Class in the Prado

How do you make a class better? You take it outside.

Or, in the case of an art class, inside. Yesterday, my Art History class spiced things up and was held in the Spain’s acclaimed Prado museum. My professor works for the Prado museum and thus has access beyond the typical visitor. Before moving to Madrid, he was a professor at Columbia University—he is a brilliant professor and a wealth of knowledge in all things art related. The entire mood of the class shifted with this setting change—students were actually interested and paying attention (well, maybe at least for the first hour). Seeing a painting or piece of art face to face is infinitely better than squinting at a projected image, pretending you can see any minute detail or color shift. I am a huge fan of wandering through art museums and staring at the works; this class was my ideal, low-stress afternoon activity. Our professor posts the information about the most important works on our class’ dropbox, so we didn’t even have to take notes. We were free to appreciate the museum on (essentially) a private tour led by my professor.

Possibly the most exciting part of the trip was actually when class ended (after nearly 3 hours) and I was finding my way out of the museum. I finally saw Velazquez’s Las Meninas; the only thing I wanted to see in the Prado, yet ran out of time for when I visited the museum with my parents.

My class has two more prado visits, one visit to the Reina Sofia, and one to a Madrid Art gallery before the semester ends. Hopefully I know the museums fairly well by the semester’s end. 

Off to Aranjuez, be back in a few.

When I finally got my classes straightened out last week, my schedule changed a bit. I now have all of my classes on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; the days I do have classes are quite long (Thursday I have classes from 9am to 7:30pm with two 3.5 hour straight classes), however I don’t have any classes on Tuesdays or Fridays. This was my first free Tuesday and I did all of my pending homework for tomorrow yesterday, so it truly was a free day. I researched day trips from Madrid and found Aranjuez: a pueblo 45 minutes outside of Madrid center that is known for it’s royal palace and expansive gardens as well as its strawberries and asparagus. So, on a whim, I went.

Fun fact: there is a Strawberry Train offered that takes you from Madrid to Aranjuez and treats you to unlimited amounts of strawberries on the way! (I skipped this attraction)

Although it is a small, lesser-known village, Aranjuez's importance dates back to Roman times, when it served as a strong-hold for the city. In 1178, the village was occupied by the Spanish "Knights of Santiago," led by the famous Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, and was converted from a strong hold to a royal site. The site served as the king's spring residence from the 12th-19th century. This transformation to royalty inspired the construction of the impressive current by palace King Phillip II of Spain in the 16th century. The commission of the royal palace also inspired the design of the stunning gardens that Aranjuez is best known for, which span a total of 750 acres. Two centuries later, under Ferdinand VI, the village was expanded from an exclusive site of the monarchy to a true city. In 1808, the monarchy, under King Charles IV of Spain, was forced to relocate their spring residence due to a revolt by the city's residents. The city remained of utmost importance in the country, though; in 1851 it became the second city (after Barcelona) to have a railway built to connect it directly with Madrid. In 2001 it was officially named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today its residence of royalty has vanished, but the evidence of its past remain with the perfectly maintained palace and gardens.  

The long walk way to the royal palace that greeted me when I stepped off the train. 

The town immediately greets you with luscious vegetation and trees the second you step off the cercanias train. My first stop was the royal palace. The palace and gardens were established by Queen Isabela II. Every room of the palace had a unique theme; one room was completely covered in porcelain decorated in a tropical theme, another was designed by the same architect who designed Granada’s Alhambra, so appeared very similar to the Alhambra, yet was all in vibrant color. Each room in the palace seemed to emphasize the importance of color, detail and theme.  While it may not be as ostentatious as Versailles, the palace screams wealth.

The Royal Palace!

Me in front of the Royal Palace

 Following the palace tour, I made my way to the famous gardens. On the way I met a little old man who asked me for directions. We began talking and when I told him my dad was from Carácas, he got very excited and told me he was too! He was an adorable old man who was impressed by my Spanish, tried to speak the three words of English he knew, and was genuinely thrilled to have someone to talk to! He wanted to know exactly where in Caracas my dad was from and even gave me his email so that I could tell him. After we kissed goodbye I finally made it to the gardens, Alranjuez’s most prized attraction.

