We spent the morning in the Prosperidad neighborhood. Cafe and Te for breakfast...Marie with me this time so I could introduce her to my new friends there. Wherever you go to eat or drink in Spain, you do not get the bill until you ask for it and once you ask for it, you have to wait a while before you get it! After Cafe and Te we went to the stores down the street and bought a lot of stuff on sale! We went back to Silvia's and she gave us directions, via the bus, to the trendy Chueca area where there are lots and lots of shoe stores. From there we went back to the Principe Pio mall, had lunch at Okterfest and did some more shopping for gifts. There were still lots of groups of Pilgrims in the city, still singing although one sounded particularly sad. We returned to the apartment via the subway where I fell asleep on the couch!
Silvia made us a wonderful dinner! Her guacamole was the best I've ever had. She also had a type of homemade sausage, ham and fajitas. Spain is famous for its ham. Lots of eating establishments had ham legs hanging in the windows and thre was even a "Museo de Jamon" -- Ham Museum but I think it was just the name for the restaurant. Chris was at dinner as well as Brian, a friend of Silvia's from Columbia who is thinking of moving to Oslo. It was a delightful evening with lots of interesting conversations about travel. A homemade type of apple pie completed the meal. Silvia is quite a cook! After dinner we packed, went to bed, got up and left this morning along with other groups of pilgrims.
Adios Madrid!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
A Lazy Day
Marie and I were pretty wiped out today so we took it easy. We went and ate down the street at about 3:00pm. We had eaten there before and liked it because they had WYD specials. It was great today! For 10 euros, I had a glass on cervasa sin, an appetizer of delicious mushrooms cooked in garlic, bread, gazpacho (which I didn't think I would like but it was GOOD), cucumbers and tomatoes (which the waitress suggested I put in the gazpacho), the main course, swordfish, green peppers and pototoes and, for dessert, cafe con leche. Yummmmy! Marie had cod croquets again.
We took the bus to a spot near Plaza Major. There are four bus lines that stop right in front of Silvia's. We like taking the bus because we can sight-see along the way. The buses are very cool and comfortable. In fact, we toyed with the idea of just riding around on buses all day but moseyed around instead. We stopped for ice cream, shopped, walked, made our way down to Plaza Major, stopped for cafe and watched some street performers. It started to rain so we went to the nearest Metro station (Plaza Sol) and headed back to the apartment.
Plenty of pilgrims can still be spotted around town sporting their yellow and red shirts, hats and backpacks. We met a group from Imlay City today and also talked with a group that was getting on a bus right in front of our apartment to start their 24 hour ride back to Germany. Everyone seems a little tired today... not quite as loud and cheerful as they've been. Groups are still breaking out into songs and chants, however. Quite a few carry instruments around... guitars, tamborines and drums. I realized that some of the groups drum a certain beat repetively so that their group members will be able to locate them! (Tia will appreciate this - one of them was playing "Fred..Fred..Fred Fred Fred").
I am so grateful that we were able to be part of this amazing experience.
We took the bus to a spot near Plaza Major. There are four bus lines that stop right in front of Silvia's. We like taking the bus because we can sight-see along the way. The buses are very cool and comfortable. In fact, we toyed with the idea of just riding around on buses all day but moseyed around instead. We stopped for ice cream, shopped, walked, made our way down to Plaza Major, stopped for cafe and watched some street performers. It started to rain so we went to the nearest Metro station (Plaza Sol) and headed back to the apartment.
Plenty of pilgrims can still be spotted around town sporting their yellow and red shirts, hats and backpacks. We met a group from Imlay City today and also talked with a group that was getting on a bus right in front of our apartment to start their 24 hour ride back to Germany. Everyone seems a little tired today... not quite as loud and cheerful as they've been. Groups are still breaking out into songs and chants, however. Quite a few carry instruments around... guitars, tamborines and drums. I realized that some of the groups drum a certain beat repetively so that their group members will be able to locate them! (Tia will appreciate this - one of them was playing "Fred..Fred..Fred Fred Fred").
