The Thinker....thinking.

Living in Europe has some great perks: new food, new places, new culture. I like to travel, so another benefit would be other countries' close proximity.

I found out in a more surprising manner that the close proximity means more than just short flights to foreign places: it means countries can more easily share. "Share what?" you may be thinking. Well, it all started one day not too long ago….

My friend and I are out and about discovering yet another characteristic of a new place (shopping, of course!) when we leave a boot store to head to the papeleria. We are planning to meet a third person at this paper store, and as we'd been quite distracted by all the boots, we are running just a little late. The papeleria is on one of the main roads of my part of Granada and, at any time besides siesta time, the sidewalks are generally busy. Women glide slowly, pushing strollers. Teenage boys walk in groups, talking about the teenage girls doing the same. (So I assume, they all speak Spanish…but their body language says so.) Couples meander, arm in arm, sometimes walking a small dog. Young, old, girl, guy...they all find their way to this street eventually and at some point, to the plaza we are about to cross.

We have walked across this plaza numerous times on the way home from class, to the stores, to the tapas bars. The plaza itself is a squished-triangle shape edged by stores (including the papeleria) on one long side, and the road on the two others. Somewhere in the vague center stands a fountain. The fountain is made of cream stone and has both the kind of water spickets you'd expect such a fountain to have and those little ones that emit a fine vapor. The end result is that the fountain itself is often shrouded in an airy mist. I am not paying any particular attention to any of the people or to the fountain, I've seen them all before and I'm in discussion with my friend. Her story ends and I look past her to see a dark metal, partial man holding out a stump arm. "New art," I think. Then I see another figure. This one is whole, but also of the same dark metal. I see a sign proclaiming the sculptures to be those of Auguste Rodin and on loan from the Musée Rodin in France. Now, it's been forever since I've taken an art class, but the name rings a bell. Right as I make the connection, I look up and see it. The Thinker. There is he, sitting just so for 104 years, lost in thought.

I grab my friend's hand and give it an excited tug in case she has somehow managed to miss the figure peering down at us.

"It's The Thinker!" I exclaim. I don't generally get excited by seeing art. But this is not only a world-famous piece, it's a pleasant surprise. Right in the middle of our walk, BAM! unexpected culture.

It turns out the one of the banks in Spain has sponsored "Arte in La Calle" in three cities, mine being the last in the rotation. So until March 18th, I can walk by and ponder what, exactly, it is that he's thinking about.

In all, there are seven sculptures and they are all fine examples of bronze work. With the exception of The Thinker as he is necessarily perched on a pedestal, all of the other figures are at person height and you can walk right up to each.

Besides the artwork, it is also entertaining to see even the non-tourist residents of the city snapping photos of the sculptures.

Some info, in case you're curious:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker

http://www.musee-rodin.fr/