Que tal?! Today was the first day of class, and I only had one: Arte del Prado. As you can imagine, it is an art class specific to the three most famous Spanish artists and their works in the Prado Museum. Every Thursday we go to the museum and get to observe the paintings that we study. How about that for interactive learning?! Although I know nothing about art and lack a creative bone in my body, I'm looking forward to taking this class and becoming a more cultured individual :)
I absolutely love our professor, the super fast Spanish speaking Marisa Marina. She is so hyper-active and fun that--before I knew it--two hours had flown by, and we were already finished with class and on our way to the metro. Oh, but first we made a little stop at a pasteleria (pastry shop) and bought a berlinesa which is basically creamy custard sandwiched between two donuts. Um, yum. Worth the five pounds I gained from each bite.

After we arrived home and had lunch (spicy meatballs and rice), Erin and I made the trek to El Parque del Retiro, Madrid's beautiful public park full of shady pathways, fountains, ancient statues, palaces, and pavilions. It was one of the most gorgeous things I had ever seen. My favorite place was the Parterre, one of the few surviving corners of the original palace gardens. It was so elegant. I was also amazed by the breath-taking Rosaleda or rose garden. Que linda!!!!


Tonight: much needed rest. Hasta luego!

What I learned today: paint is made from huevo y yeso, eggs and the stuff used to make a cast. Gracias art class!

Vamos a Madrid!

Hola a todos! Two days ago I arrived in beautiful, captivating Madrid and it's been a whirlwind of excitement. On day 1, my roommate Erin and I arrived at our spacious, colorful apartment where we will be living for the next six weeks. We have a house mom, the animated Esperanza who sings American music all day long; a house dad, Alfonso who is very nice and speaks Spanish slowly for us Americans (which I highly appreciate); and their daughter, the hip, cute, rhythmic gymnast Sofia! We're also sharing our apartment with two other Americans in our program, Rachel and Evelyn.
When I first arrived in Spain, I was so overwhelmed with the speed of conversation and i felt completely incompetent with my speaking abilities! It was so intimidating, but after a few hours I relaxed and a began to understand the locals (thank god!). After settling in, Erin, Rachel, Evelyn, and I took the metro into downtown Madrid. It was fantastic; lots of shopping, tapas, fantastic restaurants and some weird performers (we saw a guy with no head... see below).
On day 2 we had orientation at 10am at our University named Nebrija. It's in a very hilly, heavily treed area of Madrid and looking out the window from our classroom was magical! That's when it ht me: how amazing is this opportunity?! I'm in one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the world studying the language and enjoying the culture. Not a bad gig.

After orientation, we had our first traditional Spanish meal: little salmon sandwiches, empenadas, potato and egg tortas, baguette, cheese, carne, and chorizo. And of course Sangria (provided by the university and enjoyed with our professors... Only in Spain!). After that meal, a siesta (nap) was definitely necessary so Erin and i took the metro home and crashed for two hours. After a delicious home-cooked meal of pollo and patata asada, we met up with about 15 people from our program for our first night on the town! Although it was a monday and not very busy, we had a great time exploring the nightlife. It certainly was a successful night and so fun to get to know the other Purdue students in the program better!

Tomorrow is the first day of class, can't wait!

Hasta luego :)