Me in front of the royal gardens

River surrounding the Royal Palace and gardens

Aranjuez has two main gardens, which each contain their own sub-gardens: Jardin de Isla and Jardin del Principe. Jardin de Isla is essentially the backyard of the palace and Jardin del Principe (the main gardens of Arajuez) lies behind it. The river in Aranjuez cuts around and defines the borders of the gardens. Altogether, the Aranjuez gardens cover 750 acres.

cherub fountain in Jardin de la Isla

walkway in Jardin de la Isla 

fountain in the Jardin de la Isla

Entrance to Jardin del Principe
(the garden's name is on the top of the pillars to greet you at the entrance)  

Before finishing my short trip I made a quick stop to the market before it closed for siesta hours. I bought myself a giant airy pastry filled with cream and covered with chocolate (don’t worry, I only ate a couple bites) and a sponge-bob decorated cookie for my host-sister. I took a quick trek to the plaza de toros, the bull fighting ring. It is not quite bull-fighting season at the moment, so I was only able to snap a picture from the outside.

The bull ring

It was a quick trip—I only spent about 4 hours in the small city—but I am so glad I went. It was fun to see yet another completely different small town in Spain and to enjoy some natural beauty alongside royal elegance. I also really enjoyed taking this short trip on my own. The experience allowed me to travel at my own pace and see what I wanted, as well as to stop and talk to locals wherever I went, which was possibly my favorite part of the day. 

A hallway lining the palace perimeter

Paella Pow-Wow

The winning paella: best tasting
Yes, those are giant prawns. And yes, it was delicious. 

This past Saturday Taylor and I left the city and ventured to the suburbs. The church we visited the Sunday before, Mountainview International Church, was hosting a paella cook-off to raise donations for a local charity (it raised a total of €2,713). The event was hosted in the backyard of one of the church's members suburban home; by the time Taylor and I arrived the backyard was completely filled with chefs and paella. The fundraiser was more than just a cook-off, though, it was complete with games and face-painting to entertain the children (and, perhaps, a few adults..).  

Paella pans and and chefs flooding the backyard.

There were approximately 15-20 paella chefs competing in the cook-off for three categories: best tasting, most original, and best presentation. After the judges tasted each of them, it was our turn to dig in. Taylor and I started feasting with a mission: to try as many paellas as we possibly could. We went from pan to pan, getting sufficient portions of each and every paella. Each dish was completely different from the others and boasted its own flavor. Paellas ranged from traditional valencian paellas, to arroz negro (a rice dish filled with calamari and squid and given its black color by mixing in copious amounts of squid ink), to vegetarian paellas, to mushroom paellas that resembled risotto, to Dominican rice, to Indian-influenced paellas..the list goes on. Unfortunately, my stomach did not. However, we were on a mission and needed to prove ourselves successful, which we did except for, I believe, two which were gone before we reached them.

By the last few pans our stomachs were starting to really feel the consequences of our actions. Still, these slight pains were nothing compared to the incredible paellas we tasted (and gorged on). I tried the best arroz negro I had ever had: it was full of squid and was so creamy--the perfect combination of flavor and texture. After finishing our plates, we were so full that we had to take a few minutes to sit down and breath. Yet, we somehow found room to get some homemade desserts.

The pastor, Taylor, and me cooking paella!

Paella in the making

The day was more than a glutinous feast though, it was also a time of meeting new people and enjoying time together in a quiet, suburban neighborhood. Everyone at the church has been so welcoming to us and genuinely interested in engaging in conversation. The pastor even offered to has us both over to teach us how to cook paella--an offer upon which we will most definitely accept!! Taylor and I both agreed that after the cook-off, the church and its community really felt like the right place for us and like a home while we are away. Maybe the paella and games were bribery, but either way, we are both very satisfied on many levels.

Toledo

On Saturday I took my first day trip with my study abroad program in Spain: Toledo. Situated only 45 minutes away from Madrid by bus, Toledo is a city completely different from Madrid. My study abroad director told us about how each city you visit in Spain is unique, and I am now starting to realize that. Last week's trip to El Escorial consisted of a small-town mountain pueblo, rich with culture. Toledo, on the other hand, is very much a tourist destination. It is an elevated city that requires constant climbing to get around. However, this elevation enables beautiful views of the city and its surroundings once you reach the top.

