The Beauty of Madrid

One of the nice things about Madrid is despite the highly concentrated urban enviornment there is still plenty of natural beauty in the city. This is a picture of the Estanque in Retiro. By my understanding, the land was a gift from Conde-Duque de Olivares to King Felipe IV as a place for recreation for the court. It's good to be King! For the full story click here.

So I took this picture in late September on a Sunday afternoon. It really gives a great feel for the size of the pond and the park itself.

For the athletic types the park is perfect. I have gone running there several times now, and despite my lack of enthusiasm for running, rather enjoyed the experience. Besides, trying to run through the streets of Madrid is not the easiest thing in the world with old people, children, and dogs leaving "landmines" everywhere; it's best to walk to the park as a warm-up and get right into the run.

On a technical note: this photo was taken with my phone. It has a 2MP camera, among other things. Pretty good picture, huh?