Day 6 in Madrid turned out to be a beautiful day, with blue sky poking its way through the clouds. Of the week I was there, this was the most perfect day for spending time outside.
1: The day prior, I had passed by the Cibeles Palace building, however I could not go inside because it was closed. I vowed to return the next day because I read that the views of Madrid from the tower were fabulous. I was not disappointed.
2: The inside of Cibeles Palace did not disappoint either.
3: Located west of the Royal Palace, is the Campo del Moro Gardens. It is a 20-acre English-style garden with fountains and statuary. The entrance was difficult to find, as it was on the opposite side from the Palace. I saw hardly a person, it was a peaceful and beautiful place to take respite.
4: Within the gardens is this 18th century wagon that was used in the construction of the Royal Palace. A peacock was perched atop it, showing off his beautiful plumage.
5: North of the Royal Palace, is the Sabatini Gardens. They are quite a bit smaller than the Campo del Moro, but the landscaping is much more intricate. They are at the former site of the royal stables, but were converted to gardens and later opened to the public in 1978.
6: I later returned to El Retiro Park to wander around some more, by this time much of the cloud cover had burned off. After the previous overcast and rainy days, the warmth of the sun was a welcome feeling. On of the structures within the park is the Crystal Palace. The Crystal Palace was built in 1887, and is used by the Reina Sofia Art Museum, to display contemporary art exhibits. Presently it contains sculptures by the American artist Charles Ray.
7: Next to the Crystal Palace is the Palacio de Velázquez. The Palacia de Velázquez is a 19th century exhibition hall, also used by the Reina Sofia museum to display contemporary art. Currently they have the work of Tetsuya Ishida. His art took a harsh look at life in contemporary Japan. Sadly, he died of a suspected suicide in 2005 at the age of 31.
8: Also within El Retiro are the Pabellón de los Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez. These beautifully manicured gardens are a a wonderful place to relax and contain many resident peafowl.
9: Nearby El Retiro on the Paseo del Prado, is the Naval Museum of Madrid. Only a small portion of the museum was open due to refurbishment, but I was able to photograph this beautiful marble grand staircase.
10: One of the few displays open in the museum contained several figureheads from the bows of Spanish ships like this one.
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