I am so grateful that we were able to be part of this amazing experience.
Slideshow
Here is the link to Marie's slideshow. It's a work in progress so check back later to see if more have been added.
http://animoto.com/play/eSOb3rBUAx9DrxLTQ3aNog
http://animoto.com/play/eSOb3rBUAx9DrxLTQ3aNog
Saturday, August 20, 2011
What a Day!
I woke up early today so I would be up when Silvia arrived home. I headed down to the cafe shop and had a nice conversation with "Clara" who knew no English. Its amazing how you can communicate when you want to. She loved that my middle name is Clara. She was crying when I walked in and she explained to me that she came here to work but that her family is back in Peru and she misses them and can't sleep at night.
When I got back to the apartment, Silvia was home! I had thought it might be awkward, but I instantly felt like I've known her years! Her boyfriend, Chris, came over and the four of us went out for a traditional Spanish breakfast of cafe con leche and churros which is like a fritter or donut but its long a squiggly with ridges. Marie ordered hot chocolate and we dipped the churros in the hot chocolate like other people were doing. The hot chocolate was REAL thick, more like pudding or, as Marie called it, sludge. Cafe con leche, which I've been drinking all week, is actually a small amount of strong espresso with lots of frothy milk. We stood around a high table to eat. People traditionally eat a very light, and sweet, breakfast here.
Marie went back to bed and Silvia, Chris and I went for a long walk. It felt short, though, because we talked the whole time. Silvia and Chris are so nice and cute and hospitable! It was a great excursion during which they pointed out many interesting things. They took me to the American Embassy, showed me where all the good shops are and walked by Cuatrecasus which is in a very "posh" district. They showed me parts of Retiro Park that I didn't see when Marie and I were there including a big pond where people were rowing boats. They also pointed out to me the location of a statue of the fallen angel which they think is the only one in the world. We stopped for a beer. Beer sin (without) alcohol is very common here as is the practice of serving little snacks with the beer. I was surprised at how short of a walk it is to the heart of the city from Silvia's apartment. I guess we walked for about an hour but we just "moseyed" along stopping along the way to look in shop windows, admire architecture and interpret Spanish signs for me. I discovered Silvia does not drive which you really do not need to do here. In fact, she could walk to work!
After a short nap for me, Marie and I headed out to join the throngs at Cuartro Vientas (Four Winds) airfield. We stopped for something to eat first and decided it was still to hot (102 degrees today!) to go to the airfield where, as Chris pointed out, there would be no shade. We were near the Museo Romantico so decided to stop there first. I don't know if I mentioned this earlier, but when we received our backpacks we were given a "pass" which allows us free entry into most of the city's museums, theaters and other cultural spots. It also has the location to which we are assigned to at Cuartro Vientos (F3 for us).
Museo Romantico is a very cool and unique museum! The Romanticism is a cultural and political movement that reached its height throughout Europe in the early 19th century and which represented a new world view. The Museum is housed in a palace in the neoclassical style, built in 1776. It is a "museum house" in which the furniture, decorative objects, graphic arts, paintings are preserved. However, you also appreciate the intangible such as uses of rooms, family roles, social customs, etc. Best of all, it was cool and not crowded at all. At the end there were computers where we played interactive games corresponding to things we had seen in the museum. That was a great Spanish lesson.
We continued on our journey to Cuatro Bientos. This event is the culmination of the week and the pilgrims were heading there all day. Although we've seen massive crowds all week, this is the day were everyone gathers together for all day and night Saturday and on Sunday morning. We saw pilgrims heading there with their sleeping bags, mats, etc. Most check out of hotel rooms on Saturday morning and head to the main event with their luggage in tow. We decided to go but play it by ear. (How funny that saying must be to those who speak another language. How about "I "see" what your saying"? ) We didn't have anything to sleep on so the odds were we weren't going to stay the night.
