El Retiro, yet again
You know a place is special when I keep going back to it. This time it was more a matter of convenience than anything else but that didn’t diminish my desire to go to El Retiro again. The lovely French girl I met here on my first visit mentioned to me that in order to obtain free entry to the Prado, Madrid’s (or perhaps Spain’s) most famous museum, one must get a ticket earlier in the day. Knowing this, I made my way to the museum on a sunny afternoon, ready for an evening of culture. Most museums in Spain have their own special days or hours for free attendance but other than those that are always free, I quite like the hours at the Reina Sofia and Prado: free everyday between 6 and 8pm. In previous years it was possible to just come and line-up but with Covid and capacity restrictions, that was no longer possible: free tickets–but tickets nonetheless–are now the norm, at least at the Prado. I got my free ticket no problem but the earliest time I could get was 6:30pm so I had a few hours to kill and what better place to do all my waiting than at the beautiful and never boring El Retiro.
The Prado is very close to the park, just a few blocks away, and the entrance I used was the Puerta de Felipe IV, the same gate I peeked into back in March. With more than three hours to kill I decided to check out various spots where I could spend a half hour or more just reading and taking in the surroundings. The first such spot was at the end of the large Plaza Parterre with its Monumento a Jacinto Benavente and some very funky Cipreses Topiarios (Cypress Topiaries).
After that, I made my way to the Estanque Grande de El Retiro, where I finally got to the other side where Monument to Alfonso XII and its colonnade are located. This area is a huge draw for couples; for some reason they seem very drawn to this section of the park, perhaps because there are many places to sit and cuddle. Quick access to the row boats may also be a draw since there’s nothing more romantic than alone time on a little boat in the middle of a lake. Surrounded by lots of other young (or young-at-heart) lovers with the same idea. The Estanque is big, but it isn’t that big. I found a bench nearby and settled in for a few more chapters of my book and some people-watching.
As I wandered around looking for my next spot, I came across an interesting sight: an old man, shirtless, sitting on a plot of grass, surrounded by many different kinds of birds, all quite happily waiting their turn to receive bits of food from him. I didn’t want to intrude on such an intimate moment but I also couldn’t help myself and took a few pictures surreptitiously. I stood there and watched them a while, transfixed, thinking I had been transported into a fairytale of some sort. I wish I had taken a proper video but I will try to mix a couple of the live photos I do have and make a little video or gif out of them. For now though, you just have to believe me it was quite magical.
Since my scheduled Prado time was approaching, I started to make my way back towards the Puerta de Felipe IV, but I took a little detour through the Paseo de las Estatuas, a wide avenue with many statues lining both sides of it, representing several monarchs. I could have left the park via the Puerta de España but since I prefer walking through park lanes and not city streets when it is 27°C and you crave shade, I retraced my steps and emerged from the park in the same place I went in. It was time to enjoy art made by humans and not Mother Nature (albeit with humans’ help).
