She claims that since the current adults in Spain spent their younger years growing up under a very repressed dictatorship, where husbands couldn't kiss their wives goodbye in public for fear of being arrested, adults now a days never took to discouraging their children from showing and enjoying that type of affection. Which would definitely explain the two Madrileños on the plane from JFK who acted like it was their honeymoon. So she warned us that while it would seem weird for people to kiss and hug as a greeting, and maybe be a little "freer" in the clubs discos and bars, to say the least, it's because they live to enjoy the freedom they have. Definitely a nice sentiment. It's definitely more welcoming here, where the first person you meet will call you their friend and kiss both your cheeks.
I had my first Gazpacho today too. It sounds gross and I think you have to appreciate it more for its cultural significance than for the way it tastes, no lie. It's about the same consistency as tomato soup, but slightly lighter in color because they add sweet pepper, cucumbers and a little garlic, and it's blended until smooth. You can eat it "plain" like that or you can add more vegetables to make it more interesting. Elena encouraged me to dunk bread in it. The weird thing about the soup is that it's served cold, because the Spanish eat it generally in the summer when it's 100 degrees. It's super healthy, think V8 juice, and it fills you up more than you would expect.
A siesta was def required after the meal (which second course consisted of Perch in a strange but super good sauce and flan...hey the big meal of the day is at lunch okay?!) but after the restaurant we were headed to El Museo del Prado. Acclaimed as in the top five best art museums in the world. We didn't spend a whole lot of time in there, but luckily AU did pay all our entrance fees.
There aren't any pictures from inside the museo, of course, but it was amazing amazing. I'm pretty sure 11th grade Spanish class was primarily focused on spanish art, as well as the first semester of my first Spanish class in college. We walked in and the professor at the American U school focused on 4 major artists: Raphael, El Greco, Goya, and Velázquez. After extensively studying the last three, I knew the importance of Las Meninas once I saw it. The painting itself is epic. Nothing in books or pictures compares to what I saw, hanging in front of me. Velázquez literally takes up the whole room but everyone´s eyes simply gravitate to Las Meninas. I´d learned so much about the painting, how not only it is a portrait of the princess Margarita, but also a self portrait of Velázquez, and interestingly enough, the King and Queen of Spain at the time are in it as well, but un-importantly featured in a mirror hanging on the wall in the back of the painting.
I also went to my first tapas bar! It was as wonderful and shady as I thought it would be! I ordered a "Tinto de Verano" which is pretty much Sangria in my opinion, only not as much fruit. Delicious obviously, and my friend R ordered a Mojito, which over course only reminded me of Tio B! Here be a lovely pic of me with said Mojito and also one of the bartender who was slightly surprised when I took his picture.
No comments:
Post a Comment