I'm excited to be reunited with my sisters and to see where and how they've been living these last several months! I'm carrying a ridiculously large duffel bag (visualize: a blue, Santa-sized body bag) filled with sweaters, woolen socks and a down comforter to help the three of us stave off the cold. I am reading How the French Invented Love, and on my phone, I am learning French nouns, verbs and adjectives with the help of Duolingo.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
País Vasco!
Monday March 21
Train to San Sebastian-Donostia. Playa de Concha is absolutely beautiful -- aqua-colored agua, 7km waterfront walkway, gorgeous sunshine, charming old town with stone pedestrian bridges hanging over the streets. Biked around a bit (along the river and the sea). Daddy and I went to Branka for dinner -- there was a big gathering of "dueños" of wineries from all over Spain -- they must have had at least 50 bottles on the table. Our fish was excellent -- I especially loved the crab with pumpkin dish, but everything from the brussel sprouts to the anchovies were riquisimo.
Tuesday March 22
Started off the morning with a walk to the Chilida peine sculptures at the end of the beach near the tennis courts. Beautifully curled and rusted with love by the weather. Daddy and I checked out an art exhibit and market area in the downtown area, purchased a map of Basque country (made up of 3 provinces: San Sebastian is capital of one, Bilbao and Vitoria are the other 2 provincial capitals). Also visited the Mirador Palace. Queen Isabel brought her whole court here to Donostia because she had a skin condition and the doctor recommended that she bathe in the water of the Bay.
After lunch at the cidería -- excellent cider, came out of a giant barrel -- we met up with José who brought us to Deba to begin our bike trip. Today was only 25 km but quite hilly! We followed the coast the whole way, sometimes along the busy road but at times along a beautiful green road which had been closed off to cars. Passed through Ondarroa and eventually arrived in Leikeito just as it started to rain! We stayed in the Hotel Emperatriz -- once a palace. There's a beautiful cathedral (quintessentially Gothic) with an amazing 16th century Flemish tabernacle -- so elaborate.
The hotel has a cool spa -- Daddy and I made use of the giant, warm, ocean-water filled thermal pool. Very refreshing and the jets felt excellent on my muscles.
Being the only Spanish speaker of the family, I'm getting good practice communicating and generally translating between MD&A and the Spaniards -- very good practice for me; I'm forced to realize just how much I've actually learned! I do miss hearing Spanish 24/7 in daily life though.
Wednesday 23 marzo
Our bike ride started after breakfast this morning, and good thing too because we had quite a climb! Luckily the weather was gorgeous, warm and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. The coastline is absolutely breathtaking, the forests green and lively. Stopped in little protected fishing village which was literally hanging off the cliff! Found an obscure little restaurant for a coffee break. Watched the waitress hand-squeeze my fresh orange juice-- it was delicious. Then we had to climb out of the village and head towards the river delta. Rounded around the coast line, catching a glimpse of the famous Mundaka beach (famous among surfers for having one of the longest "left-hand-breaks" in the world I think). Then we ventured inland, along the magnificent delta --the same one that the airbombers flew along to bombard the unsuspecting civilians of Guernika in 1937. Not only was Guernika a town of civilians, it also holds special significance to the Basque people because it's where their leaders have historically convened (in ceremony by a special tree). I was really glad we all had had a chance to see Picasso's Guernika painting and then also visit this little town that now straddles the river and has several centers and museums dedicated to peace and memorial.
In Guernika we also stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Barri Zolli for menú del día -- we were famished, the food was incredible, and the menú was a mere ten euros per person. I had white asparagus, labrina fish (zarzuela style) and yogurt with strawberries for dessert with rioja wine and tea to round it out. We were all in such a good mood by the time we left, we forgot to stop by the special tree... All the more reason for us to return to this beautiful region another day!
After Guernika, we were fortunate to have a bike path all to ourselves and only a short ride left until Mundaka. We wended our way through labyrinthine streets to get to our hotel El Puerto on the harbor. The owner man was so friendly and jovial and our rooms had perfect views of the boats and the wide sea beyond. If only the heat and hot water had warmed up in the 18 hours we spent there, haha! Mamma and I explored the sleepy town and the surfer waves a little, then got some hot tea. You could definitely tell that the town had a mix of the old historic fishing village feel and the funky fresh surfer vibe. Must be busy in the summer time!
Went to dinner at the "casino" -- beautiful elevated belle epoque building with windows all around. Wonderful salad and red peppers stuffed with crab, also tried the traditional "green wine" (very young!) and a couple desserts -- rice pudding and rice tarta. The hotel bar was hopping by the time we got back home but we were exhausted after all those hills and went straight to bed.
Thursday 24 de marzo
Breakfast in the hotel -- fresh croissants (we're really close to the French border!) and little jamón bocadillos with fresh orange juice. I will really miss the ubiquity of fresh orange juice when I leave Spain. We would be traveling the same distance today (45km) as yesterday, but, as we were about to discover, we had a lot more climbing to do! We've come to recognize that entering a fishing village always means a steep ascent in the aftermath, but no one could have prepared us for the kilometers of ascending that we would have after Bakio. Our perception of the length was probably slightly off because we were searching in vain for a restaurant/café to stop for a coffee break, but not matter! The forests were gorgeous, though we also came upon an eery deserted power plant. The weather was threatening too -- we had some 15 minutes of light rain and lots of strong wind (up to 80 miles per hour the newspapers said the next day). Stopped for lunch in Armintxa -- it looked like no one was in the town but the bar and the comedor proved otherwise. We had an enormous menú del día: I had a huge mixed salad with anchovies, tuna and all the vegetables we wanted, then an enormous dish of fish with an amazing tomato and clam sauce. Then creamsicle (fresh OJ, vanilla ice cream and whiskey). Daddy is so content with all the creamsicles we've discovered on the basque menus!
Stuffed and a little intoxicated, we got back on the bikes and tried to brave the wind -- which literally pushed us backwards it was so strong! More ups and downs through villages that seemed to grow as we got closer and closer to Bilbao. Spent an unfortunate amount of time climbing unnecessary hills and crossing bridges in Plentzia but eventually made it to Sopelana, a little suburb just outside of Bilbao. After some rest and relaxation (we'd definitely taken a beating with the combo of hills and wind today!) we rode the metro to Casco Viejo -- the old town. First we wandered the streets a little, found a lively street filled with bars. The old men reunited in some while the majority of the floorspace was occupied by teenagers and punky youth. Our family must have looked really out of place because a kindly middle-aged lady approached me to ask what we we looking for and then directed us the opposite way with several recommendations for dinner. We somehow stumbled upon the Plaza Nueva she had directed us towards and went to Victor Montones. Little did we know this was THE place to go in Bilbao -- every one else would recommend it to us in the the subsequent 30 hours. We had champagne to celebrate the end of the bike trip and then a variety of amazing pintxos -- with vegetables, fish, jamón, all on little tosta breads. So much fun to discover the surprises in each one! We couldn't resist the desserts either -- mousse de turron, rice pudding ice cream, puff pastries, all was good.
