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: 6% [?]

Lisbon is a city full of fabulous museums and botanical gardens… with entrance fees. However, Parque Eduardo VII, in central Lisbon, is a happy, freebie exception.

The Parque Eduardo

Named after King Edward VII of Britain (following his 1903 visit to Portugal), the park boasts two greenhouses (”estufas”) filled with tropical plants. These beauties sit atop a hill on the park’s west side garden, also known as the “Estufa Fria.” While entrance to the greenhouses isn’t free, the view is. Feast your eyes on the city panorama, stretching out to the River Tagus! (If you don’t mind shelling out a little cash, the greenhouses only charges €1.20 for admission.)

The rest of the park is filled with neatly-trimmed hedges, winding paths, plentiful flowers, and a pretty lake. Some scattered statues and pillars celebrate Portugal’s 1974 Revolution, and a sports pavilion on the park’s eastern side hosts concerts, as well as Lisbon’s annual book fair.

Visiting the park

The Parque Eduardo VII is open daily from dawn till dusk. Take either the Marquês de Pombal or the Parque metro. We also have enjoyed walking to the park from downtown Lisbon, strolling up the tree-lined Avenida da Liberdade and taking in the town.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Photo by Taz Nelson

With a total circumference of over seven miles, the Phoenix Park is the largest enclosed park in Europe. Now it’s neatly serviced by the LUAS green line, and still boasts totally free entry. There’s no reason anyone visiting Dublin should overlook this urban playground.

The mix of sports fields, polo grounds, gardens, and valleys means that there’s something for everyone at Phoenix Park. Even if you’re not dazzled by the landscape, a quick trip to the Zoo, a glimpse of the Aras an Uachtarain—the Irish President’s house—or a turn about Ashtown Castle will make even the most minute trip worthwhile.

Just make sure you keep your eyes open for stray Frisbees, soccer balls, bikes and kites as the Park can get almost as crowded as the city on sunny days!

Popularity: 10% [?]

Photograph by Mike Kirwan

Ah, springtime in Paris…

Paris comes alive in the spring, a time when the city thaws out from the doldrums of gray winters.

Parisian boutiques roll out daring new designs, restaurants update their menus to include fresh legumes ripe for the season, and locals trade in their husky scarves for leaner neck wraps.

We’ve already told you about UNESCO’s secret Paris garden. While Paris itself goes through a bit of a rebirth, so too do the city’s parks, and none more so than the Parc Floral de Paris. Contained within the enormous Bois de Vincennes, the Parc Floral de Paris is a vast aggregation of 3000 manicured plant varieties set around a tranquil, artificial lake. Best of all, visitors can literally enmesh themselves amongst the flowers on small grass pathways that maze through the Versailles-worthy gardens. Homemade picnics are encouraged. The park’s amphitheater hosts a wide array of events all year, including the annual jazz festival.

The Parc Floral de Paris is a world class botanical garden and perhaps one of the city’s best kept secrets. Aside from the summer’s jazz festival the park doesn’t attract wide swaths of tourists. Their absence makes for a nice respite from the hoards of springtime visitors throughout the center of the city.

Popularity: 3% [?]