Nat of the Museums
- Natalie Penry
- Jun 3, 2022
- 4 min read
Feliz fin de semana!
I’ve officially been in Madrid for over a week, and I can already feel that study abroad time warp, where the days are unbelievably long and yet the time disappears. The Seven Day Slump - my affectionate name for the study abroad adjustment period - is almost conquered, save for a few more moments of natural frustration (I knew I should’ve brought that shirt/book/hat!). And with that, there are so many adventures to share, both the wonderfully expected and the joyfully surprised.
MUSEUM MADNESS
This *is* a study abroad, so I do complete a fair amount of academic work, lest we forget my two classes.
My first class of the day, Culture & Society, reminds me so much of high school Spanish. My professor, Daniel, has such animation, such energy in his classes that you can’t help but feel the joy in learning again. Collegiate Spanish classes have the tendency to be full of burnout and shortcuts as students try to prioritize their study time; it’s refreshing to approach language without the burden of expectations.
Highlight of Culture & Society: learning to spell American names phonetically for Spaniards. For example:
Liz becomes ‘Lis’
Zane becomes ‘Sein’
Amy becomes ‘Emi’
Linguistics! How cool! Spanish only uses 5 vowel sounds, so if you’re really creative with your name, beware: there are some sounds their brains physically struggle to interpret.
Moving on! As a part of the Arte del Prado class, I spend my Thursday afternoons strolling through the Museo del Prado, one of Madrid’s premier art museums. We’re not permitted to take photos inside the galleries, but I can confirm that there is a stunning collection of paintings and sculptures in the Gothic section, at the least.
Highlight of the Prado: The Mona Lisa Copy! Painted by one of da Vinci’s students, there is a nearly identical version of that iconic smile just chilling in Madrid. Even cooler? A local artist has permission to paint HIS rendition of the Mona Lisa right next to the copy. Every few seconds, he’ll go check out the painting, confirming some shading or minute detail, and then go update his painting. A lovely moment of compare/contrast.
Plus, the Prado Mona Lisa has no crowds/glass/glass smeared with cake from a climate protestor (go look it up).
LEGAL ACTION
MLSA took us all the El Senado, the Senate, earlier this week. It’s been a hot minute since I went to D.C. but I don’t recall seeing the Capitol as highly decorated as Madrid. Inside the Senate, I was stopping every few feet for a picture of a gorgeous hallway, stunning light fixture, or brilliant painting. And the LIBRARY. Straight out of Beauty and the Beast. Breathtaking. I would spend all day in there, if possible, even if I had to read Spanish legalese the whole time. It’s that beautiful.
Highlight of El Senado: Apart from the new loml (library of my life), the free pocket constitutions. Can’t wait to whip that one out on the metro and give it a read!
UNEXPECTED SMILES
The least-talked about benefit of a six-week study abroad is the opportunity to look beyond the shiny highlights on the tourism websites. Yes, it’s important to go to the established spots of cultural importante, the Prados and Reina Sofias and Senados, but my favorite memories tend to stem from the unplanned adventures in the quiet moments.
For example, on Thursday, Liz and I went in search of a picnic place for lunch. We were far from the city center, in a residential area close to our gym, when we stumbled across an inviting garden park. A calm moment to break bread and talk while enjoying the landscape.
Later that day, we set out to find a pub to watch the Spanish National Team take on Portugal. While the trendy bar in the popular neighborhood was fun for the Real Madrid game last weekend, this called for something a little more low-key. The pub we ended up at doesn’t appear on Apple Maps, which really emphasizes the Cheers-esque “the wait staff know everyone in here because it’s the same nine people every night,” but it was the perfectly place for tapas and soccer on a Thursday night.
The ultimate unexpected smile came from my solo date on Friday afternoon. Liz had a class field trip, so we planned to head downtown together and meet up afterwords for lunch. I had a couple of hours to myself, and after scrolling on Maps forever, I had resigned myself to get some tea and just walk around. On my way, I passed CaxiaForum when their exhibition sign caught my eye:
Room 1: Cine y Moda of Jean Paul Gaultier
Room 2: Comics
Not that paintings aren’t lovely, but this is my kind of art museum. Who doesn’t love vintage Peanuts comics? My inner film student was in overload mode, and I was visibly smiling the entire time I walked through the exhibit. Jean Paul Gaultier was so influential in both cinema and fashion; the exhibit carefully pieced together his more iconic contributions and general fashion trends throughout the 20th century. To complement the cinema aspect, there were several recognizable costumes displayed while clips from their films played in montage. From the filmmaking side of things, this was an incredible tribute to the depth costumers and designers place in their art, as well as their influence on fashion and culture in general.
Highlight of CaxiaForum: this quote from Jean Paul Gaultier
“It is beautiful to be what you are.”
I’ll be back in a few days with more stories from this weekend, but until then, wish me luck on extending my truce with the sun. You wouldn’t believe the amount of sunscreen I’ve used this week.
Adios!
Comentarios