Friday 25 de marzo
Slower start to the morning but took the metro into the city and headed towards the Guggenheim. Wow. Beautiful, stunning, impressionante -- glimmering like the city of Oz! We of course stopped to admire Puppy made of blooming live flowers by Jeff Koons then entered the museum. Went up to the exhibition first -- a really well-done one called "Chaos and Classicism -- the return to order between the wars". It showcased Italian, German, French and Spanish art. It was a wonderful culmination of many of my studies this quarter. I saw photos of Isadora Duncan at the Acropolis in Athens, portraits by Picasso in between his 2 Cubist periods, films from the Berlin Olympics... among many other things! I also liked the giant tempo of time walk-about sculptures on the lower floor and the other sculptures and fountains around the building on the outside (especially the colorful Koons tulips with their "languid' stems). The audiogiude was very entertaining.
After the museum, enjoyed the weather outside, went to our hotel Ercilla, found another amazing building (Alhondiga) which was like the CaixaForum (suspended in the air!) but even more beautiful and impressive! There was some competition of international design schools going on (each supporting column was different). Also downtstairs there was an exhibition devoted to Bilbao's presentation for the City of the World competition in Shanghai (which Bilbao won in 2008!). The "city of lights" display was beautiful, and the movie really gave an excellent historic sweep of the past centuries and decades in the city's history. Amazing that the destructive floods wiped out so much in 1983 and 25 years later, Bilbao has had 25 new urban renovation successes and the city is alive, growing brilliantly and full of creative energy! I could live in Bilbao. I love the coastal location, the river, the elegant modern bridges, the sheer number of little kids running around, the ubiquity of modern design, art, sculpture, the historic legacy. Went to dinner in the old town for pintxos again and then to bed!
Train to San Sebastian-Donostia. Playa de Concha is absolutely beautiful -- aqua-colored agua, 7km waterfront walkway, gorgeous sunshine, charming old town with stone pedestrian bridges hanging over the streets. Biked around a bit (along the river and the sea). Daddy and I went to Branka for dinner -- there was a big gathering of "dueños" of wineries from all over Spain -- they must have had at least 50 bottles on the table. Our fish was excellent -- I especially loved the crab with pumpkin dish, but everything from the brussel sprouts to the anchovies were riquisimo.
Tuesday March 22
Started off the morning with a walk to the Chilida peine sculptures at the end of the beach near the tennis courts. Beautifully curled and rusted with love by the weather. Daddy and I checked out an art exhibit and market area in the downtown area, purchased a map of Basque country (made up of 3 provinces: San Sebastian is capital of one, Bilbao and Vitoria are the other 2 provincial capitals). Also visited the Mirador Palace. Queen Isabel brought her whole court here to Donostia because she had a skin condition and the doctor recommended that she bathe in the water of the Bay.
After lunch at the cidería -- excellent cider, came out of a giant barrel -- we met up with José who brought us to Deba to begin our bike trip. Today was only 25 km but quite hilly! We followed the coast the whole way, sometimes along the busy road but at times along a beautiful green road which had been closed off to cars. Passed through Ondarroa and eventually arrived in Leikeito just as it started to rain! We stayed in the Hotel Emperatriz -- once a palace. There's a beautiful cathedral (quintessentially Gothic) with an amazing 16th century Flemish tabernacle -- so elaborate.
The hotel has a cool spa -- Daddy and I made use of the giant, warm, ocean-water filled thermal pool. Very refreshing and the jets felt excellent on my muscles.
Being the only Spanish speaker of the family, I'm getting good practice communicating and generally translating between MD&A and the Spaniards -- very good practice for me; I'm forced to realize just how much I've actually learned! I do miss hearing Spanish 24/7 in daily life though.
Wednesday 23 marzo
Our bike ride started after breakfast this morning, and good thing too because we had quite a climb! Luckily the weather was gorgeous, warm and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. The coastline is absolutely breathtaking, the forests green and lively. Stopped in little protected fishing village which was literally hanging off the cliff! Found an obscure little restaurant for a coffee break. Watched the waitress hand-squeeze my fresh orange juice-- it was delicious. Then we had to climb out of the village and head towards the river delta. Rounded around the coast line, catching a glimpse of the famous Mundaka beach (famous among surfers for having one of the longest "left-hand-breaks" in the world I think). Then we ventured inland, along the magnificent delta --the same one that the airbombers flew along to bombard the unsuspecting civilians of Guernika in 1937. Not only was Guernika a town of civilians, it also holds special significance to the Basque people because it's where their leaders have historically convened (in ceremony by a special tree). I was really glad we all had had a chance to see Picasso's Guernika painting and then also visit this little town that now straddles the river and has several centers and museums dedicated to peace and memorial.
In Guernika we also stopped for lunch at a restaurant called Barri Zolli for menú del día -- we were famished, the food was incredible, and the menú was a mere ten euros per person. I had white asparagus, labrina fish (zarzuela style) and yogurt with strawberries for dessert with rioja wine and tea to round it out. We were all in such a good mood by the time we left, we forgot to stop by the special tree... All the more reason for us to return to this beautiful region another day!
After Guernika, we were fortunate to have a bike path all to ourselves and only a short ride left until Mundaka. We wended our way through labyrinthine streets to get to our hotel El Puerto on the harbor. The owner man was so friendly and jovial and our rooms had perfect views of the boats and the wide sea beyond. If only the heat and hot water had warmed up in the 18 hours we spent there, haha! Mamma and I explored the sleepy town and the surfer waves a little, then got some hot tea. You could definitely tell that the town had a mix of the old historic fishing village feel and the funky fresh surfer vibe. Must be busy in the summer time!
Went to dinner at the "casino" -- beautiful elevated belle epoque building with windows all around. Wonderful salad and red peppers stuffed with crab, also tried the traditional "green wine" (very young!) and a couple desserts -- rice pudding and rice tarta. The hotel bar was hopping by the time we got back home but we were exhausted after all those hills and went straight to bed.
Thursday 24 de marzo
Breakfast in the hotel -- fresh croissants (we're really close to the French border!) and little jamón bocadillos with fresh orange juice. I will really miss the ubiquity of fresh orange juice when I leave Spain. We would be traveling the same distance today (45km) as yesterday, but, as we were about to discover, we had a lot more climbing to do! We've come to recognize that entering a fishing village always means a steep ascent in the aftermath, but no one could have prepared us for the kilometers of ascending that we would have after Bakio. Our perception of the length was probably slightly off because we were searching in vain for a restaurant/café to stop for a coffee break, but not matter! The forests were gorgeous, though we also came upon an eery deserted power plant. The weather was threatening too -- we had some 15 minutes of light rain and lots of strong wind (up to 80 miles per hour the newspapers said the next day). Stopped for lunch in Armintxa -- it looked like no one was in the town but the bar and the comedor proved otherwise. We had an enormous menú del día: I had a huge mixed salad with anchovies, tuna and all the vegetables we wanted, then an enormous dish of fish with an amazing tomato and clam sauce. Then creamsicle (fresh OJ, vanilla ice cream and whiskey). Daddy is so content with all the creamsicles we've discovered on the basque menus!
