Spain//Part 2

Suckling Pig 

Live music at dinner

Puerta del Sol, PACKED

Last night at 11:15 PM we went to dinner at the oldest restaurant in the world, according to the Guinness book of world records, El Botin. It was recommended to me by a friend studying abroad in Madrid (thanks Kate!). I got suckling pig, even though I swore a couple years ago I wouldn't eat it again. I had a moral dilemma at the table and of course the side telling me to "just get it" won. The way I figured, if I'm eating the most recommended dish in the oldest restaurant in the world, they're doing something right and it's going to be damn good. Assumption correct.

Day two in Madrid was just as beautiful as the first day! This morning Mom and I went to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, which is conveniently across the street! When we went to buy tickets we learned that admission was free for people born in 1992 (what a coincidence!) since it was the anniversary of their opening. Instead of buying the full size museum guide like yesterday, we just got the pocket-sized one! I couldn't believe how many artists were in the Museum. It seems like they had a little bit of everything - Van Gogh, Braque, Picasso, Monet, Cezanne, Degas, Matisse, O'Keeffe, Pollock, Van Eyck (my favorite), Caravaggio (another favorite), Giacometti and so many more. We got audio guides which was so helpful, especially since I don't know too much about Modern art. So...funny story, there were signs everywhere for the Gauguin exhibit and I was so excited since I had learned about him in my Modern art class last semester. We had planned to go around the entire museum, have lunch and then see the Gauguin exhibit. Well we went through the museum, which took a couple hours, then had lunch in the cafe. I got a salad with tuna (real tuna!) and Mom got watermelon gazpacho. When we went to the Gauguin exhibit the guard told us it didn't open until the ninth of October....so as excited as I had been, I never bothered to look at the dates. Despite missing that, I couldn't have been happier in the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza looking at all the amazing works!

Afterward we took a double-deckered bus tour around Madrid. We knew we weren't going to be able to see everything we wanted to in two days, but the bus trip helped alot! We got off the bus at the Royal Palace and walked around for a while. It was so much fun seeing the city from the top of an open-air bus. We were provided with headsets that gave us information about the sights we were passing too! When we got back I went to the Prado to do some sketching. Fun fact - the Prado is free from 6-8 PM, so I got into two museums for free today! I sketched Sebastiano del Piombo's Pietà di Ubeda and Agnus Dei by Francisco de Zubaran. Afterwards I bought myself a keychain of Head of a Stag by Velazquez. 

For dinner tonight we went to dinner and a flamenco show at Corral de la Moreria! For dinner I got a warm salad with goat cheese, salmon with asparagus and potatoes and lemon sorbet. Flamenco was alot of what I thought it would be (skirt twirling and bandito-style, fast guitar playing) and a lot of things I didn't expect - how FAST the dancers feet moved, the intricate footwork, the incredible poise of the dancers! It was an incredible experience and I’m so happy I got to go to one! After we got home I took a bath and packed up my stuff for tomorrow. This trip has gone by in a second and I’m sorry it’s almost over. Going to make the most of the half-day we have tomorrow though!

Spain//Part 1

I'm in Spain with my mom for the weekend and I couldn't be more excited. We left yesterday after my Italian class and got in around midnight. When we got to the hotel we were greeting with donuts and strawberries. We put on our bathrooms and decided to celebrate with a bottle of champagne. This is the one and only time I will be staying in a nice hotel while I'm in Europe, so it's such a treat. This is a luxury that at times feels too fancy for me considering I lounge around the house in leggings, I can't eat like a lady and I can't stand bedsheets tucked in. That aside, I'm so thankful for this wonderful opportunity to experience Madrid in a different way! 

We got up this morning and had buffet breakfast at the hotel. I stupidly forgot to pack my camera charger (or my phone charger, ipod charger, a brush, a razor...I told you I'm not fancy enough) so the first thing we did was to go to an electronic store in Puerta del Sol. 

Afterwards we spent a couple hours in the Prado. I couldn't believe how many works I've studied and love are there! My mother had the great idea to buy a guide book and it quickly became my bible while working through the hallways lined with El Greco, Goya, Velàzquez, Bosch, Van der Weden, Drürer, Memling, Titian, Raphael, Fra Angelico, the list goes on. I'm sure I've missed a couple, but it's hard to keep track when so many wonderful artists are housed under the same roof. My mother bought me four prints for my room: Las Meninas by Velàzquez, The Annunciation by Fra Angelico, The Garden of Earthly Delights by 

Bosch and Crossing the Styx by Patinir. The Garden of Earthly Delights is one of the most interesting paintings I've ever seen just because it's so weird. It looks like Willy Wonka and Salvador Dali got together and did acid.

After charging my phone battery and sitting for a little we went to see Plaza Mayor and get tapas. Our plan was to go to a couple tapas places, but we only got to two. The first one was called Dela Rincon Cava Meson where we got a small pitcher of sangria and calamari. The second place, Meson del Campiñón, was a place where my parents had gone when they were in Madrid about 25 years ago. My dad specifically had been really into the mushrooms, so following in their footsteps we got mushrooms and also beer and ham croquettes. It was all delicious, but a combination of the alcohol and food made us both so sleepy. Afterwards we went back to the hotel where I took a bath (a very exciting moment as it has been over a month) and relaxed. Our dinner tonight is at 11:15 PM...wish me luck.