MADRID, Spain—EuroCheapo’s “Wandering Cheapo” Kari Hoerchler arrived yesterday morning in Madrid, where she’ll spend a week strolling about town. While there, we asked her to snap some shots of everyday life in Madrid on her fancy new iPhone.

Today Kari visited Retiro Park. Part of Madrid’s Jeronimos district, Retiro Park was originally part of Real Sitio del Buen Retiro, a palace complex for Felipe IV (1621–1665). In the 17th century, the park grounds provided a private playground for the royal family. By 1869, it was fully open to the public. Welcome to Retiro Park!

Entering from Calle de Alfonso II and el Cason del Buen Retiro.

View of el Cason del Buen Retiro

Yes, those are magnolias you see, imported from the southeastern United States. How exotic!

Inside los Jardines de Cecilo Rodriguez

Built in 1887 by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, Palacio de Cristal was inspired by the structure of the same name, en ingles, in London. The glass and steel structure was originally designed to stage an exhibition of tropical plants during the Philipinne Islands Exhibition.

Che, pavito real! Peacocks are friendly inside los Jardines de Cecilo Rodriguez.

School children tracing tree bark along Paseo Parterre

Thanks for the photos, Kari. We look forward to hearing and seeing more from Madrid! 

All photos by Kari Hoerchler

Popularity: 8% [?]

When in Nice, take a break from the Mediterranean waters and head to the posh, northern suburb of Cimiez. The town offers ancient ruins from its important past (it was the region’s capital city during Roman times, 1,700 years ago), along with museums, a famous cemetery, and the Monastere Notre-Dame de Cimiez. The area is also home to Nice’s jazz festival, which occurs every year in July.

A visit to the Monastere de Cimiez is a quiet, enchanted escape from Nice. Dating back to the 16th century, the gothic church you see today was the result of an 1850 renovation. The church is famous for three paintings by prominent brother painters, Louis and Antoine Brea. The near-by museum, the Musée Franciscain, explains the role of the Franciscans in Nice over the centuries, and allows visitors a peek into a recreated (and especially drab) monk’s cell.

The adjoining cemetery is notable for its picturesque qualities, marble graves, and notable residents. Painters Raoul Dufy and Henri Matisse, both former residents of Cimiez, are buried here. Wander through the cemetery, making sure to leave time for the beautifully landscaped gardens.

Visiting the Monastere Notre Dame de Cimiez

The church is open daily from 9 AM to 6 PM. The museum is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 AM - 12 PM, and 3 PM - 6 PM. Admission is free.  For more information, call 04-93-81-00-04.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Photo by Toni_Blay

A trip to Paris without at least one walk through the Luxembourg gardens is like eating a French meal without accompanying it with a glass of wine.

While the gardens lie directly on Paris’s beaten path they still, somehow, reveal an authentic view of Parisian life. Despite the number of tourists here, parents still bring their children to play about the jungle gyms, smoking businessmen continue to people watch on park chairs, and elderly men incessantly argue points while playing the French bowling game pétanque. Simply put, there are few parks in the world as integrated into the fabric of a city as the Luxembourg gardens are in Paris.

Recommending the Luxembourg gardens to travelers will never be breaking news but visitors shouldn’t miss a place where a young Hemingway found distraction from hunger pangs, lovers flock to propose marriage, and children ride ponies and captain sail boats in the shadows of a 17th century palace.

Yes, Cheapos, the park is free, but no, you can’t sleep there.

Popularity: 11% [?]

photograph courtesy of weyerdk

Springtime in Paris equals the outdoors—lingering in the outdoor markets, lazing away the afternoon at a cafe, or finding a park bench in the sun. The city teems with legendary public gardens like the Jardin du Luxembourg, the Tuileries, and the Jardin des Plantes, but there are also lots of secret garden hideaways worth tracking down for those days when you feel like being alone.

One of the these is the Garden of Peace at UNESCO headquarters in the 7th arrondissement. Landscaped in 1958 by Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi, it is a serene composition of flowering cherry trees, plum trees, magnolias, bamboo, rocks, and water—all representing the harmony between nature and mankind. Admission to the garden is free.

To visit UNESCO, go to the reception desk and exchange some form of identification for a visitor’s pass. To register for a guided tour of the building and its art collection—which includes works by Calder, Giacometti, Le Corbusier and Miró—contact the visitor’s center through m.tucker@unesco.org.

Also worth a visit is UNESCO’s basement library, which has a good English language press section, including the IHT, The Atlantic Monthly, and Harper’s.

UNESCO is located at 7 place de Fontenoy. Metro: Ségur or Cambronne.

Popularity: 4% [?]