San Sebastian & Sorolla Museum

 Melanie Lahura 

Vlog # 4

April 15, 2022

Donostia San Sebastian & Sorolla Museum

April was an eventful month. My friends and I took a trip to San Sebastian where I had the opportunity to ride the oldest roller coaster in Spain and one of the oldest in the world. It was such an amazing experience, a bit scary just because there were no seatbelts, but the view was extraordinary. We hiked all the way up to the park called Monte Igueldo Amusement Park. The next day, we decided to also visit  “Estatua del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus,” a statue 12.5 meters high that rises above the bay of La Concha, and the “Castle of la Mota.” We had to climb up Monte Urgull (123m) to get to the statue. Lots of climbing worth your time! After having a fun hiking experience we decided to go to the “Aquarium Donostia San Sebastián.” I felt like a little kid all over again seeing all the different types of sea creatures living just under us. San Sebastian was a calm and secure place. The people there were very pleasant. We also walked around the beach and took some pictures with El Peine del Viento (the wind comb)  en la Bahía de la Concha. “The Wind Comb” is a collection of three steel sculptures each weighing over nine tonnes. These pieces have been positioned in the place where the city ends at the edge of the sea.

Back in Madrid. I decided to visit the Sorolla Museum. The Sorolla Museum was a peaceful experience. Sorolla’s works of art were happy and generally depict good times. Every painting elicited tranquility or happiness. The room called "The Happy Age" was one of my favorites. In this room I really liked Sorolla's painting “Bath Time.” It is a bright and beautiful painting depicting children playing in the water and a woman with a towel waiting to dry a child. This painting expresses water as a close friend to children. It is one of Sorolla's most expensive paintings. It is a bright and impressive work. Another painting that caught my attention was “Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, Labrador with two children with Japanese lanterns or Los lanterns.” This painting was donated to the Complutense University by legacy, Luis Simarro, who was a friend of Sorolla, who gifted him this work of art. This oil painting on canvas is part of the Complutense University's Artistic Historical Heritage collection. The painting is a typical Sorolla, with children as the protagonists. The magnificent use of light in the painting is like the painting “Bath Time.” Sorolla painted people of all social classes. There is also a Sorolla painting at Complutense, where I currently study. I’m looking forward to paying it a visit.