We stopped and loaded up with 4 large bottles of water... it was still very hot... and some snacks. The water was heavy to carry and hurt my shoulders but I kept thinking of Jesus carrying the cross. We took the subway to nearest station. The Cuatro Bientos station was closed for security reasons so we had to get off at a nearby station and walk. It was a VERY long walk. Along the way, we saw a lot of people heading back and rumors started flying about it being closed.. no more room... That would have been horrible for the people whose hearts were really set on this and who had no where to spend the night and had their luggage with them.
There were four entrances and it appeared as we approached the first one (mind you that the entrances are probably a mile apart) it appeared that people were waiting to get in. There was a spot where people were going in because a fence had been knocked down. Someone told us that the doors were opening back up at 11pm (it was 9pm and dark at this point). We continued meeting people, joining in dances, and taking flag pictures while we waited. We started to walk to find another entrance when it grew VERY dark and started lightening! A "freak" (as the newspapers put it) storm blew in! We found shelter under an entrance to a garage with a small group from Italy that we had a blast with. They were so funny! They taught us a song and dance where they imitated a crocodile (arms going up and down for its its big mouth), a kangaroo (jumping up and down) and "Benidicto" -- making the sign of the cross! We swapped facebook addresses and continued on our journey after the rain let up. Apparently, the Pope told the crowds their prayers were answered... They had prayed for more water during the sweltering hot day and they got it! I guess the Pope didn't hang his rosary in a bush to assure good weather. Anyway, the storm actually cooled things down.
Before getting into the next entrance, we met two guys from New Jersey. They had already graduated and had degrees in education and film production. They were part of "the press" and asked if they could film us. Of course we let them! They work for World Youth Day. com. I told them how Marie had turned her pictures with people and their flags into a slide show and they said to send it and they would put it on the website! Wait until you see her slideshow! It is so cool! You have to wait until we are sure we are done taking pictures. I think we are up to about 60 different countries! Last night we met people from, among others, Belarus -- Minsk! --- the Congo, Iraq, Israel, Haiti, Japan, Egypt and Zimbamwa!
So we went in the entrance and, interestingly, there was no security. They didn't check our backpacks or anything. I think that everything was in a state of confusion because of the storm. We didn't realize the extent of it but the storm had knocked down structures at Cuarto Bientos. Praise God that no one was hurt (although I read that about 800 had to be treated during the day becasue of the heat. And there were ambulances everywhere). The dusty field had turned into mud... especially by the lavatories. It was reminiscent of Woodstock. We walked the length of the "esplanade" which I think was about 4 miles to find our section. This was happening during the prayer vigil being lead by the Pope! Many people were walking, looking for their spots. Many others were kneeling, praying along with the Pope. Marie and I kept looking for flags and taking pictures! We found F3, briefly looked for people we knew from back home, and continued on to find an exit. A steady rain was coming down at this time and we did not want to stay. Plus, our feet and legs were very tired. We kept asking volunteers and police where the nearest exit was and they either didn't know or directed us back to the way we came in! It was rather disconcerting to think that, if there had been an emergency, noone knew the way out! We ended up "sneaking" out an exit that I think was just for the press and medical. We couldn't find the metro or determine if was still open so we hailed a cab to take us back to the apartment. Unbeknown to us, the major highways of Madrid are underground! We were in a tunnel for most of the ride back from the outside of southwest part of the city to the northeast side. It cost 30 euros but it was worth it.. I don't think I could have walked another step. After showering, I tried to blog, but, much to Marie's amusement, fell asleep while typing so I had it finish this morning. Ok,... its now Sunday afternoon, 1:30pm, and Marie is still sleeping while I blog. Yeah... we missed mass this morning and yeah the Pope has left the city. I looked out the window as I sipped my cafe (made from Silvia's espresso maker which she showed me how to use) and saw pilgrims returning from the big event. I'm so glad we went last night. It was a great experience. I have no regrets about missing the mass this morning. We are both enjoying just being spontaneous, not rushing, resting and doing whatever and whenever. I think we've done and seen a lot.
