Retiro in Spring!
Spring is here! The flowers are blooming, everything is green, there is pollen in the air and I can't stop sneezing, but it's all good!
Post a pretty severe winter, as soon as the weather gets a wee bit better, everyone is out and about in Madrid -- I love Spain for that! Cafes have put tables out, street markets have put their stalls up, people are all smiles -- oh how I love Spring!
One thing you can't miss in Madrid is Retiro Park. "What's great about a park?" I hear you ask? Well, Retiro is not just a park it's a whole 350 acre patch of paradise.
Other than it being a humongous space of lush green grass and tall trees, it has a beautiful Crystal Palace that often has offbeat exhibitions, two lakes -- one of which allows you to go paddling, and is home to the statue of "El Angel Caido" (the fallen angel) -- which is the only statue in the world that represents Satan.
The park was made back in the 1620's for Phillip IV as a retreat for the Royal Family; it only opened to the public in the late 19th century.
If you want to take a siesta, blissfully read a book, or have a coffee while watching ducks pitter patter, Retiro is the perfect place to go. The park is divided into multiple parts (hard to locate and keep track of, it's just sooo big), but the main ones are: The Garden of the Parterre -- a French/Arabic style garden, and El Bosque Del Los Ausentes (forest of the departed) that commemorates the 191 victims of the March 11 2004 bomb attacks in Madrid.
Once you've had a bit of peace, walk to another side of the park and you are bound to encounter many dancers, musicians, puppeteers, artists, actors and tarot-card readers; or you can keep yourself entertained by ice-skating in their rink. The park even has a military museum called "Museo Del Ejercito" dedicated to Spain's history from the Middle Ages to the Spanish Civil War.
These are just the highlights of the park -- you can spend a whole day here and not get bored. If you don't want to loose yourself in the park and want to be well-guided around all the things to see here, every Sunday at noon there is a guided tour ("Secrets of Retiro") you can sign up for.
Whether it's Spring, Summer or Autumn, this park is not to be missed! It's open all day every day and has free entry.