Week 17: Adventures in Museo-land

 Happy Mothers Day!

This week I went to two museos [museums]: Museo Sorolla and La Reina Sofia. I absolutely loved the Sorolla because I love Sorolla. Joaquin Sorolla is a Spanish impressionist [like Monet and Van Gough], his museum here in Madrid is actually his house. It has a really adorable garden in front of it and its filled with his furniture and his paintings. If you like impressionists, I highly recommend going!

I also went back to my favorite [note the sarcasm] museum, the Reina Sofia, because they just got a Salvador Dali exhibit. The only word I can think of to describe it is weird. Seriously, I thought that his whole melting clocks and his obsession with ants was weird, but it got weirder [If you don't know what I'm talking about, google "La persistencia de la memoria" or just google Dali]. I really don't understand surrealism or cubism, which explains why I don't really care for Dali or Picasso. But, I'm glad I went, it was definitely a learning experience.

If I had to pick any Madrid museums for anyone to go to, I would say go to the Prado and the Thyssen. They  are my favorite museums here and they both have huge collections. Since coming to Spain, I've really had the opportunity to appreciate art. Maybe its because I'm lucky to live in a city that has, like, a bajillion art museums, but I'm grateful that I've had the opportunity to actually learn about art.

Anyways, I'm in intense finals mode. I have two term papers due next week. I'm writing one about the painting "Saturno devorando su hijo" by flemish painter Rubens and the Spanish painter, Goya, and comparing their tecniques and how they use classic mythology as a theme in their work. The other is about a text by Maria de Zayas and comparing it to some themes from my La Mujer [Women in Lit] class.

Its crazy to believe that its already finals time. My parents and Ross get here in 5 days, I finish with classes in a little less than a month, and exactly 7 weeks from today, I will be on a flight back to Chicago. Where has the time gone?!?! I've got so much to do in the next 7 weeks and so little time!

What's coming up for me? Well, the San Isidro festival in Madrid, tackling northern Spain, possibly going to France or Italy and 4 final exams--wish me luck!

Besitos,
Kelsey