The entrance to Toledo

Taylor, Cristina, Alyssa, and Holly entering Toledo

Taylor and I with Cervantes, the author of the esteemed Don Quijote

Eating Mazapan, Toledo's signature sweet treat

 Toledo is known for the blending and cohabitation of the world's three major religions: christianity, judaism, and islam. As such, Toledo boasts impressive cathedrals, synagogues, and a nearby mosque. Toledo's cathedral was the first attraction we visited. The cathedral dates back to the XV century and is very unique in its appearance. Cathedrals tend to be symmetric buildings--symmetry was equated to beauty at this time--yet Toledo's cathedral has a tall tower to the left of its entrance while the tower on the right is much shorter. The cathedral's façade is beautifully decorated with scenes from Christ's life. The most impressive to me was the final supper scene depicted just above the main archway.

The cathedral of Toledo

Close up of Jesus and the 12 apostles at the last supper carved above the arch of the cathedral

 During the time of construction, many arabs were immigrating into Spain, which led to muslim influence on many christian structures. The cathedral is one example of this. Some of its ceilings are decorated in typical muslim style, the same types of ceilings that I saw at the Alhambra.

Arab influenced roof in the Cathedral

opulently adorned altar

During the Renaissance, before the invention of electricity, God's presence was believed to be seen through light. As such, renaissance cathedrals are decorated with stained glass, which lit up with the sun and allowed God's glory to light up the church. Toledo's cathedral is a prime example of this belief of God's presence through sunlight. Not only is the cathedral lined with stained glass, in the back of the church, behind the altar, the ceiling open to allow direct sunlight in. The base of the opening consists of the madonna and child surround by angels carved out of marble, and the ceiling top leading up to the opening is painted with angels. Its beauty cannot be captured by a picture.

The Madonna carved out of marble

opening in the roof for God's light 

the chapel 

 We ended our time in Toledo with a visit to El Greco's museum. The museum was filled with his works, including one room devoted to  the last supper. There were 13 paintings in a line on the wall, a portrait of Jesus in the center with portraits of the apostles on each side of him. In addition to religious portraits,  El Greco also painted many portraits of royal Spanish families.

El Greco's Jesus at the last supper 

Romería de la Virgen de Gracia

Madrid, and most large spanish cities, is surrounded by pueblos--small towns just outside the city center. Pueblos, while modern now-a-days, continue to maintain traditional customs and practices; one traditional custom is the annual festival that each pueblo hosts. 

My friend Taylor, from my program here in Spain, is also living with a host-family and was invited to join them in one of these festivals; she extended the invitation to me as well. Her host-family has a beautiful second home in the mountains in El Escorial that they retreat to during the summer and on the weekends. The pueblo is only about a 45 minute drive from central Madrid, but it is a completely different atmosphere: a small mountain village abundant with trees and nature contrast concrete, smog laden, crowded Madrid. 

Taylor's host-mom, Taylor and me on the deck of her host family's home in El Escorial

El Escorial is best known for the enormous monastery that sits in the village's center: el monasterio de san Lorenzo. The monastery was definitely one of the largest I have ever seen, and now is home to a school, a museum, a church, gardens, and a current day monastery--each have their own section of the huge building. We anticipated going to visit the cathedral; however, given the day and hoards of people, the cathedral, along with all other parts of the monastery, were closed.

monasterio de san lorenzo

Me and Taylor in front of the monastery, next to the gardens

 We continued to el campo to participate in the festival. The festival, which translates to Procession of the Virgin of Gracia of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, is held on the second Sunday each September. The festival begins first thing in the morning with the procession of the image of the Virgin leaving for the hermitage, el campo. Everyone in the village, the pilgrams, follow the decorated image until it reaches the sanctuary, at which point Alba Mass is held. We arrived in el campo after the procession, but when walking through, we were able to catch the last few minutes of the processional mass. After mass, each extended family hosts their own giant lunch feast, which varies from chorizo/salchicha barbacoa to paella. We had about 15 different chorizos and sausages, grilled vegetables, spanish tortillas, and about 10 different spanish empanadas. Needless to say, I was extremely full, and satisfied, in no time. 

One of the families making a giant paella

The festival is full of traditions even apart from the procession. As you may have noticed in the pictures, there is a dress code. The minimum dress code, as modeled by Taylor and me, is a white blouse, and blue and white bandana tied around your neck, and jeans. Most locals, however, wear the full attire. Women wear heavy felt skirts that are black and yellow or green, with black tied shoes, a white blouse, and a medallion with the virgin's image around their neck. Men wear a costume consisting of black pants, a white shirt, a black vest, a red or yellow sash tied around their waste, and a medallion with an image of the virgin (careful, this is a different image than the one the women wear though). Children can be seen in colorful dresses, as shown below, or smaller versions of the adult costumes. 

