The Weekend Before FINALS (dum, dum, dummmmmmm)

So this is my last weekend before finals ... and it pretty much feels similar to my weekends before finals at Stetson. Namely, I really don't feel like studying, I can think of a million other cool things to do but I have a lot of work so I have to deal with it and do it. Same story different country. Go figure :) But this weekend I have managed to balance the non-productivity with getting my work done so yay!

Saturday, I woke up fairly early to go with Lindsay and John to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (the third in the "Museum trio" on the Paseo del Prado). The Prado and the Reina Sofia together house Madrid's art collection (and most of the Spanish artists major works). The Thyssen was actually a private collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Barons until they donated it to the city. (How nice of them). Giant portraits of Baron and Baroness Thyssen-Bornemisza hang in the museum next to equally giant portraits of the king and queen. Needless to say, they are very well regocnized for donating this huge collection of art that now bears their name. It was a great opportunity to go though. We first saw a temporar exhibit (Impressionist Gardens) and I knew many names in this exhibit - from Manet and Monet to Van Gogh and Cézanne. It was pretty because they were all pictures of flowers, gardens or landscapes. Next we toured the 2.5 huge floors of the exhibit. These Barons had a wonderful collection of art ranging from Medieval art to the most modern art. Our journey through the museum was a journey in time (as it was organized from oldest to newest) and it was delightful. Big names I remember are Carravagio, Rubens, Degas, Rembrant, Georgia O'Keefe and Dalí. It was a nice morning activity and now I have seen the three big museums of Madrid!

After the Thyssen, we went to Starbucks for coffe (to-go) and did a little walking around the city before heading home. Once home, I ate lunch with Elena and then set about writing my art paper. It took a while. I couldn't find my focus and I distracted myself for a while with faceboook and the like ... as a result of my procrastinating you guys got yesterday's blogs :) Eventually though I did complete my paper (finally) and thus completed all of my papers for the semester. Yay! Now all I have left is to study. I went to bed a happy girl.

Sunday, I rose early again for another venture to the Rastro. Lindsay, Kristy and I were successful shoppers and each made out with a couple bag-fulls of purchases and lighter wallets. After our shopping we made our way to the cathedral for mass. Today is the first sunday of Advent and we wanted to go to church ... I was a little dissappointed in the lack of "Christmas-ness" about the cathedral. There were no decoraciones except for the advent wreath and there was no Christmas music. But it was a nice service. And I made friends with a Spanish lady in the pew beside me. She smiled at me when we sat down and said (in Spanish of course) "How nice to see young people here" ... I guess that we are below the average age for mass attendants. She started talking to me about where I was from and how long I would be in Spain. "Que pena" she said when she learned I was only here for a week more. She went on telling me that there is going to be a big youth rally in the Catholic church next August and that I should come back for it then ... she was very sweet. "Even the Pope is going to be here" she told me ... a small reminder that live will go on here in Spain even when I leave it. But I love these kinds of interactions because they embrace the essence of learning another language. I knew Spanish so we had this conversation. If I didn't know Spanish we wouldn't have spoken. It is as simple as that. You could certaintly get along in Spain without knowing Spanish ... but you miss out on the little things like that. Talking with a nice old lady at church. It was nice and I'm glad I could.

After church, I returned home for lunch with Elena and hit the books. With two exams (Literature and Language) tomorrow I had a lot of studying to do. So I studied for a while. Talked with my family (on their way back from Thanksgiving in St. Louis) ...studied a little more. And then, around 6, Elena confirmed that we had plans for the evening. I was excited because her brother and sister-in-law had offered to take Elena and I around Madrid in their car to look at the Christmas ligths all over the city (more than around Sol). Elena told me that they could do it tonight. I was excited. Then she said that they were planning on going to a store first and would we like to come. She described the store as a "store where there are lots of decorations. A furniture and decoracions store where young people go to buy furniture for their houses." ... I said that sounded fun and I needed a study break so at 8 they picked us up. Again, wierd to be in a car given that this is only my second car ride in Madrid (cabs don't count).

Now, the suspicion had crossed my mind at Elena's description so I wasn't at all surprised to see the bold, yellow font spelling out IKEA as we reached the "decorations and furniture store" that Elena described. Now, I realized as I entered the huge store that, though I have known of Ikea and seen products that others have bought at Ikea, I have never been inside an Ikea store. So my first Ikea experience was in Spain. Funny? Maybe. Fun? Yes. We walked around the entire store. Elena's brother and wife are looking for a new couch for their flat so we sat and tested couches. They looked at closets and wardrobes (also for their house). I especially enjoyed the little trees that decorated the corners of the model house rooms. Very festive of Ikea to put them there (with their price tags attached). We found the Christmas decoration part of the store (smaller than last year apparently, a result of the economic crisis they told me). Our Ikea journey ended with a Perro Caliente (Hot Dog) from Ikea Food. They had been going on and on about the wonderful flavor of these hot dogs and I will say that it was yummy. However, I was most excited about a simpler pleasure - crushed ice! I surpressed a small squeal of joy as I put my cup to the ice dispenser and saw the crumbled icy goodness that poured forth ... too much? I filled my cup twice and even took a full cup of ice out to the car in the cold weather. If you weren't aware, crushed ice is the world's best kind of ice.

After this, we drove about the city to see the lights. I had already seen those in Sol but I had heard from Elena and others that the rest of the town is too illuminated by lots of lights and I was excited to see them. However, as we drove around Elena and her brother lamented the general lack of lights around town. There were no big trees (like the one in Sol) in any of the other plazas where they usually are. We drove down Paseo del Prado and saw lit trees lining the road ... but Elena said these trees are usually also hung with lights that form a roof over the street. Plus, usually all the fountains are lit too, but all the fountains are bare this year. We finally found a part of the city alight - the neighborhood of Salamanca (one of Madrid's weathiest). There we found circle lights, square lights, and lights in the shape of chandaliers lining the streets. Elena, her brother and his wife were very disappointed at the lack of lights. They mused that it was most likely an economic decision as a result of the crisis to put up fewer lights. The royal palace had no lights and they told us that it is usually very decorated. But, if the city is cutting back and facing economic hard times, then it would look Marie Antoinett-ish if the royals covered their palace in lights. It makes sense, we all agreed but it was still sad to miss seeing the city that I love lit in all its glory.

Ok, a little more repaso before my tests ... A little nervous about them but trying my best and hope that I'll do alright. Be checking back in with you all soon. Besos <3