Advertisement
Published: September 20th 2010
I have been focusing on a lot of my travel and events I have gone to or participated in, but I also want to share some of the many experiences that I go through on a daily basis while living here in Madrid... thus my new series: My Quintessential Madrid Experience! Short little posts about things I do that are very "spanish" or "madrilleño". (I have so many things I would like to share, but writing these posts takes a lot longer than I would like to admit, so these will be only every now and then).
My first of these experiences is my daily runs in Retiro Park. Retiro is Madrid's version of Central Park (though much smaller) and is THE place to hang out for families, couples, friends, and those seeking to work out on every week night and especially Sundays when they have lots of 'street performers' and free concerts in the park at noon. The place has a great atmosphere of leisure with people sitting in the benches or grass as well as hustle and bustle with countless people running, riding bikes, or roller skating. It is about 2.5 miles around the perimeter that I run
and is build on a long slant, so it has some pretty significant hills and slopes.
I usually run around 7 or 7:30 at night when the park is packed with people just getting off work. The park is only a ten minute walk from my apartment. I always leave, say goodbye to the doorman for the day (he gets off at 8), pass the same old man on the same bench smoking a cigar and reading his book (I am pretty sure he has been reading the same book for three weeks now), smile at the same lady who is always sweeping outside her shop, notice the two businessmen at the street side table having their beers without fail everyday, and finally cross the large Calle Alcalá, cut through the Arab Center and am at the park. It is really funny to me, as a person who lives very much with a routine, just how routine other peoples lives are!
Anyways, I usually run for 20 or 25 minutes (wish I could go longer) and then return home for a quick shower and dinner at 8:30. It is something I look forward to very much very day
The Main 'street' through the park
During the evenings this is PACKED with people roller skating, biking, running, and skate boarding.and that my family just expects me to do...
INTERESTING FACT: One thing you will see a lot of people do in the park, especially young people in their teens or my age, is botellón. This is buying a liter of coke and another bottle of alcohol and then going to sit in the park to drink. It is kind of funny to see all the young people doing it (it is always really obvious as they sit in huge circles passing the bottles), but it is very widely accepted and despite the fact that it is illegal, the police do not enforce it what so ever (even on the streets).
Advertisement
Tot: 0.081s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 9; qc: 39; dbt: 0.0524s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Teresa Mohr
non-member comment
Hi Todd
Hey Todd - Love seeing your blog. It looks beautiful in Spain and I am so happy to see your blogs. This is the time of your life and it looks like you are enjoying it to the fullest. How is the Spanish coming along. Take care, Teresa