Stuffed and a little intoxicated, we got back on the bikes and tried to brave the wind -- which literally pushed us backwards it was so strong! More ups and downs through villages that seemed to grow as we got closer and closer to Bilbao. Spent an unfortunate amount of time climbing unnecessary hills and crossing bridges in Plentzia but eventually made it to Sopelana, a little suburb just outside of Bilbao. After some rest and relaxation (we'd definitely taken a beating with the combo of hills and wind today!) we rode the metro to Casco Viejo -- the old town. First we wandered the streets a little, found a lively street filled with bars. The old men reunited in some while the majority of the floorspace was occupied by teenagers and punky youth. Our family must have looked really out of place because a kindly middle-aged lady approached me to ask what we we looking for and then directed us the opposite way with several recommendations for dinner. We somehow stumbled upon the Plaza Nueva she had directed us towards and went to Victor Montones. Little did we know this was THE place to go in Bilbao -- every one else would recommend it to us in the the subsequent 30 hours. We had champagne to celebrate the end of the bike trip and then a variety of amazing pintxos -- with vegetables, fish, jamón, all on little tosta breads. So much fun to discover the surprises in each one! We couldn't resist the desserts either -- mousse de turron, rice pudding ice cream, puff pastries, all was good.
Friday 25 de marzo
Slower start to the morning but took the metro into the city and headed towards the Guggenheim. Wow. Beautiful, stunning, impressionante -- glimmering like the city of Oz! We of course stopped to admire Puppy made of blooming live flowers by Jeff Koons then entered the museum. Went up to the exhibition first -- a really well-done one called "Chaos and Classicism -- the return to order between the wars". It showcased Italian, German, French and Spanish art. It was a wonderful culmination of many of my studies this quarter. I saw photos of Isadora Duncan at the Acropolis in Athens, portraits by Picasso in between his 2 Cubist periods, films from the Berlin Olympics... among many other things! I also liked the giant tempo of time walk-about sculptures on the lower floor and the other sculptures and fountains around the building on the outside (especially the colorful Koons tulips with their "languid' stems). The audiogiude was very entertaining.
After the museum, enjoyed the weather outside, went to our hotel Ercilla, found another amazing building (Alhondiga) which was like the CaixaForum (suspended in the air!) but even more beautiful and impressive! There was some competition of international design schools going on (each supporting column was different). Also downtstairs there was an exhibition devoted to Bilbao's presentation for the City of the World competition in Shanghai (which Bilbao won in 2008!). The "city of lights" display was beautiful, and the movie really gave an excellent historic sweep of the past centuries and decades in the city's history. Amazing that the destructive floods wiped out so much in 1983 and 25 years later, Bilbao has had 25 new urban renovation successes and the city is alive, growing brilliantly and full of creative energy! I could live in Bilbao. I love the coastal location, the river, the elegant modern bridges, the sheer number of little kids running around, the ubiquity of modern design, art, sculpture, the historic legacy. Went to dinner in the old town for pintxos again and then to bed!
Barefoot Nuns and Family Reunion!
Saturday 19 March 2011
Monasterio of the Descalzas Reales (Barefooted Royals): originally the palace where Empress Maria Theresa of Austria lived, this fortified brick building was converted into a Franciscan convent in the 16th century by Juana de Hapsburg -- daughter of Carlos I/V and sister of Felipe II--who is also buried here. It is still used as a convent today -- 33 nuns live here and thus the visiting hours are very limited. This was my fourth time trying to get a spot on the guided tour, and I got the final ticket for the last tour of the morning.
We entered and circled around a beautiful interior courtyard, filled with orange trees. Then ascended the giant granite main staircase, decorated on all sides by amazing frescos, portraits of Carlos IV and his family, the archangels. The painted "vaulted" ceiling was done by Claudio Coello (17th century Madrid school), who also did a lot of the painting at El Escorial. On the second floor, we circled around the 33 chapels (each nun is responsible for one of the chapels). Each chapel is dedicated to a different religious figure -- St. Joseph's chapel is all decorated in wood carving, Virgin of Gaudalupe stands on a pedestal with lots of intricately painted mirrors. Probabaly the most interesting chapel is the one with a statue of reclining Christ which has an insertable container in which they put the wine "blood" of Christ and parade the statue in the Good Friday procession. the chapels are very well-decorated because the nuns who entered this convent came from very well-to-do families and each had to give a "dowry" upon entering.
We also had a chance to enter the former sleeping quarters of the nuns -- now a display room for a bunch of enormous 17th century tapestries from the Low Countries. The designs were based off of paintings by Rubens, so the figures are large and stylized in Rubens fashion. They are also didactic, depicting the Eucharist and other important ideas of the Franciscans.
Finally, downstairs the convent has a collection of paintings -- mostly court portraits of the Royal Family and paintings of the Royal Family dressed up as important Saints (for example, one little blonde princess had been painted 3 different times in the same dress but with different "accessories" each time: sword and spiky wheel for Santa Catalina, mirror and eyes for Santa Lucia, and flowers for some other saint...). There were some other religious paintings from Belgium, Holland and Germany (during the Protestant Reformation, the Catholics brought their treasures south to Spain and Italy to protect them from the wrath of the Protestants) and also a sizable collection of 16th and 17th century Italian pieces.
Glad I finally had a chance to visit the Barefoot nun convent! Afterwards I headed back home for a final lunch with Consuelo (broccoli with paprika, beets, carrots, fish and an orange) and then packed up my room! Had to make 2 trips to hotel Mora (but luckily I've mastered the bus system now) and walked home through Retiro one final time too, stopping along the way to get tulips for Consuelo. Today is Día de Padre so everyone was out and about in the park and in the streets, taking advantage of the lovely weather. Por fin, met up with Mamma, Daddy and Anna at 8:30 at Hotel Mora. Walked around Caixa Forum, Huertas, Sol, TopShop, stopping in the caves for Jamón Ibérico, pimientos verdes and wine, then stopping again at Mercado San Miguel for caviar tostas and also San Gines for churros con chocolate. So excited to have them here and have the chance to show them around!
Went out to the Cuevas for pimientos, jamón ibérico and vino, then mercado san miguel for caviar tostas and finally san gines for churros con chocolate!
Monasterio of the Descalzas Reales (Barefooted Royals): originally the palace where Empress Maria Theresa of Austria lived, this fortified brick building was converted into a Franciscan convent in the 16th century by Juana de Hapsburg -- daughter of Carlos I/V and sister of Felipe II--who is also buried here. It is still used as a convent today -- 33 nuns live here and thus the visiting hours are very limited. This was my fourth time trying to get a spot on the guided tour, and I got the final ticket for the last tour of the morning.
