Day 356 - Retiro Park

Retiro Park is the most popular park in Madrid. Located in what is now the heart of the city, the park was originally designed as a retreat for the royal family in the 17th century. The park was later opened to the public in 1868. The park covers 320 acres and offers ample space for a stroll, lovely gardens, restaurants, a crystal palace and an artificial lake, among other things.

The 'lake' is close to the north entrance of the park. You can rent a row boat for paddling around the lake. We were going to rent a boat and stroll through the rest of the park, but the weather was just way too hot. At 35 degrees plus humudity about all we could handle was a nap in the shade near the lake.

A pretty feature in the park is a statue of King Alfonso XII, which overlooks the lake. The monument features a semicircular colonnade and an equestrian statue of the king. This also makes for a great napping spot in the shade. Did I mention how hot it was?