Two Favorite Spanish Parks

The best part of the location of my apartment here in Salamanca is that it is a hop and a skip away from the most beautiful park! El Parque de las Jesuitas has become a daily haunt for me...to go running and just meander through to take pictures or sit on a bench for some quiet time. What I love about it too is that it apparently is a very popular site for social gatherings...mostly elderly couples! It is seriously so precious--all these older men with their adorable little hats and suits walking arm in arm with sweet little old ladies stopping to chat with their friends. And there are a lot of children too...accompanied by either their parents or grandparents. I love being surrounded by so many different generations in such a cheerful environment buzzing with activity.























My other favorite park, el Parque del Retiro in Madrid, falls into a much more grand category than the sweet Parque de las Jesuitas in Salamanca. A good way to describe it would be as the Central Park of Madrid with the European flair. I think I have a certain sentimental attraction to this park in Madrid because I spent so much time in Central Park when I was in NYC last summer. This past weekend when Erin and I were on our way back from Milan (more about that to come!) we had some time to kill in Madrid because our bus didn't leave to take us back to Salamanca until later that afternoon, so we agreed some chillax time in the park would be a win decision.