We entered and circled around a beautiful interior courtyard, filled with orange trees. Then ascended the giant granite main staircase, decorated on all sides by amazing frescos, portraits of Carlos IV and his family, the archangels. The painted "vaulted" ceiling was done by Claudio Coello (17th century Madrid school), who also did a lot of the painting at El Escorial. On the second floor, we circled around the 33 chapels (each nun is responsible for one of the chapels). Each chapel is dedicated to a different religious figure -- St. Joseph's chapel is all decorated in wood carving, Virgin of Gaudalupe stands on a pedestal with lots of intricately painted mirrors. Probabaly the most interesting chapel is the one with a statue of reclining Christ which has an insertable container in which they put the wine "blood" of Christ and parade the statue in the Good Friday procession. the chapels are very well-decorated because the nuns who entered this convent came from very well-to-do families and each had to give a "dowry" upon entering.
We also had a chance to enter the former sleeping quarters of the nuns -- now a display room for a bunch of enormous 17th century tapestries from the Low Countries. The designs were based off of paintings by Rubens, so the figures are large and stylized in Rubens fashion. They are also didactic, depicting the Eucharist and other important ideas of the Franciscans.
Finally, downstairs the convent has a collection of paintings -- mostly court portraits of the Royal Family and paintings of the Royal Family dressed up as important Saints (for example, one little blonde princess had been painted 3 different times in the same dress but with different "accessories" each time: sword and spiky wheel for Santa Catalina, mirror and eyes for Santa Lucia, and flowers for some other saint...). There were some other religious paintings from Belgium, Holland and Germany (during the Protestant Reformation, the Catholics brought their treasures south to Spain and Italy to protect them from the wrath of the Protestants) and also a sizable collection of 16th and 17th century Italian pieces.
Glad I finally had a chance to visit the Barefoot nun convent! Afterwards I headed back home for a final lunch with Consuelo (broccoli with paprika, beets, carrots, fish and an orange) and then packed up my room! Had to make 2 trips to hotel Mora (but luckily I've mastered the bus system now) and walked home through Retiro one final time too, stopping along the way to get tulips for Consuelo. Today is Día de Padre so everyone was out and about in the park and in the streets, taking advantage of the lovely weather. Por fin, met up with Mamma, Daddy and Anna at 8:30 at Hotel Mora. Walked around Caixa Forum, Huertas, Sol, TopShop, stopping in the caves for Jamón Ibérico, pimientos verdes and wine, then stopping again at Mercado San Miguel for caviar tostas and also San Gines for churros con chocolate. So excited to have them here and have the chance to show them around!
Went out to the Cuevas for pimientos, jamón ibérico and vino, then mercado san miguel for caviar tostas and finally san gines for churros con chocolate!
Friday 18 March 2011
First went to bikeSpain to get the route of our Basque Bike trip explained to me. Then found yet another wonderful gem of an exhibit at Caixa Forum this morning: "Un Mundo Flotante" --photographs by Jacques Henri Lartrigue (1894-1986). A frenchman, he received his first camera at the age of 8 and photographed al kinds of things, also jotting down little notes, to a keep of record of his life. I can definitely relate haha! The title of his notebooks would be things like "Reasons why I'm so happy" and as he got older, he saw the importance of keeping this journals as a means of compensating for the failings of adult memory. At the top of each page he wrote the weather for the day (So his diary provides over 70 years of weather records...), when there was a war going on, he'd leave a comment like "War: nothing new" and at the bottom of each page he would "rate" the day -- give it a score!
In addition to this theme of record keeping, Latrigue was also keen to capture "fleeting moments" with his camera. He once said something along the lines of "since I was a boy I've been affected by an illness: all the things I love escape or disappear without me being able to save them adequately in my memory" -- I'm sure it was a lot more poetic in French, but I liked the idea....So lots of pictures of divers, tennis matches, people in cars (a funny series of photos of people dressed up in goggles and leather jackets to protect themselves from the wind when driving in one of those newfangled "cars") -- he liked velocity and was fascinated by new technology. He also took lots of photos of people (at horse races, at the beach) often from the ground -- giving the appearance that we were watching the world from the perspective of a young awestruck child.
Latrigue was also basically unknown until 1963 when the MOMA in New York first exhibited his photographs. Late, in 1979, Latrigue actually donated all of this photos to the French state. I love these exhibits, expanding my horizons and moving beyond the usual artists and photographers who always get talked about -- this is definitely one of the things I'll miss about Madrid life :)
Afterwards, home for la comida and then met up Nirali in Sol to have a drink in the warm plaza and then walk to the Heroína exhibit and through Huertas. It was great to see her again -- I think it's been nearly 5 years since we last saw each other!! Oh Europe, always providing such opportunities to reunir!
Walked home through Retiro to see a contemporary art exhibit in Casa de Vacas (I liked the aerial paintings depicting street intersections of Gran Vía and Alcalá) and another artist seemed to really like rusty corners and doorways! Always something new to see...Also ran into Eliana and Cullen in the park -- Eliana leaves tomorrow after 6 months here! Wow. Home for dinner and then packing.
In addition to this theme of record keeping, Latrigue was also keen to capture "fleeting moments" with his camera. He once said something along the lines of "since I was a boy I've been affected by an illness: all the things I love escape or disappear without me being able to save them adequately in my memory" -- I'm sure it was a lot more poetic in French, but I liked the idea....So lots of pictures of divers, tennis matches, people in cars (a funny series of photos of people dressed up in goggles and leather jackets to protect themselves from the wind when driving in one of those newfangled "cars") -- he liked velocity and was fascinated by new technology. He also took lots of photos of people (at horse races, at the beach) often from the ground -- giving the appearance that we were watching the world from the perspective of a young awestruck child.
Latrigue was also basically unknown until 1963 when the MOMA in New York first exhibited his photographs. Late, in 1979, Latrigue actually donated all of this photos to the French state. I love these exhibits, expanding my horizons and moving beyond the usual artists and photographers who always get talked about -- this is definitely one of the things I'll miss about Madrid life :)
Afterwards, home for la comida and then met up Nirali in Sol to have a drink in the warm plaza and then walk to the Heroína exhibit and through Huertas. It was great to see her again -- I think it's been nearly 5 years since we last saw each other!! Oh Europe, always providing such opportunities to reunir!
Walked home through Retiro to see a contemporary art exhibit in Casa de Vacas (I liked the aerial paintings depicting street intersections of Gran Vía and Alcalá) and another artist seemed to really like rusty corners and doorways! Always something new to see...Also ran into Eliana and Cullen in the park -- Eliana leaves tomorrow after 6 months here! Wow. Home for dinner and then packing.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Aprovechan los últimos ...