Niñas in traditional pueblo clothing for the festival

 Each family is further entitled to one peña. The only way I can think to describe a peña is like a float, however it is not that at all. A peña is a huge life size diagram that displays an image or theme, and each theme is specific and chosen by the family. Themes can range from a water fall going onto a wheel to create energy to power a TV, to a cornucopia, to a farm scene, to Real Madrid winning the UEFA Championship, to an image of the nativity scene or of the virgin (which is the most popular general theme, given the festival). At the end of the procession, after festivities and traditional dances, the peñas are each judged. Throughout the day, families are crafty and offer food to other people in order to get them to come over to see their peña. The original form of advertising. At the festival's conclusion, the best peña is voted on and the family is named the winner!

A cornucopia peña 

Taylor and me in front of some roaming farm animals

Peña dedicated to the Virgin

After listening to a few conversations and hearing greetings of 'felix día de las gracias', I realized that this is the town's equivalent to thanksgiving. Of course, the two are very different entities that cannot be compared, but it is definitely the most similar American holiday. And, it makes the fact that I will not be home for thanksgiving a little better. 

I can officially say I have been to a real Spanish fiesta. 

El Retiro

I'm in love. I know what you're thinking, 'she went abroad and fell in love--how cliché', but this is different. My love provides for me, regardless of my mood, and encourages me to express myself. My love surprises me everyday with something new--there is never a dull moment. My love provides me with an outlet from the hustling of this busy city. My love urges me to collect my thoughts and healthily process what is going on in my head. My love will never abandon me--the thought of me leaving in 4 months and leaving my love behind is actually quite disheartening. And although we only encountered each other a mere two days ago, my love makes me a better person.

Two days ago I went with my group to the park and this is where the encounter first occurred. Madrid's main park is called 'El Retiro' and is the country's equivalent to our central park. It is about half the size of New York's counterpart, however it boasts many different attractions. El Retiro, known formally as Parque del Buen Retiro, translates to Park of the nice/pleasant retreat. The park was initially built in 1505 as a retreat for the Jeronimo's monastery under Isabella I. The Spanish Court was officially moved to Madrid in 1561 under King Philip II, and as such, the Retiro was adopted by the royal family as their retreat. In the 1620s, major expansions took place for the Retiro, including the addition of monuments and palaces decorated by famous Spanish painters, such as Velazquez and Giordano. The palace was destroyed during the Peninsular War (1807-1816). However, under Queen Isabella II, the garden and much of the park was restored. In 1868, Queen Isabella was overthrown and the park was handed over to public use, as it remains to this day. 

Bosque at the main entrance of El Retiro

The park still boasts this royal character and many of the original fountains and monuments remain. Unlike American parks, which aim to provide free space for the public to enjoy, the majority of European parks focus on the beauty of the park itself, not necessarily its use. As such, there are numerous gardens and forests in the park, however there are not as many open fields. And there is no precious zoo, like the one we all love in Central Park. As such, El Retiro has its own character and cannot be compared to anything else. 

grand fountain in park's center

cherub fountain

When we went as a group on Thursday we walked around a bit and observed some of the key attractions in the park: the Crystal palace, the fountains, the Monument to Alfonso XII, etc. Some of the buildings, such as the crystal palace, even hosts free exhibitions of famous artwork, sponsored by the Museo Reina Sofia (Guernica's home museum). However, the vastness of the park ensures that you can never see its entirety in one visit. And every time one goes, he or she is bound to encounter a new surprise. 

crystal palace

 

Monument to Alfonso XII, and row boaters!

I was so enamored with the park this first day, and had only had a mere taste, that I needed to go back the next day. A few of my friends and I went yesterday and sat down, wrote postcards, took a stroll; we enjoyed ourselves and nature. El Retiro is also the perfect place to go for a run and escape the city. There are very few runners on the streets of Madrid (the air is not extremely healthy to run in and the streets are filled with people); however, running is quite popular at the park. And, better yet, it is a beautiful course. Honestly, I could easily go to El Retiro every day. The park provides me a place to collect my thoughts, go for a run, go for a stroll, or just sit. It is so peaceful and beautiful--the perfect display of natural beauty. 

Taylor in front of one of El Retiro's creeks

Taylor and I climbing a tree (it is actually illegal to climb trees in this royal park....oops)

And this is my love: El Retiro. 

