On our first day in Madrid, the group flew in around 5:00 pm for a 6:00 pm check in at our hotel, Petit Palace. After everyone got situated in their rooms we met in the lobby to embark on a walking tour of the area. We ended the night with dinner at a family restaurant serving tortilla de patatas.
This week has been anything but short of entertaining. We started off with a sleep-in on Monday morning in attempts to rejuvenate our minds after a late night watching the Super Bowl until 4am our time. However, once we all did manage to crawl out of bed, we were greeted by freshly cooked pancakes courtesy of our pancake master, Annie.
(Sketching at the tomb of Paul Cézanne)
In a week where the south of France saw many more rainy days then it usually does, our European Art Classroom crew continued to make the most out of every day. Our Mondays and Thursdays here in Aix-En-Provence, are our only days where we truly have a set schedule. We begin the day with French class, followed by a well informed art history class by Dave.
A famous architect once said; “nothing is art if it does not come from nature.” This specific architect created the plans for one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. The famous architect responded to the name Antoni Gaudí.
As the TGV sped along the French countryside under a darkening sky, I sat back and thought about the past week, a week we’d spent in Paris. Even on the train ride back to Aix, none of what I’d just experienced seemed real.
We stepped off the bus and were immediately consumed by the Granada nightlife. Shortly after finding our hotel we were off to watch a Flamenco dance performance and eat dinner. The dance performance was entertaining (and surprising for many of us); the dancers displayed amazing footwork and emotion.
Two weekends ago we attended a Real Madrid soccer game. I can easily say that it was one of the most fascinating events I have ever been to. The group had to meet at the bus station in Segovia at 10:15 am. It was one of our earliest Saturdays this term so far, but we all knew that waking up a little bit earlier than usual was all going to be worth it.
The Camino de Santiago is a trail that starts in France and ends on the Atlantic coast of Galicia. People have never ceased to walk the trail since the discovery of St. James's remains in 812 AD. Historically the path is walked as a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint James, but now people walk the trail for any number of reasons.