Woke up at 7am to finish up studying for Health Care Systems exam at 9am. Took my grand old time writing an essay about why the single-payer reform option for the US health care system is theoretically so much stronger in addressing both insurance coverage problems and cost-containment problems than the recently passed health reform bill, but is sadly also totally politically unfeasible for now. Then spent the next 1.5 hours writing evaluations about my experience in Madrid and also a very carefully crafted thank you letter (in blue pen) to Dr. and Mrs. Bing for all the opportunities they so generously provided. Then I proceeded to walk home from the institute in the glorious sunshine one last time, stopping in the Zara store on Calle Serrano to buy a few "souvenir" articles of clothing for myself. At home, I finally got around to writing some postcards, then had lunch (brown rice with vegetables, fresh fish and an orange) and then mosied through the park to the Thyssen museum. After spending all quarter studying "la representación femenina" I just couldn't leave Madrid without seeing the Heroína exposition jointly hosted by the Thyssen and CajaMadrid.
Heroínas:
Very interesting collection and arrangement of paintings here! I wouldn't exactly agree with the exposition title (too many works depicting Greek goddess Atalanta fumbling around for those ridiculous golden apples for one thing...) but I did enjoy the thematic groupings and the interesting audio commentary. The museum explains the exposition as one of "strong women"... starting with physical strength in the Thyssen portion and moving on to mystical and spiritual strength in the CajaMadrid portion. Anyway, in the Thyssen the exposition started with solitary women: first, a giant statue of a woman with exaggerated womanly proportions and then a sturdy statue of Penelope, standing, waiting for Odysseus to come home. So, just as the story of creation always starts with Adam, we begin this discussion of the heroine talking about the masculine hero and the woman waiting for him. I did like, however, how across from this statue was the Edward Hopper piece Hotel Room from 1931 which depicts a lone female traveler, holding a train time table and sitting on the newly-made bed in a brightly-lit hotel room. I always like Edward Hopper pieces, and I think this one especially resonates with me because of my own experiences being a solitary traveler, or just being en route.
Next was a room called "caryatids" (the sculpted females who serve as architectural pillars on the Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis at Athens, which Rachel and I just visited 3 months ago!) depicting 19th century peasant woman working in the fields, displaying strength, supporting the family farm, but always subjected to the male farmer, working under his orders or bearing some enormous weight on her head. The idea is that these women are the pillars of strength in a society but ultimately always locked in servitude.
Next was a bizarre room of "baccantes" -- the females of greek mythology who followed Bacchus around, sometimes breaking into lunatic dances or banding together to murder Orpheus in a fit of rage... lots of violent and erotic imagery and "rebellion" and "empowerment" (Rodin's headless female sculpture was particularly alarming) and women who I wouldn't exactly consider heroines but oh well. At times I wondered if the museum curators had attempted to get other images but had to settle for second choices in some cases? Some things seemed to be a bit of a stretch to me. However, I really liked the work by Piplotti Rist Ever is Over All from 1997. It was a film depicting a pretty brunette girl in blue dress and red shoes (Wizard of Oz?) dandily skipping down the sidewalk with a radiant smile and giant Indian Paintbrush flower (Castilleja...?) in her hands. The film was sort of slow motion with some music playing until suddenly she just whacks the window of a parked car and glass shatters everywhere and then she continues skipping and smiling until she whacks another one! This might have been my favorite piece of the whole exhibit haha... just so much fun to watch!
Afterwards was a room of athletes (the Atalanta and Hipómenes painting by Guido Reni is beautiful but definitely representative of the idea of heroine to me...). There was some grand language about how women in Victorian England were using their archery lessons to "conquer their social and political rights" but again, stretch. I did like the Diana painting by Rubens though and later there were some very cool photographs of women soldiers. There was a giant photo of a woman's face in profile with a little plastic army man balancing on her nose and giant bold text on the side: Over My Dead Body. Also intriguing collection of photos of undergarmets/corsets and armor -- the idea of what's vulnerable, what needs to be protected, what needs to be molded.
After the Thyssen I headed out towards Sol, stopping at an exhibition called Libres para pintar of Spanish art from the 1980s. "Common demoninator" = libertad and excitement about the new democracy. I think my favorite picture was of Carmen Polo, widow of Franco, from 1978 -- a very rounded-geometry-style of painting, and I think I saw the Madrid skyline in the shadows of her teeth.
Continued on my way to CajaMadrid where the Heroína exhibit emphasized other kinds of feminine strength -- quite a number of pictures of Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Joan of Arc. Also "magas" (magicians) and hysterical women and Sapphos (Greek poet of 7th century BCE). I'm always amazed by how many people visit the exhibits--CajaMadrid was absolutely packed with people. I liked the figures of PreRapahelite John William Waterhouse (PreRaphaelites wanted to return to the abundant detail, intense colours, and complex compositions of quattrocento Italian and Flemish art). Very tall, elegant, regal women in these paintings. The next room was full of "readers" -- women reading, totally absorbed in the world of their books, undisturbed by the painter voyeuristically watching. Books suggest an escape from the daily life, domestic obligations, a "room of one's own". Next, in the room of "mystic" women there were some really amazing photos by Julia Fullerton-Batten of women jumping or falling in midair, the scene extremely brightly-lit and often full of bold dramatic colors. I found her website, which features some of the paintings (I like the bamboo one especially): http://foco.me/julia-fullerton-batten/
Finally, on the top floor was the collection of self-portraits by women artists, often of themselves painting or drawing. There was Sofonisba Anguissola, Artemesia Gentileschi, Marie Bashkirtsheff, Berthe Morisot, and finally, Frida Kahlo. Overall, I really enjoyed the exhibit -- perfect culmination of a quarter of "la representación femenina". Afterwards, I went to the Bike Spain office to pick up maps and train tickets for our upcoming trip north. Then went for a run through Retiro while watching the brilliant colors of dusk settle in the sky. Then home for dinner and preparing to pack up! What a full day.
Heroínas:
Very interesting collection and arrangement of paintings here! I wouldn't exactly agree with the exposition title (too many works depicting Greek goddess Atalanta fumbling around for those ridiculous golden apples for one thing...) but I did enjoy the thematic groupings and the interesting audio commentary. The museum explains the exposition as one of "strong women"... starting with physical strength in the Thyssen portion and moving on to mystical and spiritual strength in the CajaMadrid portion. Anyway, in the Thyssen the exposition started with solitary women: first, a giant statue of a woman with exaggerated womanly proportions and then a sturdy statue of Penelope, standing, waiting for Odysseus to come home. So, just as the story of creation always starts with Adam, we begin this discussion of the heroine talking about the masculine hero and the woman waiting for him. I did like, however, how across from this statue was the Edward Hopper piece Hotel Room from 1931 which depicts a lone female traveler, holding a train time table and sitting on the newly-made bed in a brightly-lit hotel room. I always like Edward Hopper pieces, and I think this one especially resonates with me because of my own experiences being a solitary traveler, or just being en route.
Next was a room called "caryatids" (the sculpted females who serve as architectural pillars on the Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion on the Acropolis at Athens, which Rachel and I just visited 3 months ago!) depicting 19th century peasant woman working in the fields, displaying strength, supporting the family farm, but always subjected to the male farmer, working under his orders or bearing some enormous weight on her head. The idea is that these women are the pillars of strength in a society but ultimately always locked in servitude.
