The park is about three blocks from my hotel, and the route took me right past the Prado museum. Even though it was early, by Madrid standards (10:00), there was a line at the museum that turned the corner of the building. I was glad that I had decided against that on this trip (unless it had been raining, of course). There was almost no one around when I entered the park, which was originally owned by the Spanish monarchy. The park was created as part of the San Jeronimo el Real Church, in 1505. It has been enlarged and changed many times over the years, and was opened to the public in 1767. It finally became property of the city in 1868.
It is currently 350 acres of shade and ornamental trees, flowers laid out in intricate gardens, galleries, monuments, statues and fountains. The centerpiece is a beautiful lake where you can rent row boats. The backdrop of the lake is a monument to King Alfonso XII, a semi-circle of columns and steps with a statue in the middle of it. It's a popular place to walk, climb (if you are a little kid), listen to music being performed, sit in the sun, and whatever else people do on a sunny Saturday. There was a young man playing guitar on the steps of the statue, and he was surrounded by an adoring crowd of young people, most, if not all, young ladies. Maybe he was famous, or maybe he was just cute, but they were fascinated. From across the lake I could hear a couple of different musical groups. One was a little band. There was something very surreal about standing at a monument to a Spanish king, hearing a band playing "New York New York". :) I grabbed a couple of nearby geocaches (why not?) and continued on around to hear more music. The front side of the lake, by this time, had become the sort of outdoor mall/entertainment center that you would see at Sunset Celebration on Key West - tarot card readers, magicians, costumed characters of all kinds, immigrants selling sunglasses and jewelry from blankets on the ground, musicians.
When I got around to the band, they began playing a medley of songs whose theme I still cannot work out. Some of the songs included Bad, Material Girl, What a Feeling, Let's Get Physical (was it 80s music?), Impossible Dream, Phantom of the Opera, Climb Every Mountain, Chariots of Fire (was it Broadway? Movies?), and then the John Williams Olympic Fanfare. I'm still puzzled.
I also went down to see the Crystal Palace, which sits on a small pond in a beautiful grove of trees. It is currently empty, but I am sure they must use it for something. On the way back, I passed the Palacio de Velaquez, which is currently housing an art exhibit. It was free, so I wandered in. These were the works of a man named Remy Zaugg. There were some people there who were clearly enraptured by the work. But I would guess (just judging by the eyerolls and giggling) most were more in my camp, which I would describe as "somebody paid for this??". Maybe I'm just not smart enough to appreciate it properly or something, but a plain blue square is a plain blue square to me. I don't get how that is art. Especially not several sizes of the same blue square on a wall, each with its own little name tag.
The park began to get really crowded and busy, and though little Spanish toddlers chasing pigeons are awfully fun to watch, I headed back toward the hotel. I got a ham and cheese wrap and some sliced apples, and ate outside, listening to a saxophone player play the same song he was playing when I passed him on my way to the park, four hours earlier. (In fact, right now in my room, five floors above him, he is still playing the same song, apparently the only one he knows.)
Almost time to get ready for the Vaughantown tapas reception. We leave in the morning for Belmonte.
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