Woke up with a case of the "Mondays" today...but in the best way possible. Let me explain: last night I got back from Amsterdam around 10:30, completely wide-awake and energized. I have no clue how that happened. Like, usually I'm exhausted after traveling. But, I got back and caught up with my roommate, shared stroopwafel with her, and then proceeded to finish blogging before unpacking. Then, around 2am I thought it would be a really good idea to make one of those iPhoto picture books with my favorite snapshots from the trip. And proceeded to work on that for almost an hour before I realized I had to wake up for class in the morning...thus fast forward to my not wanting to get out of bed at 9 this morning. Don't worry-one coke zero and a granola bar later, all was good.
Today we had both our Cities as Living Museums and Museums and Heritage classes at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Spain's national museum of 20th century art. The building used to be a hospital and was converted to house modern art post-Picasso. It's a really cool building, somewhat on the same scale as Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Lots of white hallways, glass elevator towers, and plain rooms with art on the walls. For our morning class we focused primarily on Picasso's Guernica and how it contributed to Spain's history. It is one of the largest paintings in the world and was commissioned by the Spanish government for the 1937 World Fair in Paris. Picasso uses a black, white and grey color palate to tell a story of the bombing of Guernica. This afternoon we looked at a general survey of the permanent and temporary exhibitions in the museum, with an emphasis on how the collection was obtained. I particularly enjoyed the temporary exhibit on the evolution of news and media through photojournalism and video.
Between class today we had about 5 hours, which no matter what way you look at it, is a long time. After getting home, I realized that I desperately needed to do laundry especially after a weekend away. After playing with the European washer (which I still haven't figured out completely), I managed to make it work and decided to go find something for lunch. As per usual, I decided to walk to Mercado de San Miguel for a glass of sangria and some croquettes. As a little Monday pick-me-up I also got a palmera de chocolate from the little baker in the corner. With plenty of time-and good weather-I decided that I would explore the neighborhood a little bit and ended up walking to a completely different area of town than I knew. Funny what happens when you twist and turn the little back roads. Eventually after hunting for metro signs, I saw an intersection with signs pointing towards different monuments. Not knowing any of them, I followed the ones for Mercado de San Anton, another market that I had seen on the internet and planned to visit this weekend. What I walked into was like no other. Imagine your typical grocery store on the ground level, then a two story tapas market like San Miguel and a nicer restaurant with a terrace on top. Can you say heaven on earth? Having just eaten lunch, I wasn't that hungry so I settled and went with my typical safe bet to the fruit stand for a glass of juice. Pineapple Coconut. I was literally in heaven. Thank goodness for Google Maps because eventually I found my way out and back to the neighborhood I call home.
Next little adventure: grocery shopping. After not really getting groceries in Paris, and a failed attempt in Italy, I knew there had to be some hope in Spain-after all, I (kind of) know the language! I opted for the familiar choice and went to El Corte Ingles, aka the one-stop-shop for everything you'd ever need. There is a huge one not too far from the apartment, and their below ground-level floor is a gourmet grocery store with reasonable prices. Having just cleaned out my fridge last night, I bought a variety of fresh fruits, some raw veggies (yes, mom!), and pre-made chicken before heading back. I walked out feeling like I had just accomplished something big-not only did I navigate my way around the store just fine but I was able to do it all on my own from start to end at the self-checkout. I probably won't need to get food again before leaving next week, but I feel confident and ready should I need to or want to come back someday. Who knew grocery shopping could be so fun?
As much as I love studying abroad (and I do), we have come to a bittersweet crossroads in the program. There are a significant amount of days behind us now; much more than we have left, which means that classes are wrapping up and final prep has commenced (after this post). But, it is also a somewhat happy time because next week I will be able to see my family! So, with this mindset I have scheduled some fun farewell posts in addition to my daily recaps. You've heard my little rants about what I do each day and such, but these will be more detailed descriptions about the honest truths about studying abroad, my favorite places, etc. All lighthearted and happy.
Until then, it's off to work on assignments for me. Also, if you have any recommendations for fun, atypical things to do in Madrid, please by all means let me know! My roommate and I are looking for an exciting way to celebrate our "last hurrah" abroad.
Hasta luego!
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