Next was a bizarre room of "baccantes" -- the females of greek mythology who followed Bacchus around, sometimes breaking into lunatic dances or banding together to murder Orpheus in a fit of rage... lots of violent and erotic imagery and "rebellion" and "empowerment" (Rodin's headless female sculpture was particularly alarming) and women who I wouldn't exactly consider heroines but oh well. At times I wondered if the museum curators had attempted to get other images but had to settle for second choices in some cases? Some things seemed to be a bit of a stretch to me. However, I really liked the work by Piplotti Rist Ever is Over All from 1997. It was a film depicting a pretty brunette girl in blue dress and red shoes (Wizard of Oz?) dandily skipping down the sidewalk with a radiant smile and giant Indian Paintbrush flower (Castilleja...?) in her hands. The film was sort of slow motion with some music playing until suddenly she just whacks the window of a parked car and glass shatters everywhere and then she continues skipping and smiling until she whacks another one! This might have been my favorite piece of the whole exhibit haha... just so much fun to watch!
Afterwards was a room of athletes (the Atalanta and Hipómenes painting by Guido Reni is beautiful but definitely representative of the idea of heroine to me...). There was some grand language about how women in Victorian England were using their archery lessons to "conquer their social and political rights" but again, stretch. I did like the Diana painting by Rubens though and later there were some very cool photographs of women soldiers. There was a giant photo of a woman's face in profile with a little plastic army man balancing on her nose and giant bold text on the side: Over My Dead Body. Also intriguing collection of photos of undergarmets/corsets and armor -- the idea of what's vulnerable, what needs to be protected, what needs to be molded.
After the Thyssen I headed out towards Sol, stopping at an exhibition called Libres para pintar of Spanish art from the 1980s. "Common demoninator" = libertad and excitement about the new democracy. I think my favorite picture was of Carmen Polo, widow of Franco, from 1978 -- a very rounded-geometry-style of painting, and I think I saw the Madrid skyline in the shadows of her teeth.
Continued on my way to CajaMadrid where the Heroína exhibit emphasized other kinds of feminine strength -- quite a number of pictures of Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Joan of Arc. Also "magas" (magicians) and hysterical women and Sapphos (Greek poet of 7th century BCE). I'm always amazed by how many people visit the exhibits--CajaMadrid was absolutely packed with people. I liked the figures of PreRapahelite John William Waterhouse (PreRaphaelites wanted to return to the abundant detail, intense colours, and complex compositions of quattrocento Italian and Flemish art). Very tall, elegant, regal women in these paintings. The next room was full of "readers" -- women reading, totally absorbed in the world of their books, undisturbed by the painter voyeuristically watching. Books suggest an escape from the daily life, domestic obligations, a "room of one's own". Next, in the room of "mystic" women there were some really amazing photos by Julia Fullerton-Batten of women jumping or falling in midair, the scene extremely brightly-lit and often full of bold dramatic colors. I found her website, which features some of the paintings (I like the bamboo one especially): http://foco.me/julia-fullerton-batten/
Finally, on the top floor was the collection of self-portraits by women artists, often of themselves painting or drawing. There was Sofonisba Anguissola, Artemesia Gentileschi, Marie Bashkirtsheff, Berthe Morisot, and finally, Frida Kahlo. Overall, I really enjoyed the exhibit -- perfect culmination of a quarter of "la representación femenina". Afterwards, I went to the Bike Spain office to pick up maps and train tickets for our upcoming trip north. Then went for a run through Retiro while watching the brilliant colors of dusk settle in the sky. Then home for dinner and preparing to pack up! What a full day.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wrapping up the quarter!
Woke up at 7am to finish my final art history paper about Man Ray's Indestructible Object--giant metronome with giant swinging eye of Lee Miller attached (Reina Sofía museum). Then dashed off in the metro, to avoid the dreary rain, to my flamenco performance. Our teacher had bought for us shawls and colorful earrings. We practiced our steps and at 9:45am the audience started trickling in. I was so happy to see Consuelo had come! Overall the performance went quite well -- we danced with smiles on our faces and poderillo in our hearts (spanish word for pride/pomp/attitude...) Javier showed us all up with his improv duet with our teacher. Not fair, he's a professional dancer and has really snazzy skirt-pants too haha! But it was really fun to see them dance, and I enjoyed the whole show very much. Consuelo apparently loved it too! She had never been to the student performance before, but she loves watching dance, so I was so happy she came :)
Afterwards, had a final review class for health care class, basically learned the final will be synthesis-focused... then printed out my final paper about Indestructible Object (14 pages not including my title page or bibliography, all in Spanish, entonces, I am exhausted!) Then dashed home for lunch, a hearty meal of lentejas and fish and white asparagus with a perfectly ripe orange for dessert. Then walked through Retiro (taking a new route!) to Reina Sofía for a final class about la representación femenina.
Started off with the Retrato of Sonia de Klamery, Condesa de Pradere, by Anglada Camarasa from Catalunya (1913). I think it's a beautiful painting, I love the dark sylverine environment, like a rainforest, with blues and greens and purples and blacks in the background. Talked about how the woman is represented like a snake, like a seductress, there's a peacock in the background, and she herself looks almost sickly with dark circles under her eyes, ghostly white skin. Yet it's a portrait of a bourgeois lady, a countess in fact. The idea of the dematerializing, disintegrating beauty, the femme fatale, always linked with the idea of sickness, death.
Next took note of the dark, hunched over gypsy women by Nonell. Also the works of Julio Romero de Torres (1874-1930) who painted very spanish-looking women, emphasizing the idea of Spain as the "exotic" of Europe, particularly the image of the Andalusian woman as seductress. The painting of the lady reading, or at least looking up from a book, depicted a face very similar to Goya's naked/clothed majas. This artist (Torres) was from Córdoba. He also did a number of advertisements, showing women smoking, dancing--women "liberated". Very similar to Mucha's style and the Parisian posters too.
Took a look at some more Goya engravings-- saw many of the same images we had seen in the cartones back in the Prado (paintings designed to be references for creation of the giant tapestries). Apparently the caprichos engravings were done at the same time as the Pinturas negras...
Next discussed Picasso and the invention of Cubism, starting off with "analytic" cubism, the early cubism which analyzes multiple planes, tends to be monochromatic (lots of greys and browns) and the works of Bracque and Picasso from this period tend to look identical. Later, Picasso would abandon Cubism but then return to it, this time introducing the ideas of collage, single plane-cubism and much more color.
There were a few paintings by the Delaunauy couple. Sonia Delaunay was Russian but married a Parisian and both worked in Paris, used lots of color... Sonia designed costumes and ads for many of the Russian ballets. I liked her designs, and her name :)
Juan Gris--spaniard also very much influenced by the idea of collage. So many guitars!
Ángeles Santos Torroella: the idea of the "new mujer" in the 1920s in painting Tertulia. These women not only read, they also talk and smoke! His giant painting The World was pretty cool too.
