This past weekend, the last before classes started. The Barcelona students passed by for two days. I followed them to the Prado and La Reina Sofia, both are 2 of many famous art museums here. And guess what? Neither let you take photos inside! But I saw all the famous paintings that I've learned through text books and projector slides... you can guess that in person it's way better. But I was glad to have the previous knowledge. Adrian's teacher was explaining Las Meninas to the class. And nothing new for me! jaja. For people who aren't familiar it's by painter Velazquez who is known for paintings of royalty but he liked the common life better so you see both in his paintings. Adrian's teacher focused on the geographical center versus the center of light. It was the first time I heard it explained in English, so I admit, I appreciated it a bit more.
Before Adrian and I were to meet with the people we went shopping for my boots! And found them in Sol. It was harder than one would think to find the right style and foot size. People here are on average 4 to 5 inches shorter than me so haha, my foot size is a little unusual unless I go were the tall tourists shop. Another condition was that I didn't want them made in China. I tried on three pairs in two stores and the third was the pair I wore to the club that night. I brought Adrian to see Susy, my host mom and to change. She had been a little sick but was as chevere as ever and insisted to makes a vegetable spaghetti, delicious. And we finished my birthday icecream cake. Then she drove us, a little faster than I'd like, to Sol to meet Sara and Katie and the architecture students. Despite the crazy driving I city people do, I enjoyed seeing Madrid above ground at night!
So after the small intro, Adrian 'sprinted' through the Prado. ~sigh~ So I need to go back. That night we all went to Kapital a 7 floor club.... it was expensive! But we liked the Spanish dance floor and the hip hop. Sadly the techno didn't come close to Basshunter or Cascada. So we got bored of it. Except for a blast of dry ice that dropped from the ceiling to give me a Marlyn Monroe every time. But it was hot! So the blast of cool dry ice was like a high for the crowd. We shared two free drinks that come with the entrance fee and rationed them. 12 euro a pop isn't cheap. I preferred the second one, my choice, orange fanta and vodka. The coke and rum was weird... but then coke here is different.
Day two was the Reina Sofia, I also need to go back there! Then we viewed a cool plant building, part of the Caixa Forum and the more industrial one we went inside. I liked the stair wells. They were wide, bending, and metal like a slide but with steps. And the plants are all real and living off the environment of the Spain's temparate climate without much dirt. The number of species was in the thousands.
From there Adrian and I split to the Botanical Gardens and Parque Retiro. I took some videos of the gardens and I'm going to compare them to later in the semester when the flowers come out. Although this spring weather does allow for pansies and other hardy flowers. And I saw crocuses peeping out. A whole section to the park was dedicated to bonsai trees! The display was peaceful and it felt very oriental. So peaceful that Adrian was almost knocked out. Can you tell he didn't sleep after the club?
Well from their we searched and searched for a cheap place to eat dinner until I brought him to my favorite Tapa Bar Malaspinas. It was literally the most crowed bar in that section. I got a glass of Sangria, and Adrian got Manzanilla. (apple wine) His portion was a third of mine, jaja. He tried mine, and converted to Sangria right there. Apparently Cisco can't make comparable Sangria. We were stuffed off a lot of potatoes because I wanted the Patatas Bravas and our ham came with fries! It was delicious anyway and chowed down for 15 euro.
And that will be all for now folks! I'm off to Granada at 8:30 am my time and 2:30 am G.M.T. time. I caught a little throat problem and drank some vino tinto and took a Spanish form of benidryl, not in the same hour. No worries! But I hate being sick for exciting events and the Alhambra is going to be exciting! I'll post some Arabic Architecture when I get back... btw the weather was like 50 something today, which could be screwing me over, with the weather change. And I packed t-shirts for Granada and 55 F weather! I love temperate climates!
This past weekend, the last before classes started. The Barcelona students passed by for two days. I followed them to the Prado and La Reina Sofia, both are 2 of many famous art museums here. And guess what? Neither let you take photos inside! But I saw all the famous paintings that I've learned through text books and projector slides... you can guess that in person it's way better. But I was glad to have the previous knowledge. Adrian's teacher was explaining Las Meninas to the class. And nothing new for me! jaja. For people who aren't familiar it's by painter Velazquez who is known for paintings of royalty but he liked the common life better so you see both in his paintings. Adrian's teacher focused on the geographical center versus the center of light. It was the first time I heard it explained in English, so I admit, I appreciated it a bit more.
Before Adrian and I were to meet with the people we went shopping for my boots! And found them in Sol. It was harder than one would think to find the right style and foot size. People here are on average 4 to 5 inches shorter than me so haha, my foot size is a little unusual unless I go were the tall tourists shop. Another condition was that I didn't want them made in China. I tried on three pairs in two stores and the third was the pair I wore to the club that night. I brought Adrian to see Susy, my host mom and to change. She had been a little sick but was as chevere as ever and insisted to makes a vegetable spaghetti, delicious. And we finished my birthday icecream cake. Then she drove us, a little faster than I'd like, to Sol to meet Sara and Katie and the architecture students. Despite the crazy driving I city people do, I enjoyed seeing Madrid above ground at night!
So after the small intro, Adrian 'sprinted' through the Prado. ~sigh~ So I need to go back. That night we all went to Kapital a 7 floor club.... it was expensive! But we liked the Spanish dance floor and the hip hop. Sadly the techno didn't come close to Basshunter or Cascada. So we got bored of it. Except for a blast of dry ice that dropped from the ceiling to give me a Marlyn Monroe every time. But it was hot! So the blast of cool dry ice was like a high for the crowd. We shared two free drinks that come with the entrance fee and rationed them. 12 euro a pop isn't cheap. I preferred the second one, my choice, orange fanta and vodka. The coke and rum was weird... but then coke here is different.
Day two was the Reina Sofia, I also need to go back there! Then we viewed a cool plant building, part of the Caixa Forum and the more industrial one we went inside. I liked the stair wells. They were wide, bending, and metal like a slide but with steps. And the plants are all real and living off the environment of the Spain's temparate climate without much dirt. The number of species was in the thousands.
From there Adrian and I split to the Botanical Gardens and Parque Retiro. I took some videos of the gardens and I'm going to compare them to later in the semester when the flowers come out. Although this spring weather does allow for pansies and other hardy flowers. And I saw crocuses peeping out. A whole section to the park was dedicated to bonsai trees! The display was peaceful and it felt very oriental. So peaceful that Adrian was almost knocked out. Can you tell he didn't sleep after the club?
Well from their we searched and searched for a cheap place to eat dinner until I brought him to my favorite Tapa Bar Malaspinas. It was literally the most crowed bar in that section. I got a glass of Sangria, and Adrian got Manzanilla. (apple wine) His portion was a third of mine, jaja. He tried mine, and converted to Sangria right there. Apparently Cisco can't make comparable Sangria. We were stuffed off a lot of potatoes because I wanted the Patatas Bravas and our ham came with fries! It was delicious anyway and chowed down for 15 euro.
And that will be all for now folks! I'm off to Granada at 8:30 am my time and 2:30 am G.M.T. time. I caught a little throat problem and drank some vino tinto and took a Spanish form of benidryl, not in the same hour. No worries! But I hate being sick for exciting events and the Alhambra is going to be exciting! I'll post some Arabic Architecture when I get back... btw the weather was like 50 something today, which could be screwing me over, with the weather change. And I packed t-shirts for Granada and 55 F weather! I love temperate climates!
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