From the Washington Post -
In the heart of Madrid, a park for all seasons
August 9, 2019 at 7:00 a.m. EDT
Hundreds
of species of trees, plants and flowers thrive in Retiro along
meandering trails and bubbling streams. It also has
marble monuments, spectacular rose gardens and a placid lake. In Madrid,
a city without a coastline or a roaring river, it is the most enticing
place to experience nature, far superior to the vast expanses of Casa
Campo, the old hunting grounds located on the Royal Palace’s outskirts.
Flanking
the park are a few of Madrid’s major tourism attractions: the
world-renowned Prado, the Puerta de Alcala, and the Museo
Thyssen-Bornemisza. Each neighborhood surrounding the park also has a
different flavor — bourgeois Salamanca to the north with its Fifth
Avenue-style Calle Serrano; trendy Malasaña to the west; and Atocha to
the south, featuring the Royal Palace and Madrid’s main train station
(the site of the devastating 2004 terrorist attacks).
Every
person comes to the park searching for something different. The locals
come seeking peaceful contemplation during their lunchtime siestas; a
green place to jog or bounce a soccer ball away from city traffic; or a
seat at the glass Retiro Library where they can chew on the words of
Miguel de Cervantes from yellowed copies of “Don Quixote.”
For
tourists, it is a place to imagine the noblemen and women who once
frequented the gardens, to glide across the great lake in a wooden
canoe, or to take in an art exhibit at the Palacio Velazquez.
Wonder after wonder
I
happened upon the enchanted wonders of Retiro one by one — as if they
were surprises left for me to discover by a devious fairy, or perhaps
the green elf that plays the flute atop a crumbling edifice in my
favorite garden.
First,
it was the peacocks. Entering the park from Principe de Vergara, I
first passed through the pink remains of an 11th century Romanesque
church, the Ruins of San Isidoro, admiring the graceful arcs of the
marble.
I
then encountered an area I find more intriguing each time I visit. The
shuttered green buildings and the open central pit used to be home to
monkeys, giraffes, elephants and bears. La Casa de Fieras, Retiro’s zoo,
was a main attraction for almost 200 years, only closing its doors in
1972.
(The
zoo has a shameful history. In 1887, set up next to the animal cages
was a human zoo composed of “43 indigenous Filipinos, a Negro, several
Tagalogs, the Chamorros, the Carolinos, the Moros de Jolo and a group of
Bisayas,” according to researcher and author Christian Baez.)
Leaving the former zoo, I came to a set of stone lions guarding an arched walkway fit for a wedding procession.
Running
through them like a bride fleeing the altar, I passed two duck ponds,
then entered Los Jardines de Cecilio Rodriguez. Rodriguez was Retiro’s
main gardener at the turn of the 20th century, and his graceful touch
can be found everywhere. Checkered paths weave through gardens framed by
alabaster ivy-wrapped columns, trimmed cypress trees, box hedges,
pergolas and ponds with floating lilies.
A
pop of cobalt blue and fluorescent green suddenly emerged in front of
me, stopping me mid-stride as I gaped at this creature in my path.
The
proud peacock walked daintily down the stone steps, showing off his
feathers to a bevy of cooing tourists as if he were Cinderella
descending the red velvet staircase. But he wasn’t the only peacock. As I
looked around, I realized that they were everywhere, peacocks
meandering right and left across the lawn and stone steps. It was
obviously their home, and we were the uninvited guests; they could have
been the reincarnation of the princesses and kings who once strolled
these gardens, shunning visitors from the outside.
For
at one point, only the royal family and the aristocracy could enter the
park. It was designed in the 1600s specifically to be a retreat
(retiro) for the kings, and even held a second palace. Over time, the
general public was sparingly permitted access to pieces of the park,
until Queen Isabella II was deposed by La Gloria — the Spanish
revolution — in 1868, and all of the park’s wonders finally became open
to everyone.
An outdoor orchestra
The
next time I spun into the park, I was swept away by a different one of
my senses — hearing. Each curve in the path presented a new panoply of
pitches and melodies. First it was a wrinkled Spaniard in front of the
Palacio Cristal twinkling his hands across glass flutes, his notes
piercing the air with the clarity of the waterfall descending across
from me.
The
Palacio Cristal epitomizes what the Spanish would call “tranquila.” The
glimmering crystal palace invites you in, while swans linger on the
pond in front. Once exhibiting tropical plants from the Philippines, the
former greenhouse now hosts rotating art exhibitions. When I ventured
in, I encountered a ceramic snow-white man atop his gallant horse, and a
ceramic woman lounging nude across the way.
Ambling
back to the lake, I encountered a young violinist and violist indulging
in the dulcet harmonies of Mozart, their bows frolicking across the
strings with the skill of seasoned musicians.
Finally,
I stopped to lounge on the elegant white marble steps of the palatial
Monumento del Alfonso Rey III. The sun was setting over the lake, and as
a jazz guitarist with tousled dark hair spun solos, the notes seemed to
bleed into the orange and fuchsia streaks drenching the sky.
The
thread unifying all of the park’s musicians was joy — rather than play
for euros, they plied their instruments with the tenderness of musicians
who play for themselves.