Profesora explained then how Surrealism was heavily influenced by both Marxism and Freudian thought. The surrealists were really into the idea of automatic writing or creating and representing the images and experiences of our dream. Miró was particularly part of the automatic school, and he'd write random words that came to mind and then connect them with artisitc strokes and dots, painting "without control" and 'without meaning'
Finally, returned to the works of Dalí to show how the themes of the class had come full circle. In Invisible Man, we see a man who has been constructed entirely from feminine symbols (water, flowers, circles) and body parts (uterus, etc) and references to Elektra complex. Dalí painted in a way that he described as searching for method in his own paranoia. There are all kinds of androgynous figures in his work, playing off these themes of man and woman as double (as we saw in Durer's Adam and Eve paintings in the Prado). In 1929 (same year as the film Un Chien Andalou, which I referred to in my essay because one of the most famous scenes is of a woman's eye being slit) Dalí painted The Great Masturbator, again depicting those themes of androgyny. The giant form is actually a self-portrait of Dalí (as if he's lying down face first) from which emerges the head of a woman -- but again, this idea of the man and woman, masculine and feminine, mixing. Interesting work of self-reflection, examining his own fears...
Afterwards, had a final review class for health care class, basically learned the final will be synthesis-focused... then printed out my final paper about Indestructible Object (14 pages not including my title page or bibliography, all in Spanish, entonces, I am exhausted!) Then dashed home for lunch, a hearty meal of lentejas and fish and white asparagus with a perfectly ripe orange for dessert. Then walked through Retiro (taking a new route!) to Reina Sofía for a final class about la representación femenina.
Started off with the Retrato of Sonia de Klamery, Condesa de Pradere, by Anglada Camarasa from Catalunya (1913). I think it's a beautiful painting, I love the dark sylverine environment, like a rainforest, with blues and greens and purples and blacks in the background. Talked about how the woman is represented like a snake, like a seductress, there's a peacock in the background, and she herself looks almost sickly with dark circles under her eyes, ghostly white skin. Yet it's a portrait of a bourgeois lady, a countess in fact. The idea of the dematerializing, disintegrating beauty, the femme fatale, always linked with the idea of sickness, death.
Next took note of the dark, hunched over gypsy women by Nonell. Also the works of Julio Romero de Torres (1874-1930) who painted very spanish-looking women, emphasizing the idea of Spain as the "exotic" of Europe, particularly the image of the Andalusian woman as seductress. The painting of the lady reading, or at least looking up from a book, depicted a face very similar to Goya's naked/clothed majas. This artist (Torres) was from Córdoba. He also did a number of advertisements, showing women smoking, dancing--women "liberated". Very similar to Mucha's style and the Parisian posters too.
Took a look at some more Goya engravings-- saw many of the same images we had seen in the cartones back in the Prado (paintings designed to be references for creation of the giant tapestries). Apparently the caprichos engravings were done at the same time as the Pinturas negras...
Next discussed Picasso and the invention of Cubism, starting off with "analytic" cubism, the early cubism which analyzes multiple planes, tends to be monochromatic (lots of greys and browns) and the works of Bracque and Picasso from this period tend to look identical. Later, Picasso would abandon Cubism but then return to it, this time introducing the ideas of collage, single plane-cubism and much more color.
There were a few paintings by the Delaunauy couple. Sonia Delaunay was Russian but married a Parisian and both worked in Paris, used lots of color... Sonia designed costumes and ads for many of the Russian ballets. I liked her designs, and her name :)
Juan Gris--spaniard also very much influenced by the idea of collage. So many guitars!
Ángeles Santos Torroella: the idea of the "new mujer" in the 1920s in painting Tertulia. These women not only read, they also talk and smoke! His giant painting The World was pretty cool too.
Profesora explained then how Surrealism was heavily influenced by both Marxism and Freudian thought. The surrealists were really into the idea of automatic writing or creating and representing the images and experiences of our dream. Miró was particularly part of the automatic school, and he'd write random words that came to mind and then connect them with artisitc strokes and dots, painting "without control" and 'without meaning'
Finally, returned to the works of Dalí to show how the themes of the class had come full circle. In Invisible Man, we see a man who has been constructed entirely from feminine symbols (water, flowers, circles) and body parts (uterus, etc) and references to Elektra complex. Dalí painted in a way that he described as searching for method in his own paranoia. There are all kinds of androgynous figures in his work, playing off these themes of man and woman as double (as we saw in Durer's Adam and Eve paintings in the Prado). In 1929 (same year as the film Un Chien Andalou, which I referred to in my essay because one of the most famous scenes is of a woman's eye being slit) Dalí painted The Great Masturbator, again depicting those themes of androgyny. The giant form is actually a self-portrait of Dalí (as if he's lying down face first) from which emerges the head of a woman -- but again, this idea of the man and woman, masculine and feminine, mixing. Interesting work of self-reflection, examining his own fears...
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Segovia
Friday March 11, 2011
Got myself out of bed by 9 to catch the 10am bus to Segovia! Dreary rainy day so it was nice to be warm and dry as we traveled through the countryside. First stop: the IE university. We were greeted by a cheerful professor who explained to us the history of the site. He was a history professor who actually teaches the spring class about the Camino de Santiago! We learned that the (mostly) Gothic buildings had been used by the Dominicans and, of course, decorated with statues and emblems that reinforced the close links between catholicism and the Spanish monarchy, particularly Los Reyes Católicos. Isabel and Fernando were represented by statues and lots of "Y" and "F" emblems. The existing university does not have religious ties, but they use the little church (which had a balcony especially designed for Isabel II) for all their important ceremonies. We got to peek into a few classrooms, some of which actually had archaelogical excavation sites within their walls! We received little tokens of 2nd century Roman pottery from the floor as souvenirs haha. Outside we had a chance to admire the student dormitories, brick buildings originally used to house orphans (though our guide commented they look more like prison buildings). Also visited the little chapel that still belongs to the Dominicans. Inside was a beautifully, colorfully decorated room with a cave at the front.
We learned a bit about the town of Segovia too. It's a little smaller than Palo Alto (around 60,000 inhabitants) and about 50 miles from Madrid. The Romans originally settled here because it was ideally located at the crux of 2 rivers, making it easy to defend. Later, it was settled by Muslims and Jews and was one of the most cities of Castile. It's actually where Queen Isabel was coronated (coming soon...). Apparently it never gets quite as warm as Madrid (it was frigid during our visit) so lots of Madrileños come here in the summer time.
At 12:30 professor Baker gave his talk about the Obama health care reforms (his invitation was the reason we came to Segovia in the first place). Afterwards we enjoyed tapas with the few students who didn't have to go to class. I was surprised to see that there were so many non-Spanish students -- I noticed lots of British, German and Dutch students. Most of the advertising material I saw at the admissions desk was in English too.
Afterwards, we ascended the road towards the enormous Roman aqueduct. Like the one we saw in Mérida, the Romans built it to provide water in the homes of the townspeople. This one is about 9 miles long and leads to the Alcázar (the castle today). We visited the tallest point of the aqueduct, which is some 100 ft tall. It's really amazing because the structure has 118 arches and the Romans didn't use any kind of mortar -- it's all just granite blocks. The town actually still used it until the 19th century too.
