Halloween and Gluten Free Success

This weekend was the Halloween party orchestrated by student council. The time everyone had together was great and the costumes that many of the students created were amazing. Everyone from Cleopatra to the French Army to Superman was there. The party ended around midnight, most extremely reluctant to change into more accepted street attire. On Friday, i decided to get a jump-start on my impending due dates and final projects. I spent the entire day working besides a short trip with my host parents to buy food at El Corte Ingles. I had asked for Gluten Free cereal in the mornings as well as a few other things, which i was not too sure that El Corte Ingles would have. I had been to the department store in Sol many times before, only finding a few boxes of Gluten Free cookies, so i expected the same from El Corte Ingles Castellana. In the first few minutes of entering the store, i was entirely lost because of its massive size, but as we turned a corner (finally in the grocery section) I almost sat down and cried for sheer joy. Standing before me was an enormous aisle completely devoted to Gluten Free food. In the aisle was everything i had ever desired to have out of a Spanish bakery, cookies, cake, and even GF Turron was nearby. Not only was i able to get gluten free cereal, but also cookies and i will definitely go back every few weeks to try something new. Now to go back to that bothersome term paper...

There and Back Again...but much too quick

San Sebastian is one of the most beautiful seacoast cities in all of Europe...and also one of the furthest away from Madrid. Our group, ready to go on a weekend trip to San Sebastian, arrived slowly, each new arrival appearing with his suitcases out of the darkness to join the ever-increasing mass sitting under the streetlamp. About 830, we were all on our way, though the excitement soon gave way to utter exhaustion and the bus became quiet. After several breaks and hundreds of kilometers, the bus made its first stop, Biarritz an amazing French seaside town in the Basque region. The views were spectacular and the town was also quaint and still bustling even though the tourist season is ending. We then drove a bit longer until we reached the French mountain town of Epelette, which is known for its famous peppers, festooned on the facades of village houses to dry. That night, we finally arrived at San Sebastian, going to dinner in a restaurant with enormous cider barrels, and four courses of everything from salad with eels and anchovies, to grilled steak, to the famous local cider. That evening, most crashed at the hotel, tired from an entire day in the bus, ready to conquer San Sebastian beach and old town tomorrow. Around 10 the next morning, the group walked down the hill to the beaches below. Two mountains act as beacons guarding the harbor, and both were scaled that day, the first in a funicular the other by foot to the castle and statue above. The old town was centered around the town hall, formerly a casino on the beach, and filled with local bars famed for their regional tapas and cider. We were even able to see the Aquarium and then relaxed on the beach till the sun fell from view. At the hotel, many changed their day clothes in preparation for the clubs, but not me. I decided with three friends (around half past one in morning) to walk down to the beach with a blanket and to sit and talk because it was our final night there. The beach was entirely deserted when Chrissy, Soraya, Hieu, and me arrived at the beach and, the blanket laid out, we all took off our shoes and socks, rolled up our jeans and waded into the water. The only sound we could hear was the crashing of the waves and we all went back to the blanket to lie down, breathing the fresh sea air and relishing a weekend free from any responsibility. Around 3 am the wind picked up and it began to rain, so the four of us decided to head back to the hotel, excited about taking hot showers and sleeping until noon. The following day, we left the hotel, a bit mournful, and headed back towards Madrid, stopping at the medieval town of Burgos for lunch on the way. The rest of the trip back was quiet, many students anticipating the return to Madrid with excitement, but, for me, the trip back was quite saddening. San Sebastian and Southern France have such a magic about them, that it is hard not to regret leaving them so soon.

All in the Name of Adventure and Gluten Free Cookies

Midterms are officially over and the SUMC students have all participated in a collective sigh of relief. Now, to relax for the weekend before preparation for finals begins. Some went on trips to Lisbon or Paris, but not me. I decided the best activity, for me, would be to sleep-in and just chill for the weekend. But, as you know, i have an insatiable appetite for wandering that transcends any desire to relax and recuperate. So, Friday afternoon i took the Metro to Atocha, planning to walk around the museum district, but, instead, hopped onto a bus that i assumed was going to circuit around the city and leave me off at the Atocha Metro station. This way, i could wander the city without wearing myself out. But, as i am not blessed with the wisdom of being able to navigate the bus system of Madrid, i soon was lost, REALLY lost. But, even as the half hour journey turned to one and a half i stayed on the bus, believing it would go in a circuit and, in time, would drop me back at Atocha. Soon i was the only passenger left on the bus, in a neighborhood about an hour and half bus ride from Madrid proper. To make matters worse, the bus stopped and the driver turned around to tell me it was the end of the line. So, in a neighborhood far from the city, of which i had never been to before, and where there were no more Metros, i began to walk, and walk, and walk....until i found a bus that was heading towards the Madrid Opera House that would allow me to take the Metro home. So, today, i decided, that i would stay around the apartment and relax, but, yet again, i had to get out and do something. So, i went to Carrefour’s, only a few Metro stops away, and bought some Gluten Free Cookies and other munchies to get me through the week. But, there was this lively street with Tapas goers that i just had to walk down, and yes, you guessed it, i got lost...again. I found my way home after a few hours of taking wrong streets, and settled down to eat my munchies while video chatting with my Mother. It was quite the weekend, even with two mishaps in a row, but Madrid is a very interesting city so even when you are completely, honestly, lost, it´s almost like you´re still pleasantly, purposefully, wandering.