Marie wants to volunteer to work at the next WYD in 2013 to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I'm sure she'll have fun.
When I got back to the apartment, Silvia was home! I had thought it might be awkward, but I instantly felt like I've known her years! Her boyfriend, Chris, came over and the four of us went out for a traditional Spanish breakfast of cafe con leche and churros which is like a fritter or donut but its long a squiggly with ridges. Marie ordered hot chocolate and we dipped the churros in the hot chocolate like other people were doing. The hot chocolate was REAL thick, more like pudding or, as Marie called it, sludge. Cafe con leche, which I've been drinking all week, is actually a small amount of strong espresso with lots of frothy milk. We stood around a high table to eat. People traditionally eat a very light, and sweet, breakfast here.
Marie went back to bed and Silvia, Chris and I went for a long walk. It felt short, though, because we talked the whole time. Silvia and Chris are so nice and cute and hospitable! It was a great excursion during which they pointed out many interesting things. They took me to the American Embassy, showed me where all the good shops are and walked by Cuatrecasus which is in a very "posh" district. They showed me parts of Retiro Park that I didn't see when Marie and I were there including a big pond where people were rowing boats. They also pointed out to me the location of a statue of the fallen angel which they think is the only one in the world. We stopped for a beer. Beer sin (without) alcohol is very common here as is the practice of serving little snacks with the beer. I was surprised at how short of a walk it is to the heart of the city from Silvia's apartment. I guess we walked for about an hour but we just "moseyed" along stopping along the way to look in shop windows, admire architecture and interpret Spanish signs for me. I discovered Silvia does not drive which you really do not need to do here. In fact, she could walk to work!
After a short nap for me, Marie and I headed out to join the throngs at Cuartro Vientas (Four Winds) airfield. We stopped for something to eat first and decided it was still to hot (102 degrees today!) to go to the airfield where, as Chris pointed out, there would be no shade. We were near the Museo Romantico so decided to stop there first. I don't know if I mentioned this earlier, but when we received our backpacks we were given a "pass" which allows us free entry into most of the city's museums, theaters and other cultural spots. It also has the location to which we are assigned to at Cuartro Vientos (F3 for us).
Museo Romantico is a very cool and unique museum! The Romanticism is a cultural and political movement that reached its height throughout Europe in the early 19th century and which represented a new world view. The Museum is housed in a palace in the neoclassical style, built in 1776. It is a "museum house" in which the furniture, decorative objects, graphic arts, paintings are preserved. However, you also appreciate the intangible such as uses of rooms, family roles, social customs, etc. Best of all, it was cool and not crowded at all. At the end there were computers where we played interactive games corresponding to things we had seen in the museum. That was a great Spanish lesson.
We continued on our journey to Cuatro Bientos. This event is the culmination of the week and the pilgrims were heading there all day. Although we've seen massive crowds all week, this is the day were everyone gathers together for all day and night Saturday and on Sunday morning. We saw pilgrims heading there with their sleeping bags, mats, etc. Most check out of hotel rooms on Saturday morning and head to the main event with their luggage in tow. We decided to go but play it by ear. (How funny that saying must be to those who speak another language. How about "I "see" what your saying"? ) We didn't have anything to sleep on so the odds were we weren't going to stay the night.
We stopped and loaded up with 4 large bottles of water... it was still very hot... and some snacks. The water was heavy to carry and hurt my shoulders but I kept thinking of Jesus carrying the cross. We took the subway to nearest station. The Cuatro Bientos station was closed for security reasons so we had to get off at a nearby station and walk. It was a VERY long walk. Along the way, we saw a lot of people heading back and rumors started flying about it being closed.. no more room... That would have been horrible for the people whose hearts were really set on this and who had no where to spend the night and had their luggage with them.
