Around back and up the hill from the Prado is a park called the Parque del Buen Retiro (Park of the Pleasant Retreat), which is both huge (350 acres) and extremely popular among the natives. It dates back to the time of Isabella I (late 15th Century), when the royal family had a retreat built as part of the Jeronimos monastery. It remained in possession of the royal family and underwent expansion over the centuries, particularly under Philip II (15th Century) and Philip IV (16th Century), under whom a palace was built on the property. Also under Philip IV, the park received its basic layout, along with statuary and a lake on which mock naval battles were staged. During the Peninsular War, Napoleon's forces used the palace as a barracks and powder store, and most of it was damaged beyond repair, forcing its demolition later in the 19th Century. The park passed to public ownership at the end of the reign of Isabella II in 1868, and has been enjoyed by the citizenry of Madrid ever since.

We enjoyed it too, as it was a pleasant escape from some of the July heat. But we had to climb the hill (via a stairway) to get there. In so doing, we passed the San Jerónimo el Real church, a much-altered remnant of the original monastery.

We entered the park through one of the several gates (entry is free) and walked around looking at plants, statues and fountains.




After awhile we came across the Palacio de Cristal, a largely empty glass-and-iron structure that was built in 1887 to house plants and animals native to the Philippines, as part of an exhibition celebrating the islands. A large pond was also built in front of the Palacio, with a fountain and a small waterfall you can walk under.




When we entered the building itself, we found it to be not quite empty, being inhabited by a single tower built from laundry baskets, clothes hampers and other plastic containers of types to be found in the housewares department at Target. Noting the profound uselessness and equally profound silliness of the structure, we deduced that it must be a work of art, so we took pictures of it.



From the Palacio we walked over to the lake, which we found to be blanketed by a flotilla of small, identical rowboats. Evidently you can rent them and stage mock naval battles of your own. But everyone seemed to be acting pretty civilized (or as civilized as possible, with so many boats so close together), so there are no doubt rules as to behavior.


We caught the Metro at a station across from the park and returned to our hotel. After a short rest we went out to find some dinner (we ended up eating Chinese food) and then headed in the general direction of the Puerta del Sol.

The plaza called Puerta del Sol seems to be the center of nightlife in Madrid, and it can get crowded. A number of iconic landmarks can be found here. There's a statue of a mounted Carlos III, and another statue of a bear and a strawberry tree, the heraldic symbol of the city (yes, I know, strawberries don't grow on trees – it's actually a madroño tree; stop making trouble).

But the most immediately recognizable landmark is the neon Tio Pepe sign presiding over the square (Tio Pepe is a brand of sherry made in Andalusia), and all visitors must have their pictures taken with it. But advertising notwithstanding, drinking has apparently been outlawed in Madrid in public areas such as the Puerta del Sol (not sure what the penalty is – it's probably best not to find out). But while the plaza may no longer be as raucous as formerly, the Puerta del Sol and its surrounding streets remain the place to be of a summer evening.

We didn't stay long, heading back toward our hotel. On the way we paused for some pictures of a street called Gran Vía, which looked photogenic. Gran Vía is a major street, but the area north of the street is apparently a place to be avoided, especially at night. We did just that, heading back to the hotel to rest up for our morning expedition to the Palacio Real.