Jan 22
Since I’ve last posted, I’ve visited three of the many museums Madrid has to offer. And, with a student ID, they have all been free! Most of these museums did not allow many pictures of the works inside (or I forgot to take any…), but I summarized below.
Museo del Prado
As we overheard someone saying in the security line in, the Prado is one of the most highly-regarded art museums in the world, second to only the Louvre in Paris! The Prado is ENORMOUS, in our 3 hours inside we only covered 75% of the first floor. I should have started counting the number of paintings including Jesus from the beginning, because I am certain the number would have been over 200. Catholic country for sure! Goya’s black paintings are featured here, which are super haunting and creepy (no pictures allowed in that room).
Museo Arqueológico Nacional
On Sunday the 19th we ventured to the National Archaeology museum to meet one of our professors for the semester. Profe. Matute, and her 16-month old daughter!!, met our class at the museum for a guided tour with a focus on language, as she teaches our History of the Spanish Language class. I must say I was a little distracted by her adorable daughter Blanca running around, but it was fascinating to connect what we’ve learned in class about the formation of language through conquests, social classes, and time. Ironically, I didn’t take any pictures of anything with a historical language on it… my blog skills are slipping…
Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
Going 2 for 2, Hope and I decided to explore another museum on Monday the 20th. Museo Reina Sofia is a museum close to Retiro Park with a large collection of more modern art that the classical pieces in the Prado, with some big names like Picasso and Dalí. This museum holds the Guernica, a very important piece about the Spanish civil war, by Pablo Picasso. Of course the featured exhibition was one focused on typography and language, and being non-fluent, Hope and I struggled a tad through that one. Alas, we wandered for the sake of art! Again, ironic that these pictures don’t actually have any pieces of art from the museum..
Typing this now on Wednesday 22nd, I must say I am INCREDIBLY EXCITED to be heading to London on Friday to see all of my longtime best-est friends, the McBurneys!!!! It sounds like Helena already has my weekend booked at Cambridge, I can feel myself getting more “posh” already!!
Xoxo, Grace
Grace's Guide to Studying Abroad 