Today, I took a long walk in the Buen Retiro Park, literally translated as the Park of the Pleasant Retreat, located near the famous Prado Museum. My intent was actually to visit the museum which has a large collection of paintings by Diego Velázquez and Francisco Goya, but there was a long line of people waiting to purchase the tickets, so I decided to skip the museum and explore the area nearby instead.
To the right of the Prado museum, on the way to the park, stands a beautiful church, San Jeronimo el Real.
The park is quite magnificent, with its sculptures, fountains, ponds, flowers and trees of alls sorts and shapes.
One particular sculpture that drew my attention is the monument to King Alfonso XII, surrounded by a semicircular colonnade and overlooking the Retiro Pond.
I was very happy to see the sculpture dedicated to Santiago Ramón y Cajal, a Nobel Prize winning neuroscientist famous for his beautiful drawings of neurons. I think he would have preferred to be depicted wearing a lab coat and holding a microscope rather than reclining in a toga:).
I only saw a fraction of the park and would love to explore more, perhaps by bike. It is also a great place for running.
I bought an entrance ticket to the Prado Museum and will visit it tomorrow. Apparently, the best time for a visit is around noon or a little later. I am looking forward to my trip there and will share my experiences with you as soon as I can!
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