There were four entrances and it appeared as we approached the first one (mind you that the entrances are probably a mile apart) it appeared that people were waiting to get in. There was a spot where people were going in because a fence had been knocked down. Someone told us that the doors were opening back up at 11pm (it was 9pm and dark at this point). We continued meeting people, joining in dances, and taking flag pictures while we waited. We started to walk to find another entrance when it grew VERY dark and started lightening! A "freak" (as the newspapers put it) storm blew in! We found shelter under an entrance to a garage with a small group from Italy that we had a blast with. They were so funny! They taught us a song and dance where they imitated a crocodile (arms going up and down for its its big mouth), a kangaroo (jumping up and down) and "Benidicto" -- making the sign of the cross! We swapped facebook addresses and continued on our journey after the rain let up. Apparently, the Pope told the crowds their prayers were answered... They had prayed for more water during the sweltering hot day and they got it! I guess the Pope didn't hang his rosary in a bush to assure good weather. Anyway, the storm actually cooled things down.
Before getting into the next entrance, we met two guys from New Jersey. They had already graduated and had degrees in education and film production. They were part of "the press" and asked if they could film us. Of course we let them! They work for World Youth Day. com. I told them how Marie had turned her pictures with people and their flags into a slide show and they said to send it and they would put it on the website! Wait until you see her slideshow! It is so cool! You have to wait until we are sure we are done taking pictures. I think we are up to about 60 different countries! Last night we met people from, among others, Belarus -- Minsk! --- the Congo, Iraq, Israel, Haiti, Japan, Egypt and Zimbamwa!
So we went in the entrance and, interestingly, there was no security. They didn't check our backpacks or anything. I think that everything was in a state of confusion because of the storm. We didn't realize the extent of it but the storm had knocked down structures at Cuarto Bientos. Praise God that no one was hurt (although I read that about 800 had to be treated during the day becasue of the heat. And there were ambulances everywhere). The dusty field had turned into mud... especially by the lavatories. It was reminiscent of Woodstock. We walked the length of the "esplanade" which I think was about 4 miles to find our section. This was happening during the prayer vigil being lead by the Pope! Many people were walking, looking for their spots. Many others were kneeling, praying along with the Pope. Marie and I kept looking for flags and taking pictures! We found F3, briefly looked for people we knew from back home, and continued on to find an exit. A steady rain was coming down at this time and we did not want to stay. Plus, our feet and legs were very tired. We kept asking volunteers and police where the nearest exit was and they either didn't know or directed us back to the way we came in! It was rather disconcerting to think that, if there had been an emergency, noone knew the way out! We ended up "sneaking" out an exit that I think was just for the press and medical. We couldn't find the metro or determine if was still open so we hailed a cab to take us back to the apartment. Unbeknown to us, the major highways of Madrid are underground! We were in a tunnel for most of the ride back from the outside of southwest part of the city to the northeast side. It cost 30 euros but it was worth it.. I don't think I could have walked another step. After showering, I tried to blog, but, much to Marie's amusement, fell asleep while typing so I had it finish this morning. Ok,... its now Sunday afternoon, 1:30pm, and Marie is still sleeping while I blog. Yeah... we missed mass this morning and yeah the Pope has left the city. I looked out the window as I sipped my cafe (made from Silvia's espresso maker which she showed me how to use) and saw pilgrims returning from the big event. I'm so glad we went last night. It was a great experience. I have no regrets about missing the mass this morning. We are both enjoying just being spontaneous, not rushing, resting and doing whatever and whenever. I think we've done and seen a lot.
Marie wants to volunteer to work at the next WYD in 2013 to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. I'm sure she'll have fun.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Stations of the Cross
We are definately still on Michigan time - especially Marie. She didn't go to bed until 3 am (9 pm back home) last night. After cafe and working for a short time, while Marie slept in, I brushed up on my Spanish shopping vocabulary and headed down the street to try on the dresses I saw in the windows. After cafe and working for a short while.
