Amanda in Madrid

NYU Junior in MADRID for Fall 2013

[amandanyumadrid]

Madrid, It's been real #finalnight #hastaluego

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Tis the season !! (at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann)

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Paris being all beautiful and stuff 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷 (at Paris)

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✨🌟💫 (at Great synagogue of florence)

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🇮🇹 Firenze 🇮🇹 (at Giotto's Bell Tower)

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When in Rome...

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Toooo good #welcometoamsterdam (at Pancakes! Amsterdam)

[amandanyumadrid]

36 hours in Barcelona To say I was excited for my weekend in Barcelona would be an understatement. Not only was I finally headed to the Guadi filled city of Barcelona, but also reuniting with my brother !!! We had limited time in the magical city, but squeezed in as much as possible. We started off by touring Casa Mila, where every room was more uniquely decorated than the next. Next was La Sagrada Familia, where upon walking inside, I was absolutely blown away. I have visited many (many, many) churches while in Europe, and was just speechless. My brother and I admired the massive and colorful stained glass windows and looked up in awe. (Gaudi felt it was so important to have natural light, which we definitely noticed here). We then continued our Sagrada experience by going up the towers. Although an elevator brings you up, you then walk over a bridge to get to the towers. There we were able to overlook the entire city of Barcelona, once again speechless. To reach ground level, we then descended through tiny spiraling stairs. Our final tourist destination was Casa Batlo, where our timing could not have been more perfect. After touring the home, we ended on the rooftop. Within minutes, the sun began to set, creating the most magnificent sunset. I'm pretty sure I was living a dream, the pink sky combined with Gaudi's rooftop filled with sculptures felt unreal. Once back at our hotel, we relaxed in the lobby, while catching up over little appetizers, with live piano music in the background. We then headed to dinner, which was delicious. Ending our meal around 11:30, like true Spaniards, we then headed out! We went to the ice bar, which is exactly what it sounds like. Before entering we were given big silver jackets and gloves since everything inside, including the cups for drinks, was made of ice!! You can't stay in for too long, since its basically freezing, but the experience was definitely worth it. The nightlife was lots of fun, and to top it off, the clubs were right along the beach. There aren't enough words to express my love for the city of Barcelona.

[amandanyumadrid]

este es el color de mis sueños #art #surrealism #JoanMiro #dreams #nofilter #latergram (at Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza)

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Don't want to leave !! #gaudieverything (at Parc Güell)

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The most perfect day couldn't have ended more perfectly #BARCELONA with @jeremy_sacks !!! (at Casa Milà (La Pedrera))

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Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando This morning I went to the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Recommended by my art history teacher to see the works of Goya, I was pleasantly surprised by the museum. It was a much larger museum than I had imagined, and the architecture was absolutely beautiful. It was very empty, which was so sad, because there is so much incredible art inside!! Not only were there classical paintings, but also rooms filled with sculptures, and modern art too! What I found most interesting were these three "wax relief boxes" by an artist I had never heard of, Cetto. Carved out of wax, were intricate figures and objects depicting stories, all inside of beautifully framed glass boxes.

[amandanyumadrid]

Toledo Friday NYU sponsored a day trip to the city of Toledo. After an hour on the bus, we arrived for a day filled with scenic views, perfect weather and a culmination of cultures. We had the chance to enter mosques, temples, and churches while in the city. We also saw what is said to be El Greco's most famous painting, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz. After touring the city we had free time for lunch before heading back to Madrid!

[amandanyumadrid]

El Escorial Yesterday afternoon I took a day trip with two friends to El Escorial. El Escorial is a monastery and royal palace located an hour outside of Madrid in San Lorenzo de El Escorial. It is a must see site for sure, especially since it's so easy to get to. The train ride is only an hour each way, and roundtrip tickets are less than 8 euros. This palace was built in the late 1500's for King Phillip II. When we entered the first room, the walls were filled with floor to ceiling tapestries, that we immediately realized were inspired by Bosch. ( Thanks to Art History class!) Continuing through the palace were many art galleries with incredible works by El Greco, Tiziano, and many other Spanish painters. There were displays of floor plans and models of the building process of El Escorial, including building tools as well. We saw King Philip II's bedroom and living area, which had many windows that overlooked the beautiful gardens and mountains. My favorite room was the "hall of battles" which proudly depicted the most important Spanish military victories. Every inch of the walls were covered with the most incredible battle scenes. The amount of detail in every figure, animal, and building in the massive mural was just breathtaking. We also saw the "pantheon of the kings," where the remains of the kings and queens from the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties are kept in impeccable marble tombs. The elaborate tombs are stacked on top of each other in a magnificent circular room with marble walls as well. No pictures were allowed in the incredibly detailed and lavishly decorated room. After touring El Escorial we walked outside to be greeted by... SNOW ! We excitedly walked around until we found a nice ( and warm) restaurant for lunch, before heading back to Madrid!

[amandanyumadrid]

Winter wonderland and SNOW with the beautiful El Escorial hiding in the background ❄❄❄ (at San Lorenzo de El Escorial)

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Beautiful day in #toledo

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Budapest Food ! The food in Budapest was spot on. When walking around Saturday afternoon, Kristen and I shared a delicious traditional hungarian treat called a Kürtös Kalács. ( Also called a "chimney cake" or a "stove cake.") The warm bread is cooked on a cylindrical rod, making the pastry hollow. Ours was covered in chocolate powder and was beyond perfect on the chilly afternoon. For lunch we were all craving pad thai, and the restaurant we found most definitely fulfilled our desires. For dinner we ate a restaurant recommended by Kristen's friend called Petrus, a place I would definitely return. Before our meal started we were given little tastes of a pumpkin pudding with a unique pistachio flavor. As the menu consisted mainly of meat, I was happily surprised by my delicious salad, that included figs, tomatoes, and cheese. For dessert I quickly consumed chocolate cake with raspberries, meringue, and whipped cream.