The Museo Reina Sofia is Spain's modern art museum, and my son and I went there yesterday to see one thing and one thing only: Picasso's Guernica, depicting the brutal aerial bombardment of the Basque city Guernica by the Fascists during the Spanish Civil War. Showing the painting to my son was an antidote to… Continue reading Guernica, through a child’s eye
Tag: Madrid
Two Old Women Eating from a Bowl, Goya (1821-1823)
Two Old Women Eating from a Bowl, Goya (Larger Image) Posted to Flickr by samplereality. Yesterday, while my wife was digging through national archives in Spain, my son and I went to the Prado, one of the great art museums of the world. This was my third trip to the Prado, and every time, I… Continue reading Two Old Women Eating from a Bowl, Goya (1821-1823)
Niko and Quijote
Niko and Quijote (Larger Image) Posted to Flickr by samplereality. Don Quijote was on our street again, much to my son's delight. I snapped this photo as my son was dropping some change into the "statue's" chute. Moments later, Don Quijote was galloping in place and my son was in awe. I was surprised to… Continue reading Niko and Quijote
Lo Mejor de Elmo
After much grave, serious debate and heart-wrenching soul-searching, we finally bought Lo Mejor de Elmo from the media megastore FNAC in Madrid. This was a major decision. Our son has watched maybe ten minutes of television in his whole life. And we plan to keep it that way. But Elmo is so tempting. Despite never… Continue reading Lo Mejor de Elmo
Don Quijote “Statue”
Or "Donkey-te" as my son says. This is another street performer on Calle Postas in Madrid. Drop a few coins in the chute and he bounces on "Rocinante" or jousts at imaginary windmills (i.e. pedestrians). My son goes crazy everytime he sees Donkey-te, and he woke up in the middle of the night last night… Continue reading Don Quijote “Statue”
Street Performers in Madrid
This street performer on Calle Postas (Larger Image) is another attraction on our leisurely strolls through the crowds in Madrid. Impossibly tall, frozen until a child drops change in her vase, the "statue" reminded me of the haunting interactive fiction piece Galatea.
Christmastime Crowds in Madrid
The holiday season in Madrid is still full swing and doesn't wind down until after Kings' Day, January 6th. Spanish streets are always teeming with people, and even more so in Christmastime. And I don't mean simply crowded. I mean crowded in the fullest sense of the word: packed with crowds. From Puerta del Sol… Continue reading Christmastime Crowds in Madrid
Live Blogging at the MLA
I half-heartedly had wanted to live blog the MLA convention last week, but it just didn't happen. The last time I live blogged was the 2004 presidential debate, and I guess, in comparison, the MLA just wasn't worth the effort. That, and the fact that less than 24 hours after my own MLA presentation I… Continue reading Live Blogging at the MLA
In Madrid…
Sorry, but it's going to be hard to blog for a while. I'm in Madrid. Plenty of internet cafes around, but it's not so easy to bring a 1-year old toddler along with me as I spend hours composing deep, reflective posts (yeah, right, that's what my posts are). Plus, I don't have any easy… Continue reading In Madrid…