It appears that stores here only get one size of every dress and they didn't have my size in the dressed I loved. I ended up with two new ones anyway and a promise for one tomorrow. When I asked one of the salespersons what size the dress was in the window, she told me a 38. I wear a 42 or 44 in Europe size. I left and she chased me down the street to tell me she was mistaken and the one in the window was a 42. When we went back to the store, however, the manager (I guess) yelled at her in Spanish for a while and then she turned to me and said sorry, come back tomorrow. No wonder there economy is so poor. LOL.
After Marie got up, at about 2:30, we took a bus down to Cibeles Square - well, as close as we could get since LOTS of roads are closed. The pesos - stations of the cross - were lined up on the street from Cibeles Square to Colon Square. Pesos are floats containing life-size wooden sculptures typical of Spanish Holy Week, masterpieces of Spanish religious art and unique treasures. They were really beautiful and awesome but it was very difficult to revere and appreciate them in the 100 degree weather and the huge crowd. We viewed them from a very narrow path that was mighty congested. And there was no shade. I think that people were already staking out their spot for the 7:30pm event when the Pope was to lead the Way of the Cross. It was shown on huge TV screens around town also. Once we were able to find our way out of that crowd, however, we wanted to separate ourselves from it as much as possible! So we walked and walked and walked. We actually were headed for another museum but never got there. We saw many sights, met many people from other countries, took more pictures of people and their flags, stopped for something to eat, walked some more and took a bus back to the apartment. We enjoyed ice cream in the square across the street, purchased from a vendor from Holland. Lots of kids and people in the square tonight, probably because it is Friday.
Silvia is coming home tomorrow morning so we need to clean the place up tonight! I'm so excited to meet her! She gave us lots of tips on places to shop. I think Monday will be shopping day.
I miss everyone back home.
It appears that stores here only get one size of every dress and they didn't have my size in the dressed I loved. I ended up with two new ones anyway and a promise for one tomorrow. When I asked one of the salespersons what size the dress was in the window, she told me a 38. I wear a 42 or 44 in Europe size. I left and she chased me down the street to tell me she was mistaken and the one in the window was a 42. When we went back to the store, however, the manager (I guess) yelled at her in Spanish for a while and then she turned to me and said sorry, come back tomorrow. No wonder there economy is so poor. LOL.
After Marie got up, at about 2:30, we took a bus down to Cibeles Square - well, as close as we could get since LOTS of roads are closed. The pesos - stations of the cross - were lined up on the street from Cibeles Square to Colon Square. Pesos are floats containing life-size wooden sculptures typical of Spanish Holy Week, masterpieces of Spanish religious art and unique treasures. They were really beautiful and awesome but it was very difficult to revere and appreciate them in the 100 degree weather and the huge crowd. We viewed them from a very narrow path that was mighty congested. And there was no shade. I think that people were already staking out their spot for the 7:30pm event when the Pope was to lead the Way of the Cross. It was shown on huge TV screens around town also. Once we were able to find our way out of that crowd, however, we wanted to separate ourselves from it as much as possible! So we walked and walked and walked. We actually were headed for another museum but never got there. We saw many sights, met many people from other countries, took more pictures of people and their flags, stopped for something to eat, walked some more and took a bus back to the apartment. We enjoyed ice cream in the square across the street, purchased from a vendor from Holland. Lots of kids and people in the square tonight, probably because it is Friday.
Silvia is coming home tomorrow morning so we need to clean the place up tonight! I'm so excited to meet her! She gave us lots of tips on places to shop. I think Monday will be shopping day.
I miss everyone back home.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Flag Day
My luggage finally arrived but not until 2:00pm! I wasted all morning waiting for it. Kept walking down to the Cafe shop. Oh my, the cafe is strong here! After it arrived I ran down the street to try on the dresses I saw the other day but they were going to siesta from 2:00 until 5:30. No wonder the economy is so bad here!
In route to Retiro Park and Cibeles Square, we stopped at a sidewalk cafe and had lunch... kind of a tuna noodle casserole. It was on a busy street with everyone heading to the parade route.
