Picasso spent large parts of his life in different regions of Spain, however, a significant amount of his classical training occurred in Barcelona. Some friends and I visited the Picasso Museo today because it is free after 3pm each Sunday. We made the astute decision to arrive early; the line extended along the whole building by 3pm. I found out quite quickly that pictures are prohibited inside the museum. Most of Picasso’s famed works are scattered elsewhere in the world, however, his study of Velasquez’s Las Meninas was familiar to me. The 24-piece series, all done in Picasso’s famous cubism style, use varying shapes and colors to create different rhythms and tones in the works. I found that Picasso brought a lot of energy to the work and was able to draw attention to different parts of the original, such as the man in the doorway. Picasso’s ability to maintain a balance of light similar to the original is impressive and also shows his respect for the original work. This also gave me a new respect for Picasso’s cubism because it is clear that he did not just make weird shapes and angles out of normal objects, rather deliberately crafted each work. How else did my respect for Picasso grow? He was also an excellent writer and sculptor, Picasso even dabbled in ceramics with skill.

Following our tour of the museum, our group of friends decided to grab a café at a nearby café. Our posse included 4 Germans, 2 French students, 2 Midwesterners (present company included), and an East Coaster. My current favorite activity is to borderline interrogate the European students about their life and culture and they eagerly return the favor with questions about American living. It is perpetually a conversation of “we call that this” and “In (insert language/country), it is like this” and on and on. It is absolutely fascinating to share and hear common experiences and compare and contrast likes and dislikes about anything. The open-minded attitude of my peers really fosters a healthy environment to discuss and respect, and sometimes laugh at, the quirks of our respective nationalities. It is this spirit of camaraderie and cultural development that excites me for the rest of my time in Spain and Europe at large!