Books and roses
Parque
Retiro is also a bastion for books. Real books, with pages you can
touch and words that can channel you to an enchanted jungle far away as
the breeze licks your hair, without a text message
jerking you back to reality with a hissing buzz.
Every
day, book sellers set up their wooden stalls on the Cuesta de Moyano,
featuring ancient maps of disappeared Spanish cities and worn copies of
novels about the Spanish Civil War.
Once a year, a huge book fair — el Féria del Libro — fills a half-mile
of the park. When I went, it was packed with book lovers, giving the
writer in me hope that the written word is not, in fact, dead.
On
my next journey, I encountered a rose garden so marvelous I was
embarrassed to enter in such plebeian attire. Designed in 1915, La
Rosaleda bursts with wine-colored, magenta, peach and soft pink roses,
many from France and Denmark, laid out in a circular design. Stone
angels peer out over the roses as they trickle water into elaborate
fountains. I vowed to return in crimson lipstick and my finest ballgown.
The garden is at its fullest bloom in late April through early June.
French
roses were a fitting transition to the stately French gardens, La
Parterre, which gracefully lead to the Prado. At one time, the grandest
of Italian operas were performed here. As a former opera singer and
thespian, I became enamored of the gray statue in the middle, a mourning
woman holding a theatrical mask atop the head of a stately gentleman.
He was Jacinto Benavente, a Spanish playwright and winner of the Nobel
Prize for Literature in 1922, and she the representation of his works. I
appreciate that about the park — rather than every statue representing a
general or a king, playwrights, poets, writers and their stories are
peppered throughout, showing an appreciation of the cultural side of
history.
Although
my time in Spain is dwindling, I plan to spend as much of it as I can
running through Retiro’s gardens and serpentine trails. Or perhaps I’ll
ditch my Nikes and dance among the roses in my finest attire the way the
queen once did.
Karlin is a writer based in Madrid and the District. Her website is samanthabkarlin.com. Find her on twitter: @samanthakarlin1
If you go
Where to stay
Hotel Urban
Carrera de S. Jerónimo, 34
011-34-917-87-77-70
One
of the few hotels in Madrid with a rooftop pool, it caters to the
trendy city crowd and has a panoramic wraparound deck, funky ancient art
and warm hospitality. Rooms from about $230 per night.
The Westin Palace
Plaza de las Cortes, 7
011-34-913-60-80-00
If
you fancy sipping an old fashioned in the seat where Ernest Hemingway
once relaxed next to the piano bar, this is the spot for you. This
sprawling grand hotel was built by the order of King Alfonso Rey in
1912. During the Spanish civil war, it was temporarily converted into a
military hospital. Rooms from about $330 per night.
Only You Boutique Hotel
Calle del Barquillo, 21
011-34- 910-05-22-22
Once
a 19th-century palace, its current incarnation was made for
honeymooners. Romantic winsome phrases are scrawled across wooden corks,
and velvet plush seating invites lovers to hold hands while they
canoodle. Rooms from about $210 per night.
Where to eat
Amazonico
Calle Jorge Juan, 20
011-34-915-15-43-32
Amazonico’s
lush green foliage and outdoor garden will make you feel like you’re in
the heart of the Brazilian Amazon. The grilled meats and caramelized
pineapple are delectable. Enjoy live jazz and dancing at its
see-and-be-seen cocktail bar below. Entrees start at $20.
Numa Pompilio
Calle de Velázquez, 18
011-34- 916-85-97-19
Elegant
greenhouses and a garden that feels like Adam and Eve’s paradise, Numa
Pompilio offers homemade pasta, truffles galore and other Italian fare
for the well-heeled. It’s worth it alone for the black focaccia bread.
Entrees start at $25.
Toga Restaurante
Calle de Juanelo, 23
011-34- 910-41-44-39
An
eclectic fusion restaurant combining Spanish, Argentine and Italian
cuisines, Toga delights foodies with its creative gastronomic
combinations in a cozy, laid back setting. Sea bass, cuttlefish risotto
and Chinese noodles with red tuna stand out. Entrees start at $14.
Florida Retiro
Paseo República de Panamá 1
011-34- 918-27-52-75
On
weekend evenings, I often find myself in a crocheted Spanish sundress
holding a glass of shimmering cold rosé with friends at Florida Retiro.
The latter is actually made up a variety of venues, including a
nightclub, a formal restaurant featuring a dinner show and a laid-back
patio with tapas and live music. This is the spot for gin and tonics and
a lovely terrace with Madrid’s trendsetting locals. Entrees start at
$22.
What to do
El Parque Retiro
Plazade la Independencia, 7
Park
hours are 6 a.m. to midnight April through September and 6 a.m. to 10
p.m. October through March. Admission is free. Rowboat rentals on the
park’s lake cost $7 Monday through Fridays, $9 Saturdays, Sundays and
public holidays; hours are seasonal. For more information, call
34-91-574-40-24. Visitors can also ride on a solar-powered boat Tuesday through Sunday and holidays; hours are seasonal. Rides cost about $2.
