5/12/23-5/13/23
This Friday morning started with a little bit of chaos, as six women getting ready at six in the morning with two bathrooms is a little bit chaotic, but we all made it to the train station on time and even managed to be the first ones there! I had never been on a high speed train before, so I was very excited, so excited in fact that I fell asleep. With a quick nap, I was ready to take on Madrid!
Upon arriving and checking into our hotel, which was very nice and even had a phone by the toilet, it was time for lunch and exploring. Arianna, Shannon, Tatum and I got some subpar tacos but really good coffee. Arianna and I then went to a small secondhand bookstore and stopped by a playground on the way. With the crisp, cool spring air and cloudy day, a ride on a swing and teeter totter made me over the moon. The bookstore was small and cozy, filled floor to ceiling with books. There was quite the selection in French and English; I even found a book of the best Peanuts comic strips, and I am obsessed with the Peanuts. I can never have enough books. We then found a record and cd store, where I found a dvd of National Treasure, which is one of my brother’s favorite movies, in Spanish.
We all then met up for a walking tour of the city where the weather took an interesting turn. The rain was sporadic, and the air was super windy and blew around the sand. Alas, we still walked around the city’s top areas and got nun cookies! The place was so cool and unexpected. The two wooden doors appear out of nowhere, and you have to be buzzed into the building. Once we went in, we tiptoed through a few pathways to get to the ordering booth, which is this turning table that covers the nuns. I got the lemon and almond cookies, both of which were absolutely AMAZING and did not disappoint.
After some more city exploring, it was time for day two! While I am not the biggest art history connoisseur, I do love visiting museums and looking at art. I was very excited to see work by Goya and Greco, two artists that we briefly talked about in class before the trip. The guided tour was quite rushed, so I was glad when we got to explore on our own after. One of my favorite paintings was El Greco’s “Tríptico del jardín de las delicias.” The three surrealistic panels depicted the story of Adam and Eve, Earth, Hell and the seven deadly sins. Everywhere I looked, there was something new to look at. What I love about this painting is that it was so ahead of its time and that it was double sided. The back of the painting to me symbolized the creation of Earth.
Another painting that stood out to me was Francisco de Goya’s “Saturno.” While a bit gory, it depicts the Greek myth of the Titan Cronus, fearing that he would be overthrown by one of his children, ate each one upon their birth. Something about it just made me keep coming back to it. I also loved Goya’s “El 3 de mayo en Madrid,” which shows citizens facing a French firing squad. To me, the main focus of the painting symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus, as the man is dressed in white and all the light is on him. I think this was Goya’s approach, showing that the Spanish are innocent in all of this war and that they will be victorious.
While the stay was short, I really loved Madrid. It felt a little like Chicago to me, and the greenery provided a nice break from Barcelona. I truly felt like I could live in Madrid and hope to be back someday.
Limonada,
Erin 🙂
