Parque del Retiro

These were the pleasure grounds of the 16th and 17th century Habsburg royals, and its sandy paths were 19th century boulevards. It was the site of a recreational palace established by the Count-Duke of Olivares, essentially the head of the government under Philip IV, but that is long gone, destroyed during Spain's War of Independence from Napoleonic rule.

Only a park made from the palace gardens remains, as well as a ballroom and the wing of one building. It's a fine place to watch white-and-blue/black Eurasian magpies hopping around while you're eating that tomato and sardine sandwich you've been carrying around in your backpack. I also spied some bright green serins (or possibly siskins) in the park's chestnut and cedar trees.

The ethereal Palacio de Cristal, built in the tradition of the grand English greenhouse, was built in 1887 and was well-received for its modern iron and steel construction. It was originally used to display plants from the Philippines and today is affiliated with the Reina Sofia Museum, housing exhibitions of contemporary art. When I peered in, an African-themed exhibit was being dismantled to make way for some kind of show having to do with rock stars.

An equestrian statue of King Alfonso XII overlooks the park's biggest pond, which was scooped out in the 1600s and is emblematic of the middle-class leisure activities that Madrilenos began to enjoy when the park was turned over to them 200 years later.