Museo Del Prado

It is a Friday night. This is my first partying night in Madrid. I wonder which clubs or bars I should hit tonight. It has been amazing this far. I went to the Prado Museum.

The Prado Museum is Madrid's top cultural sight, and one of the world's greatest art galleries. Located in the eponymous street, El Paseo del Prado, its dazzling display of works by the great European masters such as Velázquez, Goya, Raphael, Rubens, and Bosch (among other major Italian and Flemish artists), is housed in an 18th-century Neo-Classical building that opened as a museum in 1819.

Its name derives from the district where it is located, formerly an area of market gardens known as the "prado" or meadow. The Spanish queen at the time had been impressed with the Louvre in Paris and wanted to showcase an enormous collection in her own country. The result is several thousand works at the present time, with a recent modern extension allowing more of them to be displayed.

http://www.gomadrid.com/museums/prado-museum.html

I was extremely fortunate to view great art of previous centuries. This trip was with University de Nebrija. However, I was rather disappointed that they had explained every single thing in Spanish. When I asked the teacher, why can’t he explain it in English since most of us are beginners, he simply replied, “It is the University’s rules, I am sorry” and continues speaking in Spanish. My mind slow wandered through the beautiful masterpieces of history. Goose bumps caused by excitement passing through my body. I am part of history I told myself.

The teacher explained the history behind the important portraits of the Kings of Spain such as King Philip II, III, and IV and how similar they look due to intermarriage between family members in order to keep the power within the royal family. This causes many Royal family members to be extremely alike in terms of features but at the same time, the intermarriage caused many genetic problems due to the lack of genetic variation.

After explaining the history of King Philip II, III, and IV, the teacher went on to explain the history behind King Charles the fourth. Due to the fact that he was explaining everything in Spanish, I sort of wonder off by myself reading the notes that are placed beside the art work. Out of the blues, he asked the entire a question that is, “Which King was he explaining?” Some people in my group answered King Charles II or III. But I answered King Charles IV. He was impressed at the same time surprised because he thought that I was not paying attention. Hahaha.. Now it makes me wonder whether those Spanish speakers in my group paid any attention to what was being explained.

It isn’t that bad not knowing a foreign language but still being able to answer a simple question while some Spanish speakers struggle couldn’t get it right. *A pat on my own back* :P