Midweek Break from the Midterm Grind

So this Tuesday was Dia de la Hispanidad, a Spanish version of the American Columbus Day, and so the entire weekend before was an enormous festival celebrating Hispanic culture. So, on Di de la Hispanidad, we were released from the Midterm grind and were allowed one day to let off some steam before hitting the books again. So, after sleeping in late, i walked over to the Museo Sorolla, which i had been meaning to visit ever since i left the US. Sorolla, a painter with a similar style to the impressionists, lived in Madrid´s Castellana neighborhood for a large part of his life, though he originally came from Valencia. His city house still stands, wedged between two high-rises, and almost everything has been left the way he had it before he died and his widow gave the house and all its contents to the city. His paintings of turn of the century beach scenes are some of my favorite works of any century, and having them placed in the places that Sorolla left them, makes for an amazing experience. The furniture, like the artist, is eclectic and interesting, from many different eras and styles, the gardens are spectacular, and a perfect haven from the busy streets beyond and the family´s Spanish pottery collection on the lower floor is not to be missed. Overall the day off was perfect, right in the middle of midterms though i wished i could have gone through the Sorolla without so many people, though I will be back. Well, back to the midterm grind, it´s almost over...and nearly time to start preparing final projects!

Buckets and Buckets

So it's the middle of midterm’s week and everyone at the SUMC campus is exhausted. After hours of studying and buckets full of half-semester projects due, we all are glad that the weekend is finally here. Speaking about buckets, it's raining buckets outside right now. And so, after mostly completing a take-home midterm, I decided to take a short walk around the block. As it happens, that short walk turned into a few hours’ worth of walking through mud and rain. When i left my apartment and turned onto the main street, in a direction i have never wandered in before, i saw the leaning towers of Madrid, the two skyscrapers that lean in towards each other over the road beneath. I have wanting to see the skyscrapers for some time, and the distance didn't look that far-goodness was i wrong. On my way, i was soaked through, from my suit coat, scarf, sweater, and t-shirt though the cool air felt wonderful. On my way back, you guessed it, i took the metro. My few hours long walk took about 10 minutes and soon i was home changing into warm clothes chowing down on Gluten Free French bread that my mother sent me in her last care package, smothered in peanut butter, also from mom, and nutella, ready to embark on the rest of my pressing projects. The air today is quite chilly and if the cool air wasn't enough to make me miss fall in New England, the pumpkin scented candles that my mother sent me will do the trick. That´s the most wandering I’ll be up to this weekend. Off to do more studying, typing, and researching!

Yes, we have exams too....

As promised in my last post, I am now reporting on how SUMC is doing. This past week has been quite chaotic at SUMC. Everyone is preparing for midterms, though it seems as if the semester has only begun. Student Council is planning the Halloween party, Book club has started, and term papers have just been assigned. So, with all of this craziness in my mind, I decided to spend my Friday afternoon in my own neighborhood. In my strolling, I saw a short multi-lane bridge that spanned a short valley. I crossed, seeing nothing unusual, but as I took the steps that led down from the bridge to the commercial road beneath, I came across the most unexpected park. Beneath the highway bridge was a modern sculpture park with fountains, and cafes around its perimeter. I was shocked, though pleasantly surprised as I needed a cool place to sit and rest. Afterwards I continued down the road and poked into several shops ending up on a street with astonishingly high prices for shoes. I couldn’t understand why a regular pair of gray dress shoes could cost 415 euros until I left the store and saw that across the street was Gucci and Cartier, with Tiffany’s, and Prada further along-I had officially entered the Salamanca shopping district. The rest of the afternoon was spent gawking at window displays with no price tags and at designer labels that I had never heard of. I soon wound up back at my own apartment where I made lunch and sat down to study. Here come the exams!

Moving Ever Onward...

So yes, the student wanderer has wandered himself out. The consequences? Sitting in bed with his feet up (not too bad if you ask me). This weekend contained some interesting developments at SUMC, but first i must fill in the gap that gapes at us from between Salamanca and the Bike trip.

The first weekend we were back in the city, Amy put together a day trip to the Prado museum. I, of course, signed up and that Friday, a small group of us met to see what treasures the museum beheld. With our very informative guide, we saw the three great Spanish masters that are displayed within the Prado, Goya, Velasquez, and El Greco. While there, I was able to see paintings that I had only studied in art books, such as Las Meninas by Velasquez and the dark paintings by Goya. The museum is massive so after we finished the tour i rented a set of audio guide headphones and went back through the museum. Around every corner there was something new and exciting and i ended up spending most of the day there. Before i left i paid a small fee to be able to see the special exhibition Titian and the Masters. The entire exhibit was about how Titian evolved as an artist and how he used the works of the great painters to fuel his own creativity. The exhibition was magnificently done as it began with his younger years and progressed as you went along, each of his paintings paired with a few of the masters that inspired the work.

           The next morning i decided to wander around the old center, pausing to have lunch in the park in front of the Palacio Real. The day was a bit warm so i decided to take advantage of the cool interiors and free afternoon admission of the Reina Sophia modern art museum. My personal taste tends to be a bit more towards the traditional, but some of the modern art within the museum blew me away. I have always admired Dali and Picasso and being able to see Guernica was amazing. A hint: the Reina Sofia allows photography of all the works in the museum, except for Picasso's Guernica which has a room to itself.
       The following weekend i went to see the final part of the triumvirate of Madrid's Museums the Thyssen-Bornemisza. The collection within this museum is unlike both the Prado and the Reina Sophia as it was the personal collection of a Baron and Baroness for whom the museum is named. Their collection spans the entire spectrum of art from primitive Italian, to French Impressionists, to more modern works by Georgia O’Keeffe. My personal favorite was Edward Hopper's Hotel Room, which I had seen in numerous art books and was excited to see in person. I also saw the temporary exhibition of Ghirlandaio and Renaissance Florence. The entire exhibit was based around his famous profile of Albizzi Tornabuoni. The Thyssen makes for a light and fun museum day compared to the serious heavy-hitters of the Prado and the Reina Sofia.