Midterms

Midterms are now over and I can't recall a time I've ever had a more difficult time staying focused.  With so much to do, Madrid is enough to give anyone an attention disorder.  It is hard to justify reading over notes when you have so many more exciting possibilities.

So without much surprise, I found myself procrastinating.  But I justified it by calling it educational procrastination.  The best way to learn the language is by putting it into practice; knowing Spanish words is useless if you cannot find a reason to speak them for them.  Naturally, there are countless Spanish speakers at bars and they're usually willing to talk endlessly, as drunk people are wont to do.  

Other than just the language, it is important to get a feel for the culture.  Spain has a rich history of artistic talent and this is made obvious in the Museo Nacional del Prado.  This art museum holds works from greats such as Goya, Velazquez, El Greco, Rembrandt and Ribera.  The museum is impossible to explore completely in only one afternoon but in those few hours alone I saw many famous paintings I have only seen in books and online:

Las Meninas, Velazquez

The Third of May 1808, Goya

Jacob's Dream, Ribera

Judith at the Banquet of Holofernes, Rembrandt

Adoration of the Shepherds, El Greco

Haircut

Yesterday I finally got the nerve up to do what i feared most in Spain... I got a haircut.

Back home I wouldn't fear going to the barbershop but in a new country I felt differently.  Putting the fate of my hair in the hands of a stranger that I could hardly communicate with was a difficult challenge for me.  Moreover, Spain has too many bizarre hairstyles for me to not be at least a little nervous.  For example we have:

The Standard Mullet

From Flickr.com

The Dread Mullet

From Wander-Argentina.com

And This

From NNDB.com

Contrary to my expectations, I didn't end up looking like an extra out of The Warriors.  Although the haircut was pretty European, it suits me fine.  When in Rome, I suppose.

Holy Toledo.

Friday afternoon I took the bus to Toledo.  Having missed my siesta for the day I decided to make up for it on the way to the city.  Of course though, being one of the last people on the bus meant I was going to spend the ride next to a woman who must have thought showers were an optional part of living in modern society.  My tiredness got the best of me, and I ended up sleeping away the 45 minute trip.  Waking up on the shoulder of Pepita Le Pew was not the best way to start my stay in Toledo but it quickly improved when I saw the city.

The bus station was at the bottom of Toledo, which is essentially a huge hill.  At the top of this hill is the walled city.  I felt like I was a part of El Greco's View of Toledo.

"View of Toledo" from The Metropolitan Museum

 Toledo used to be the capital of Spain and was an important city during the Moorish occupation.  Much of the architecture is still preserved and looks a lot like how old Spain appears in movies.  Many of the alleys are lined with cobblestone and have balconies peaking through vine covered walls.  

Photo by Taylor Kunselman

Also, there is a huge number of cats all over the city.

Photo by Taylor Kunselman

Our hostel owner spoke fluent English, which was a shame because that allowed us to understand how terrible his personality was.  He spoke with an air of importance, like we were wasting his time for being there.  He had a sign that read "take a smile" where you could rip off a tag with a smiley face on it.  I made sure to take plenty because I wasn't getting any from him.

The night life was interesting but not as exciting as Madrid's.  There were far fewer young people in this city but the majority of the people were very friendly and talkative.  I struggled through a conversation in Spanish with this one girl, only to find after several minutes that she was from England and just enjoyed watching me make a fool out of myself.  

In the daytime is when the city really opened up.  Many of the people in Toledo are there just for a day trip and the streets are flooded with old men with fanny packs, sandals and shorts that are much too short and tight to be considered sociably reasonable.  The surplus of tourists was deserved though because Toledo had a lot to offer in terms of sightseeing.  

Here are a few buildings I'm sure are not nameless, but I don't know what those names may be:

Photo by Alyssa Ring

Photo by Taylor Kunselman

Photo by Alyssa Ring

Photo by Taylor Kunselman

Photo by Alyssa Ring