After Isidro gave us the low-down on the aqueduct, we had free time to eat lunch. Kelly and I tried to enjoy our sandwiches outside but it was so cold we eventually ducked into a nearby café at the Plaza Mayor for hot tea, coffee and later a cream-filled pastry. Apparently, the Plaza Mayor was once were the town held executions, theater performances and bullfights, now home to many cafés. The Renaissance church here is where Isabel was crowned Queen of Castile in 1474. Isabel and Fernando actually required that the noblemen of Segovia truncate the towers of their mansions, giving the Segovian "skyline" a shortened look. When their grandson (Carlos I of Spain aka Carlos V the Holy Roman Emperor) inherited the throne of Castile, the local Segovians were were upset and the nobles (led by Juan Bravo) actually revolted against the king in 1521. The nobles were quelled and Juan Bravo executed, not surprisingly, but the town is still proud of him.
The other impressive building here is the Cathedral, the last big Gothic building constructed in Spain, though it was actually built during the Renaissance (and thus explaining why it has a dome and not a spire on top). Lastly we walked over the Alcázar, the fortified palace where the Castilian monarchs (Isabel's ancestors) lived in the Middle Ages. Since then it was also used as a prison and royal artillery school.... regardless, it has a great view of the surroundings and an enormous protective moat! The decoration of the castle show Moorish and Jewish decorative influences (I liked the little Moorish window with its narrow column and rounded arches). The use of clay circular designs with black dots on the facade was unlike anything I've seen anywhere else in Spain. I was very much struck by how closely the color of the castle matched the color of the clay/soil of the surrounding countryside -- it almost all just blended together!
First we visited the lowest floor to see the foundations -- literally, this structure is built into the mountain rock. Then we went up to see the throne room, Hall of Monarchs--very cool, had sculptures and shields of all the kings and queens of Castile from the 8th century (starting with Pelayo) up until Juana la Loca, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabel. The little chapel had be built, just like in Yuste and Escorial, right next to the queen's bedroom so she could listen to mass from her bed if she was sick or too tired to get up haha.
Finally we climbed up the 150+ tower to briefly enjoy the panorama of the city in the brutal wind before dodging out back to the bus before the sprinkling became rain. I was definitely glad to have a chance to see Segovia, but it was nice to be home again in the milder climate of Madrid!
Got myself out of bed by 9 to catch the 10am bus to Segovia! Dreary rainy day so it was nice to be warm and dry as we traveled through the countryside. First stop: the IE university. We were greeted by a cheerful professor who explained to us the history of the site. He was a history professor who actually teaches the spring class about the Camino de Santiago! We learned that the (mostly) Gothic buildings had been used by the Dominicans and, of course, decorated with statues and emblems that reinforced the close links between catholicism and the Spanish monarchy, particularly Los Reyes Católicos. Isabel and Fernando were represented by statues and lots of "Y" and "F" emblems. The existing university does not have religious ties, but they use the little church (which had a balcony especially designed for Isabel II) for all their important ceremonies. We got to peek into a few classrooms, some of which actually had archaelogical excavation sites within their walls! We received little tokens of 2nd century Roman pottery from the floor as souvenirs haha. Outside we had a chance to admire the student dormitories, brick buildings originally used to house orphans (though our guide commented they look more like prison buildings). Also visited the little chapel that still belongs to the Dominicans. Inside was a beautifully, colorfully decorated room with a cave at the front.
We learned a bit about the town of Segovia too. It's a little smaller than Palo Alto (around 60,000 inhabitants) and about 50 miles from Madrid. The Romans originally settled here because it was ideally located at the crux of 2 rivers, making it easy to defend. Later, it was settled by Muslims and Jews and was one of the most cities of Castile. It's actually where Queen Isabel was coronated (coming soon...). Apparently it never gets quite as warm as Madrid (it was frigid during our visit) so lots of Madrileños come here in the summer time.
At 12:30 professor Baker gave his talk about the Obama health care reforms (his invitation was the reason we came to Segovia in the first place). Afterwards we enjoyed tapas with the few students who didn't have to go to class. I was surprised to see that there were so many non-Spanish students -- I noticed lots of British, German and Dutch students. Most of the advertising material I saw at the admissions desk was in English too.
Afterwards, we ascended the road towards the enormous Roman aqueduct. Like the one we saw in Mérida, the Romans built it to provide water in the homes of the townspeople. This one is about 9 miles long and leads to the Alcázar (the castle today). We visited the tallest point of the aqueduct, which is some 100 ft tall. It's really amazing because the structure has 118 arches and the Romans didn't use any kind of mortar -- it's all just granite blocks. The town actually still used it until the 19th century too.
After Isidro gave us the low-down on the aqueduct, we had free time to eat lunch. Kelly and I tried to enjoy our sandwiches outside but it was so cold we eventually ducked into a nearby café at the Plaza Mayor for hot tea, coffee and later a cream-filled pastry. Apparently, the Plaza Mayor was once were the town held executions, theater performances and bullfights, now home to many cafés. The Renaissance church here is where Isabel was crowned Queen of Castile in 1474. Isabel and Fernando actually required that the noblemen of Segovia truncate the towers of their mansions, giving the Segovian "skyline" a shortened look. When their grandson (Carlos I of Spain aka Carlos V the Holy Roman Emperor) inherited the throne of Castile, the local Segovians were were upset and the nobles (led by Juan Bravo) actually revolted against the king in 1521. The nobles were quelled and Juan Bravo executed, not surprisingly, but the town is still proud of him.
The other impressive building here is the Cathedral, the last big Gothic building constructed in Spain, though it was actually built during the Renaissance (and thus explaining why it has a dome and not a spire on top). Lastly we walked over the Alcázar, the fortified palace where the Castilian monarchs (Isabel's ancestors) lived in the Middle Ages. Since then it was also used as a prison and royal artillery school.... regardless, it has a great view of the surroundings and an enormous protective moat! The decoration of the castle show Moorish and Jewish decorative influences (I liked the little Moorish window with its narrow column and rounded arches). The use of clay circular designs with black dots on the facade was unlike anything I've seen anywhere else in Spain. I was very much struck by how closely the color of the castle matched the color of the clay/soil of the surrounding countryside -- it almost all just blended together!
First we visited the lowest floor to see the foundations -- literally, this structure is built into the mountain rock. Then we went up to see the throne room, Hall of Monarchs--very cool, had sculptures and shields of all the kings and queens of Castile from the 8th century (starting with Pelayo) up until Juana la Loca, daughter of Ferdinand and Isabel. The little chapel had be built, just like in Yuste and Escorial, right next to the queen's bedroom so she could listen to mass from her bed if she was sick or too tired to get up haha.
Finally we climbed up the 150+ tower to briefly enjoy the panorama of the city in the brutal wind before dodging out back to the bus before the sprinkling became rain. I was definitely glad to have a chance to see Segovia, but it was nice to be home again in the milder climate of Madrid!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)