First Impressions

I arrived in Madrid last Thursday with my parents and spent a relaxing two days with them going to two different art museums, eating tapas, and getting ready for me to start my new journey. We first went to the Prado museum, an incredible collection of Goya, Rembrandt, and Vasquez, among many. We arrived at 6, when there is free daily admission, and all of the sudden we were being kicked out of the museum. Apparently, two hours had gone by without us even realizing it and we had barley even seen most of the museum. Thankfully, I still have 4 months to explore the artworks to their fullest, and my parents were able to make it back on Saturday. On Friday we went to Museo Reina Sofia, the home of Guernica and other contemporary art. I had expected Guernica to be phenomenal, as many had told me, but I had not expected the grandeur of the piece, nor was I aware of the story behind it. During Franco's reign in Spain, Picasso openly spoke out against the atrocities and was strongly against his authority. In January 1937, Picasso was appointed by the Spanish Republic to make a large painting Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne at the 1937 World's Fair in Paris. On April 1 that year, he read the news of a government authorized bombing that had just occurred in Guernica, a basque city that mostly consisted of women and children, and was inspired to speak out. The piece he left us with displays the horrors of war in a sullen black and white world, where no one, including the women and children, are spared. Picasso's masterpiece was taken to New York's MOMA museum for display and was not allowed in Spain until the 'true' government was restored. As such, the social commentary never made it to the country it was critiquing until the 1980s, after Franco had died. 

I was very sad and anxious to be leaving my parents (again) by the last few days, but these excursions definitely helped to heighten the mood. I was also able to celebrate my mom's birthday with her (which was yesterday, everyone!!) before she left, so in a way, I spent and celebrated an important day with her even though I am away. It was also a great way to still feel connected. 

On Saturday I met the other people in my program and met my host family. My host family consists of two parents, both of whom are architects, and their adorable 6 year old daughter, Amalia. Amalia is always completely full of energy and, at times, can be quite a handful. But she is extremely sweet and I have really enjoyed playing with her an her friends--playing with her dolls, playing make believe, letting her put eye shadow on me, etc. We live less than a 10 min walk from the city's central square, Puerta del Sol, and are in the middle of what is considered the hipster/young area, barrio Malasaña. I have also been able to cook almost every night with my host mom, which has definitely been a highlight of my time here. She is an incredible cook--hopefully I pick up a few skills on Spanish cooking from her during my time here!

Unfortunately, we have had all-day orientations (9am-8pm most days) for the study abroad program I am in since Saturday, which has made for long and exhausting days. However, each day always ends with a 'fun' activity. On Monday we visited the Reina Sofia for a special Dalí exhibit. The exhibit was huge and consisted of every major and well known work of Dalí. It was the exhibit's last day in Madrid and people had been waiting in 3 hour long lines every day since I have been here in order to see it, so it was an incredible opportunity to be able to visit it! We have also gone on a few walking tours of the city, which have enabled me to get to know the different areas and their personalities a bit better--and now know where are the best place for tapas! There is definitely much more of the city to explore, but I am learning more and more and getting better acquainted each day.

However, there have been challenges. Probably the hardest initial change is the difference in schedule, particularly eating schedule. Lunch here is typically eaten around 2 or 3pm, which is ok for me, however, dinner is not eaten until 10pm. At home and Yale, I am the person to go to bed around 10:30 or 11, so this has been quite an adjustment. Spaniards go to bed late and rely on their midday siestas; I hate napping and consider naps a waste of a day, I don't think I will adopt this part of the schedule.

Today I visited the university that I will be studying at for the first time. It was much smaller than I expected (especially considering that 17,000 students are enrolled) and probably only the size of Yale's central campus (cross and old campuses only) in total--cafeterias, offices, classrooms and all. The education system is much different here than in the States: students live at home and commute to school each day, do not have jobs, and stay at home until they are much older with established jobs. Further, public schools here are actually the more prestigious schools and private schools are for the students who did not qualify for the public universities, so, in order to get an education, they must pay.

This morning, when I was pre-registering for classes, I encountered another challenge: the system failed before some of us could log on. We had to wait 2 hours to be able to register, at which point many classes were full. I started getting pretty overwhelmed at that point, missing Yale and it's shopping period, and feeling a tinge of home-sickness. However, everything worked out in the end and I should know my schedule by Friday in order to start classes Monday. I am definitely ready to have a set schedule again--I miss structure.

Despite minor set backs, each day is a new adventure with something new to offer. It has been a great introduction to the city and I am excited for everything the next few months has to offer!