Internationally Domestic This Week

Hello, friends.

For the first time in about a month, I'm spending an entire weekend in Madrid!  How nice.  Sorry I missed last week's post; I was in Denmark, which complicated things.

I wish it wasn't 12:25 AM and that I could fully outline the last two weeks with the amount of detail they deserve.  Instead, I'm giving you a video that Patrick Rothfuss shared on Facebook, and then I shared it.  And after you watch it (please, watch it, you will like it, or maybe.), I will give you a couple more life details.  Then I will sleep.

Also, I wonder-- would you boys have read Name of the Wind if it was written by Patricia Rothfuss and about a Kvothette?  I am currently reading a book that argues that you wouldn't have.  Just a thought.  The question is rhetorical, but feel free to answer it anyway.

Back to my life.  On Thursday, I skipped class because I had somewhat of a "late in semester" crisis about not getting to see all the things I need to see while in Madrid.  So first, I slept an extra two hours, because I deserved it, and then I got up and had a productive morning, before jutting off to revisit the Prado, which was fantastic as always.

During my productive morning, I convened with Shane, who will be visiting in less than two weeks-- using the money he's earned over the past couple months, he's coming to Madrid for a weekend and then we're doing a week in Italy.  The flight was cheaper for him to fly into Madrid and out of Rome, for whatever reason, so that added a couple of days to his trip for almost no moneys (since he can stay with me).  So Madrid, then flight to Pisa for an afternoon to see the Tower, then train to Venice.  We'll be there for two and a half days before we meet up with my friends in Florence.  Two days each in Florence and Rome before the two of us fly home on the 16th of December.  Very excited.

But back to the Prado. I walked through the incredible Parque del Buen Retiro (Literally, "Park of the Pleasant Retreat" according to the internet, an interpretation that I agree with) to get there.  It's gotten chilly here, but the walk is always enjoyable.  There were people doing tai chi, jogging, reading with their thermoses-- being Spanish and enjoying their common spaces.  The Spanish don't do anything in their houses that they could do outside, and I respect that.

She's actually very captivating in person.

At the museum itself, I saw the special Velasquez exhibit that's currently on about the royal family portraits he did (most famously, Las Meninas, of course).  I particularly loved his portraits of La Infanta Margarita, which means "princess," not "infant," as the title suggests.  She's the cute blonde girl in the middle of Las Meninas.

Then I revisited my favorites.  Cole was kind enough to remind me that van der Weyden's The Descent is in the Prado.  Wow, is that painting incredible.  Just look at the Virgin and Jesus, their pallid death color (everyone else is visibly rosier) and similar body positions-- what a great connection.  And their hands almost touching.  And the tears on everyone's faces.  HOW.
 
I also saw Fra Angelico's Annunciation.  Then said hi to Titian and Rafael and tipped my metaphorical cap to Goya.  I liked Rubens' Adam and Eve, too, or at least compared to Titian's.

I have to sleep.  Art is nice.  It's gotten cold here, though I'm sure the east coast people have it worse.

Much love.

Rachael

P.S. Nicole-- revisiting Ingrid's "Slow the Rain" album.  It's so good!! Reminds me of the good ol' days.

Disturbing.

Trust me, it's better than Titian's.