Art History

Little did I know that when I decided to take Modern Art History of Spain at the University of Granada, I would end up meeting one of my best friends here and develop a new appreciation for art. At the beginning of the semester I approached Regina and asked if she would help me with the notes. She was so nice to photocopy her notes and bring me a copy with my name on them. After my first difficult weeks here I felt so good to have found someone who was willing to help with what would prove to be a challenging course. I decided that I could use some extra help second semester if I wanted to do better in the class and get more out of it. I asked Regina if she would mind meeting with me during the week to go over the notes and help prepare me for the final exam. We also reviewed first semester notes because the professor gave me the chance to retake the image part of the exam. I could not have asked for a better "teacher" than Regina. She really has a gift for explaining things and knowing how to help me understand the basic information in a foreign language. Each help session was 4 hours long and some weeks we met two times a week. We started in March and worked up until mid-May. This also felt like a 4 hour intensive Spanish meeting since Regina doesn't speak much English, although she is learning. I could tell Regina and I were starting to become friends when we would get off track for a little while and start talking about life in general. Regina has not only given me art advice but also life advice. When we went out for my birthday dinner we discussed how amazing it is that two people from different parts of the world can have such a genuine friendship. It leaves me thinking that regardless of cultural differences, human beings share a bond just because we're human.

Thanks to Regina, I retook the first semester exam and stunned the professor by how much I had improved. I'm feeling pretty confident about the final exam which will be next Monday.


Regina during one of our meetings

20th Birthday!

I recently celebrated my 20th birthday here in Granada. I am so thankful for all of my friends who helped celebrate my birthday in a foreign country. At first I thought it would be a tough day, but with the help of my friends I had a really nice, memorable day. It's so hard to believe I'm no longer a teenager, although after surviving a whole year by myself in a foreign country, I do feel a little older. It seems beginning the next decade of my life in another country is quite appropriate and a reminder that the exciting years are only just beginning.

I first went out with my friend Sol, who is from South Korea, for lunch at a Mexican restaurant in the local shopping mall. We planned to see a movie afterward, but the theater is closed during the afternoons. We decided to come back to the dorm and have birthday cake with my friend Marta. After eating cake, my parents called on skype and I opened the birthday package they sent me. I have the best parents! Later I went out to dinner with my friend Regina from my art history class.

What a fun day!


outside Neptuno shopping center


my friend Sol in the restaurant


a view of the delicious mexican food
(in Spain you can drink a margarita on your 20th birthday!)


slice of cake Sol bought at a nearby bakery


friends!


Spanish birthday cake!


with my friend Marta


with Regina at my birthday dinner



Regina


the twenty year old

Spring Break 2009: Madrid, Barcelona, Granada

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was so fortunate to have my mom visit me over spring break. She stayed for two weeks which gave us time to travel and enjoy each other's company. We planned to meet at our hotel in Madrid, the same hotel I stayed in with Daddy. It was nice because I was already familiar with the metro stop and the nearby area. I took the bus to Madrid, for the third time, and was so proud of myself for figuring out how to take the metro from the bus station all the way to the hotel. One euro sure does beat a 30 Euro taxi fee! My mom had just arrived to the hotel when I got there, although her bags didn't make it on her flight! Luckily, the airline delivered her bag the following day. We made the most of our first day even though I know my mom was really jet lagged. We spent four days in Madrid which gave us a chance to see the three major museums and the palace. This time we went to the Prado two times. The first time we bought the audio guides which really did help us better appreciate the artwork. I recognized a lot of paintings that we've discussed in my art history class. I can tell that I enjoy art more after taking this class. I wanted to thoroughly look at every work and hear the information about it. We were taking our time so much that we didn't even realize when the museum was about to close. Finally, after a second trip to the Prado, we managed to see all the masterpieces and pretty much the entire museum. What an accomplishment! On this trip to Madrid we happened to come across the Hard Rock Cafe which made for a fun dinner. Part of me thought I was back in the USA! This trip to Madrid left me feeling like an expert on the city. My Spanish friends can't believe I've now been to Madrid 3 times!

We took the train to Barcelona and spent 3 full days touring the city. I was really excited to go to Barcelona because everyone had told me it is such a fun, neat, beautiful city. On our first night we were a little tired from the train ride, and really didn't do very much. When we were walking on La Ramblas, the main street of Barcelona, an old man threw out his umbrella in front of my mom and it scared both of us! We later saw him in the same spot where it looked like he was waiting to scare other tourists. After this incident we decided to get some rest before we tried to figure out the city.

