Madrid

I last visited Madrid twelve years ago when I had come alone to explore Spain. My first impression of Madrid then was how monumental in size it was in comparison to the more manageable Barcelona. My impression remains the same. Madrid is all urban expansiveness and  a beautiful metropolis. I was there for work related reasons and I am glad I had the opportunity to revisit this city once again. It's beautiful and regal. Imposing and inviting.

The city is more impressive than I remembered it and many of its historical buildings have been refurbished. The city exudes pride in its conservation of Modernist and neo-Mudéjar buildings.

You can easily find tapas everywhere making eating an easy task anywhere in the city. I recommend the San Miguel Mercado or San Anton Mercado lined with tapa and drink stalls. A popular street for tapas and active night life is Calle Cava Baja where you can find La Chata. I didn't taste their tapas, but it gets good reviews on the internet. If you make your way around the Chueca barrio, it is another reommended place for food, drinks and funky stores. 

Adeu!

El Retiro Park onced belonged to the Spanish Monarchy. The king decided his subjects should be allowed to enjoy the park as well. 

The tourist and the artist.

Puerta de Alcalá

Palacio de Cibeles

Plaza de Cibeles

Barcelona is not the only anti-bullfighting city.

We ate great pasteries here in the upstairs part of the bakery. We had our merienda with groups of elderly ladies sitting in nearby tables. La Mallorquina is 120 years-old!

One of the arches leading to Plaza Mayor.

Plaza Mayor

Tapas on Calle Cava Baja.

This is by far the biggest bomba I have ever seen. It was not very good.

Plaza del Sol

There are Micky and Minnie Mouses everywhere working the tourists.

This is the balcony where KingFelipe VI came out to wave to his subjects. I hate that word. The building looks shabby and run down. 

Parque Sabatini

I love magnolia trees.

Gran Via

A bike in the Chueca neighborhood.

Here's where I said buenas noches to Madrid and returned to my hotel.

Las Rosas de Parc Cervantes

I was lucky enough to visit Parc Cervantes before the grey clouds and cunning rain set in. This park located right on Avenguda Diagonal 708-716 is a must for local or tourists alike. The park has two entrances on Diagonal and Ronda de Dalt.

The park is intoxicatingly beautiful during May and June. Over 20,000 roses are in bloom at this moment and the range of rose variety is vast. There are roses from Denmark, Germany and of course, France, which in my opinion produces the best roses. The color range is staggering in tonality and saturation. And then there is the fragrance delirium that overcomes your olfactory sense. Powdery sweet, lemon scent, citrus scents, violet scents--I can continue to describe them, but it is best you visit the park. You will find floribundas, climbers, hybrids and countless species.

I recommend visiting the park during the morning , since rose fragrances are at their strongest. Why? The reply comes from Professor Leonard Perry from the University of Vermont Extension.

"Scent not only changes over time, but with time of day.  Early morning is when scents are strongest, the oils most powerful, and so when roses are harvested for rose oil.  Rose scent may be more powerful with the first blooms of summer.  Rose scent even can change from outdoors to indoors.  Just the cutting can change the chemical releases that we smell, so a rose not very fragrant outdoors may be quite scented once in a vase inside. 

The other fact to keep in mind that scent in flowers, including roses, is not meant by nature for us but rather for the pollinators of the flowers.  Scents in flowers are signals to those pollinators such as some bees to come visit the flowers, and are often smelled before they see the flowers.  Flowers release scent when they are ready to be pollinated, which in roses often translates to a more powerful scent when flowers are half open. 

In general, roses with the best scents are darker colors, have more petals, and have thick or velvety petals.  Red and pink roses often smell like what we term “rose”.  White and yellows often smell of violets, nasturtium, and lemon.  Orange roses often smell of fruits, violets, nasturtium, and clove."

With that, I leave you with some photographs I shot with the camera on my Sony cell phone. I forgot to pack my camera on the day I went with my good friend Teresa to visit the park. 

Gaudir de les roses!!