I wake up Saturday morning after a relaxed Friday night of tortilla española and sangria with friends and realize I have exactly 0 things that need to be done for the day. I can’t even tell you what a wonderful feeling it is (rubbing it in just a little). I decided to meet a few friends at the Parque de Buen Retiro in the center of Madrid. It takes me just over 30 minutes on the bus to get there from my apartment near the north of Madrid, although most of the other students are much closer. We first went to the park during our three-day program orientation and Ray, the program director, compared the Retiro to Central Park in New York. Maybe I’m biased, but I think when you look at the photos, you’ll see that the Retiro is everything Central Park is missing. It is truly a huge, well-maintained green space with historical relevance in the middle of a bustling capital city. On weekends, it is populated with families walking, biking, or rollerblading (a very popular choice here). There are beautiful fountains and exquisite statues, but what will caught my attention the most was the variety of shows and activities spread throughout the park: a jazz saxophone soloist, children’s puppet show, drum circle, guy making large bubbles for children to pop, street vendors, artists, and more. My friends and I stayed in the park for hours, walking around and exploring all it had to offer. Did I mention I took my coat off because the weather was so nice? I’ll stop bragging about the sun and blue skies and let you see for yourselves. Read the captions to learn a little about the park!