days 4 & 5

wifi is very slow today, so no pictures

besides, yesterday & today were a bit too rainy to take many pics

there are a few; they will come later

some random observations:

-the spanish make the best cheese in the world. period.

-tapas in spain are absolutely nothing like tapas in the u.s.

-the drivers are crazy, but mostly follow the rules & will stop if you step out in front of them

-cafe con leche is very good

-people eat & drink alot all the time (favorite pre-dinner snack? churros & chocolate. see pic below)

-you buy stamps at tobacco shops

-clothes here are cut way better (wait til you see my new jacket!)

-everything stops when it rains (there was a thunderstorm today; the guy at the market says that this almost never happens)

anyhow, went to the picasso museum today (he was born in malaga). they have a good collection of mostly early stuff & sketches & studies from when he was in school. interesting to see him slowly develop the ideas that would become cubism.

they were also showing a collection of photographs on the human body (though a lot seemed to be just portraits) including a particularly creepy portrait of mayakovsky with a mean-looking cigarette in his mouth by alexander rodchenko. he's totally badass, & is about to tear your head off. (it's very similar to this one, but a little more badass).

also bought a book of poems by antonio gamoneda, called "blues castellano" with the intention of putting up some translations on this blog in the future (but probably not until after i get home)

well, it's time for a couple drinks, then dinner

pics will go up as soon as the wifi is at normal speed