On our second day in Madrid, which was a Sunday we decided to spend the morning at Buen Retiro Park, a magnificent horticultural park filled with beautiful monuments and sights. The park was once an exclusive Royal Park until the late 19th century when the Spanish Monarchy headed by Queen Isabella was overthrown.
The park is now a place that many locals frequent, especially on a Sunday. I want to see the normal weekend life of a Spaniard so we made sure we went there. Our first stop was the ‘Plaza del Parterre’.
The Plaza del Parterre was designed during the reign of King Philip V (1700-1746) in French garden style with a little bit adaptation of topiary techniques which French gardens are famous for. Although not as lavish as any French garden in France, some of the trees here are very nicely sculpted that they become entertainment pieces themselves.
Too bad I do not have beautiful pictures of this plaza…
Well, more of El Retiro next.
Travel Period: June 2011
Destination: Madrid, Spain