Sunset Over "Casón del Buen Retiro"

When coming up from the Prado Museum main building to the Retiro park you'll find the "Casón del Buen Retiro". Pavilion building, designed by Alonso Carbonell in 1637, originally it was the Buen Retiro Palace dance room, now it's part of Prado Museum complex. The Neo-classic apearence arrived in the XIX century after the destruction of the Buen Retiro Palace and the ampliation of the original building.

Retiro Sky Watch!...

...¡I did it!... Ufff... Here's my Friday sky watch... work is killing me, but in a crisis situation as this its only good news!!! :-) have a nice week-end everyone...

Rowing in the Retiro Park Big Pond...

Is a common tourist, and not only, practice - Rowing in the Retiro Park big pond - theres not much to see, I mean the pond is rectangular... you can go around it and you'll see the same stuff... but well the nostalgics and romantics love the tour... :-)

Alcala Gate, now, by night...

Today I wanted to post a sky watch thing but I had no time, so I went for a nocturnal walk about and here it is an Alcala Gate night shot. If you want to know more about the gate... remember this post?!... Have a nice week end every one...

Don't let the sunny shot mistakes you... In this days even if the sun is out, it's cold, very cold, right now their are 0ºC / 32ºF... Brrrrrrrrr..... :-) But the Retiro park cats seem not to get much bordered by this cold and keep on with their cat lifes...

Oh!... and if you stay long enough, the Small cat above in a few seconds is going to attack the big one... but their just playing... :-)

Chating in the big pond stairs...

The light was so fine and so warm in the other day afternoon that I didn't resist in "stealing" this moment from this couple.

Retiro's Crystal Palace with Duck...

Walking in the the Retiro park the last week end I couldn't resit to photograph this fellow... At first I thought it was interested in the camera but then I realize that it was waiting for some food and as I didn't have any,it just left... :-)

Alcalá Gate...

The Alcalá Gate, situated on Independence square, was built in 1778 under the order of the king Carlos III, as a monumental gate in the city wall to pass the road which leads to the nearby city of Alcalá de Henares, replacing an older gate which stood nearby.
The Gate work of the architect Francisco Sabatini is one of Madrid most visited monuments.

Across the central arch of the gate, you can see the church I posted some days ago.

To know more.

Saint Manuel & San Benito Church

When you get out of the subway in the Retiro's metro station you will find this fine neo- byzantine church. Impossible to miss it...
It dates from 1910 and it's the work of the architect Fernando Arbós y Tremanti. It's a kind of unusual Catholic Church cause of is Greek cross plan and it’s pantheon like section...

Summer is gone...

All of a sudden it's cold... people pass from t-shirts to sweat shirts, wool and jackets... even puppy's get their dresses of the closet... (even if it looks exaggerated for the season, what is he going to wear on winter time!?... Probably is a new outfit and he/she just wanted to try it!)... summer is gone...

RETIRO PARK CAT

Lots of cats live in the Retiro park and is just great to see them around on some monuments like if it was their homes... Well it is their home... :-)

Back to RETIRO park...

SUNNY SUNDAY

Just another sunny Sunday on Retiro Park... Thanks for the beautiful image Ile...

Crystal palace between the trees..

Winged Lion...

You can contemplate this winged twins at the entrance of the Velázquez palace in the Retiro Park...
It dates from the late 800's

La Rosaleda del Retiro....

Retiro's rose garden... it's just beautiful in this time of the year... it as an elliptic plan and was built in the second decade of '900 (1915) roses from the most famous gardens of Europe where brought to Madrid to materialize this beautiful rose garden...

Cristal Palace on cloudy day...

The Retiro park doesn't stop surprising me... It changes every day... as new stuff to offer in every moment... in every corner... amazing!!!...

Duck up... Duck down!!!...

These guys live in the pond too!!! Lets hope that is head is still on!!!... :-)

Touristic photo with skyscraper...

Today I just felt I should put some 'touristic' photo of Madrid and not a ZOOM... So here it is the the Retiro's park Pond presided by the Monument to the king Alfonso XII... nice place to impress your girlfriend rowing in circles... :-)

Starting a New Year at (MAD)...

At the end of the “Paseo del Parterre” in the Retiro Park you can find the beautiful Felipe IV door, it’s a beautiful baroque style monument, work of Melchor buenas, it dates from 1680, even if it was translated to it’s actual position only in 1922.

Right in front the “Casón del Buen Retiro” build in 1637 by Alonso Carbonell as dance room of the Buen Retiro Palace actually part of the Prado Museum.