long so i won´t bore you.
After some more sight-seeing, we headed to our GORGEOUS hotel with hot hot showers and comfy pillows. We all got dressed up for a dinner that was served to us buffet style...an unfortunate mass of pseudo-american food. The hamburgers and fried chicken were just...weird.
Early the next morning we filled our bellies with delicious pastries and fruit and then jumped on the bus to Segovia. We stopped off at a Summer house called La Granja..built in the style of Versailles. We romped around the gardens, and even though it was quite blustery and a bit barren, it was beautiful.
We then took in the sight of the Roman Aqueducts..the only standing aqueducts in Europe. The utility and size of it were really incredible. Those Romans were way smart. We also got to see a "mezquita" or mosque...a symbol of the many many different persuasions that have touched Spain throughout the years.
Last on the list was the Palacio of Ferdinand and Isabel..The Disney castle was modeled after it! It was beautiful and very interesting..though not as heavily ornamented as I expected it to be. The inside of the palace was large but mostly modest..except for the gorgeous guilded ceilings. Again, the arquitectural persuasion of many cultures was apparent.
Alas..it is time for fonetica española. More on classes later.
Hasta Luego!
Besos y Abrazos,
Lindsay
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