On the first day, we went to the monument of Christopher Columbus, where Columbus is pointing out to toward the Mediterranean. You can go up into the monument, which was recommended as one of the best views of Barcelona in our "Top 10 Barcelona" guide. After this we waited in the long line for the cable cars. It was worth the wait because we really did get another great view of the city. We also tried a seafood restaurant recommended by our hotel, which was wonderful! We had some of the best food in Barcelona! We also went to the Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudi's unfinished church, which is just as an impressive as everyone says. Later we saw La Pedrera, an apartment block designed by Gaudi, which is very modern. Gaudi knew even we he first started the Sagrada Familia that it would someday be a symbol of Barcelona. He thought the pinnacles united heaven and earth. His park is also a popular tourist attraction. We decided to buy passes for the city sightseeing bus in order to help us better see the sites in the few days we had. Unfortunately it started down pouring while we were on top of the bus, which made for a miserable time. Before we left we made it to the Picasso Museum, and the Cathedral. Even though the weather wasn't ideal, we managed to see most all of the tourist sites in Barcelona.

After Barcelona, we took the train back to Madrid, where we then took the train to Granada. Because it was a popular tourist time all the direct trains from Barcelona to Granada were already booked several days in advance. Our hotel in Granada was in a different part of the city I wasn't very familiar with. I enjoyed staying in another part of town and discovering some new places like a delicious bakery, a hair salon, and a fruit stand. We also had city sightseeing bus passes for Granada which helped me see some of the other tourist attractions of the city. The weather was chilly in Granada and all of the Spaniards had on their heavy winter coats. We saw some of the Semana Santa processions as I discussed in the previous post. Also, we went to the Cathedral and the Royal Chapel. I studied both in my art history class so I felt like I at least knew something about them. We had tickets for the Alhambra on Monday night. Our time at the Alhambra was kind of rushed due to confusion as to how long it stayed open. Nevertheless we were able to see most everything. My mom also packed up some of my winter clothes and took them back with her so I'll have less to bring back. Sometimes I look around my room and wonder how everything will every fit in my bags!

I had such a wonderful, long, relaxing visit with my mom. It's always nice having someone to travel with, especially a mom who takes such good care of you!

As always, it was sad to say goodbye to mama! I'll be home before you know it!

Madrid

view of Almudena Cathedral from Palacio Real

pansies are also popular in Spain!

Mama's in Spain!

Museo del Prado

Plaza de Cibeles

Communications Building-- pretty impressive!

Atocha Train Station

windmills!

typical Spanish landscape from the train

Barcelona

view of Barcelona from the Mirador de Colon

mirador de colon

getting ready to ride the cable cars

a cable car

the passion facade of the Sagrada Familia

inside the Sagrada Familia


close up of the nativity scene


inside Park Güell



Gaudi's impressive work


two houses at the park entrance


on the top level of the park


La Pedrera - Gaudi's apartment block


the roof of the Pedrera


a view of the Sagrada Familia from the Pedrera


a model inside the Pedrera museum


Gaudi's famous tile inside the apartment

Granada


The Cartuja of Granada- right by my dorm


one of the prettiest cathedrals in Spain!


a view from the Generalife


another view


posing in the Alhambra


Federico Garcia Lorca Park
(Lorca was a famous Spanish writer from Granada)


Lorca's home in the park

Semana Santa

Here in Spain, we recently celebrated one of the most important holidays of the year. Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is not just a religious celebration but it's also a large part of the Spanish culture. Most Spaniards rarely attend church and do not consider themselves religious. Church goers usually consist of grandparents, who I often see congregated outside church doors after mass. This seems a little confusing as to why Spaniards put so much time and effort into a religious holiday. After observing the holy week and talking with numerous Spanish friends, it seems that the holiday is something very cultural. While there are some Spaniards who see the week as rather fake, there are others who see it as a tradition that brings Spaniards together every year. Whatever your take on the spectacle, there's no doubt that it is an event very unique to Spain.

During Holy Week, it is not unusual to have multiple processions everyday leading up to Easter. People spend a lot of time practicing for the processions, learning how to carry these huge figures. A month before Easter it was common to find people practicing in the streets. Different brotherhoods participate in the processions, wearing different color pennants to show which brotherhood they belong to. Bands follow behind playing music that sets the tone for an eerie, mysterious event. Just about everyone participates in these processions.

My mom was here over Holy Week and we arranged to be in Granada for some of the processions. (Andalucia is most noted for its processions and Sevilla has the most famous processions.) We managed to see one night procession that was pretty exciting. Some of the night processions last until 1 or 2 AM! We also saw the 100th anniversary of a huge procession here in Granada. It had over 20 figures and lasted several hours. It was almost called off due to rain, but luckily the rain held off for the most part. If it does rain and the sculptures get wet, they are ruined. When it started to rain the Semana Santa workers were quick to cover the figures with plastic to prevent damage. I couldn't believe how many people came out to see this procession. The streets were packed with no room to walk. Chairs were set out on the streets for people willing to pay. The specatators who had it best were the ones with apartments overlooking the processions.


Street vendors selling baked potatoes, very popular in Spain


Members of a brotherhood carrying crosses


the band playing


one of the figures


a group of women dressed in black


the end of the procession


100th Anniversary Procession