Marie met and took pictures with youths, and their flags, from 32 different countries today! It was a blast! We waited on a hill at the side of the parade route hoping to get a glimpse of the pope but to no avail. Well... I may have seen and got a picture of the popemobile. I'm not positve. Spent some time talking to some people from Marquette - originally from Lincoln Park. It was a grand time.
When we left, we simply followed the crowd and walked for a long ways. We were both pretty tired... we have walked for miles and miles since we've been here. We tried to avoid the subway and take buses back to the apartment but the bus routes are all detoured because of the pope so we ended back on the subway anyway. It wasn't very crowded at that time, though. Marie is so good at navigating us through the public transit system!
This is such an awesome event. Nothing else can compare. Maybe the Olympics would come close but it still such a different atmosphere because there is no one competing here for anything. Everyone has such a happy, excited expression despite the heat and the crowds. You can truly feel love!
In route to Retiro Park and Cibeles Square, we stopped at a sidewalk cafe and had lunch... kind of a tuna noodle casserole. It was on a busy street with everyone heading to the parade route.
Marie met and took pictures with youths, and their flags, from 32 different countries today! It was a blast! We waited on a hill at the side of the parade route hoping to get a glimpse of the pope but to no avail. Well... I may have seen and got a picture of the popemobile. I'm not positve. Spent some time talking to some people from Marquette - originally from Lincoln Park. It was a grand time.
When we left, we simply followed the crowd and walked for a long ways. We were both pretty tired... we have walked for miles and miles since we've been here. We tried to avoid the subway and take buses back to the apartment but the bus routes are all detoured because of the pope so we ended back on the subway anyway. It wasn't very crowded at that time, though. Marie is so good at navigating us through the public transit system!
This is such an awesome event. Nothing else can compare. Maybe the Olympics would come close but it still such a different atmosphere because there is no one competing here for anything. Everyone has such a happy, excited expression despite the heat and the crowds. You can truly feel love!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
A Day at The Museum
I woke up at 8:00am this morning but went back to bed and we didn't get up until 1:00 in the afternoon! Marie wanted to visit the art museum so off we headed to the subway which is getting more and more crowded every visit.
On our way to the Museum we passed Plaza de la Cibeles where last night's mass was held. The Plaza is a sheer mass of stone around a dramatic statue of the fertility goddess, La Cibeles, in a marble fountain. It was erected according to instructions from Charles II and was completed in 1792.
We also passed by The Puerta de Alcala, the gateway to city which stands in the middle of an immense traffic junction. It is made up of five arches of granite and stone similar to those by Michelangelo for the Capitol of Rome.
Across the Puerta is the Parque del Retiro, a large park in the city centre whose name translates as "retreat". It was a hunting ground for Philip II and part of the royal gardens until it was opened to the public in the 1770s. The monuments, statues and fountains in the park were magnificent.
We stopped for some lunch at a sidewalk cafe where Marie was complimented on her Spanish by our waiter. Later, she had a whole conversation with someone in Spanish. It is so satisfying when you are able to converse in another language. It is not satisfying when you ask for coffee with a sweater (oops, I meant sugar).
At last we found our way to the magnificent Museo del Prado. (I understand that there are confessionals set up in Retiro Park and we will be looking for one tomorrow to confess that we cut in front of the hundreds of pilgrims in line to go into the Museum.) The museum sits across from the beautiful church of San Jeronimo el Real, Madrid's society church built back in 1505. Prado is the city's pride. With its Goyas, El Grecos, Velazquez and other masterpieces, it is one of the great art museums of the world. It opened in 1819, has a collection of 7000 pictures of which around 1500 are on display at any given time. I could tell that Marie was once an art history major with her insightful comments and observations of the art. The art was breathtaking, many of the paintings were HUGE and many had a religious themes. Just as interesting as the art itself were the descriptions of who painted it for whom and why and the statement that it made at that time in society. The descriptions of the people in the many portraits were also fascinating. Marie gasped when she saw the Velazquez's masterpiece, Las Meninas, which is widely considered technically the finest painting in the world. It was a painting which she had spent a lot of time studying and discussing and here it was -- the "real deal".
The museum was a great way to escape the heat - it was 100 degrees out today. It really did not feel like it, though. It was actually pleasant in the shade. After stopping at a small grocery store and hanging out at a sidewalk table at Starbucks we headed back to the apartment. The subway was scary-crowded on the way back but we made it. Again, everyone remains cheerful -- the crowds burst into chants and songs wherever we go. I tried, to no avail, to get Marie to do the Ice Pack cheer with me.
During our travels today we met very interesting pilgrims from the Phillipines, Guetamala, Canada and had our first encounter some rude people who were from France. A girl and her two sisters from South America told me that there are riots/protests going on. We have not seen any of that. I am wondering if the news back home has any coverage of WYD. I know they are broadcasting it on ETWN -- I think that's the name of the catholic station.
I think that my luggage has been found. The airlines left a message on Silvia's phone and it sounded like they have it. It was in Spanish so I'm not positive. By the time I called back, they were closed. I'll call again tomorrow.
On our way to the Museum we passed Plaza de la Cibeles where last night's mass was held. The Plaza is a sheer mass of stone around a dramatic statue of the fertility goddess, La Cibeles, in a marble fountain. It was erected according to instructions from Charles II and was completed in 1792.
We also passed by The Puerta de Alcala, the gateway to city which stands in the middle of an immense traffic junction. It is made up of five arches of granite and stone similar to those by Michelangelo for the Capitol of Rome.
Across the Puerta is the Parque del Retiro, a large park in the city centre whose name translates as "retreat". It was a hunting ground for Philip II and part of the royal gardens until it was opened to the public in the 1770s. The monuments, statues and fountains in the park were magnificent.
We stopped for some lunch at a sidewalk cafe where Marie was complimented on her Spanish by our waiter. Later, she had a whole conversation with someone in Spanish. It is so satisfying when you are able to converse in another language. It is not satisfying when you ask for coffee with a sweater (oops, I meant sugar).
At last we found our way to the magnificent Museo del Prado. (I understand that there are confessionals set up in Retiro Park and we will be looking for one tomorrow to confess that we cut in front of the hundreds of pilgrims in line to go into the Museum.) The museum sits across from the beautiful church of San Jeronimo el Real, Madrid's society church built back in 1505. Prado is the city's pride. With its Goyas, El Grecos, Velazquez and other masterpieces, it is one of the great art museums of the world. It opened in 1819, has a collection of 7000 pictures of which around 1500 are on display at any given time. I could tell that Marie was once an art history major with her insightful comments and observations of the art. The art was breathtaking, many of the paintings were HUGE and many had a religious themes. Just as interesting as the art itself were the descriptions of who painted it for whom and why and the statement that it made at that time in society. The descriptions of the people in the many portraits were also fascinating. Marie gasped when she saw the Velazquez's masterpiece, Las Meninas, which is widely considered technically the finest painting in the world. It was a painting which she had spent a lot of time studying and discussing and here it was -- the "real deal".
The museum was a great way to escape the heat - it was 100 degrees out today. It really did not feel like it, though. It was actually pleasant in the shade. After stopping at a small grocery store and hanging out at a sidewalk table at Starbucks we headed back to the apartment. The subway was scary-crowded on the way back but we made it. Again, everyone remains cheerful -- the crowds burst into chants and songs wherever we go. I tried, to no avail, to get Marie to do the Ice Pack cheer with me.
During our travels today we met very interesting pilgrims from the Phillipines, Guetamala, Canada and had our first encounter some rude people who were from France. A girl and her two sisters from South America told me that there are riots/protests going on. We have not seen any of that. I am wondering if the news back home has any coverage of WYD. I know they are broadcasting it on ETWN -- I think that's the name of the catholic station.
I think that my luggage has been found. The airlines left a message on Silvia's phone and it sounded like they have it. It was in Spanish so I'm not positive. By the time I called back, they were closed. I'll call again tomorrow.
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