Madrid: Bike Riding in Retiro Park

It was a beautiful fall day to be outdoors

November 12

I was craving a bit of nature and had read that Retiro Park was a beautiful place to spend some time outdoors in Madrid, so I did some research and discovered we could rent bikes there. That sounded like a nice way to explore the park that wouldn’t require the girls to walk. (They complained so much about walking, LOL.) Of course, we had to get there and that required walking…

Actually, getting there required a metro ride with a subway transfer. Normally we would’ve transferred at the Sol station, but mid-ride there was an announcement that the train would be skipping the Sol stop and would continue on. I couldn’t hear well enough to make out why (more on this later), so I pulled out my phone to figure out how we’d get to where we needed to be. Nothing like navigating on the fly! (Rather stress inducing, actually.)

We rode for two more stops and got off at Plaza de España, which allowed us to transfer to the red line, backtracking to Sol and then over to the Retiro stop. But transferring lines required navigating a maze of underground tunnels and escalators. Fortunately, the signage to get there was decent, and we were able to follow some others making the same journey. That said, N was concerned we were lost and would never get to where we were going and she may have melted down a bit. Good times.

When we popped up to the street at Retiro, we had to orient ourselves, which took a bit. Way finding in a new-to-you location is always a bit disorienting and we found ourselves surrounded by a lot of people! They were draped in Spanish flags and/or wearing yellow and red. Some had signs. I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on. Was there a soccer game I didn’t know about?

We managed to swim upstream and figure out a place to cross into the park, though I wasn’t sure how to get to the bike rental place. Google is helpful, but I get turned around and sometimes walk in the wrong direction. I wish there was a more prominent arrow showing the direction you’re facing and need to go in. By this point the girls were tired of walking and were upset that I didn't know how to navigate better. (Honestly, as if I have a magical ability to instantly navigate.) I asked if they wanted to give up on the bike idea but they were adamant that they wanted to do it. I had promised bikes and they’d hold it against me if we didn’t ride them. What a fun outing this was turning into.

We ambled along one side of the park; it was beautiful and full of others out enjoying the gorgeous day. Fortunately, we ended up going in the right direction and eventually we found our way to the bike rental place. Phew! It was easy to rent the bikes and we even added baskets to the front to carry our purses. And then we were off, back into the park, though getting back in required heaving the bikes up some stairs, which elicited complaints.

Once we truly got going, we enjoyed ourselves. Chris and the girls mostly led the way, though I suggested general directions so we could cover the majority of the park. It was autumn and many of the trees had beautiful yellow leaves that shone bright in the sun. It was absolutely gorgeous. The park was mostly flat and easy to traverse, minus some sections in the middle that dipped down and required a bit of leg power.

We pedaled by the rose garden on the south side (not in bloom), and past the Palacio de Cristal. We paused at the pond in the middle and then rode on the paved path on the east side of the park, past the public library before arriving at the main gate on the north end next to the metro stop we had come up at. I wanted to keep riding and exploring, but the rest of the family had seen enough. Ah, compromises.

Here’s the reel I made for IG, though it didn't download with the music, so you’ll have to hum your own tune:

As we returned the bikes, we asked the guy at the shop what was with all the flags and people and he said it was probably protests. Protests, indeed! Apparently there were tens of thousands of people protesting in Plaza del Sol (which is why the metro didn’t stop there) and why we saw so many people with flags upon exiting at Retiro Park. Turns out just days prior an amnesty deal was announced between Spain’s Prime Minister and Catalán separatists. A lot of people are against it and were protesting. (The protests continued even after we left Madrid; here’s footage for one that happened on my birthday.)

It was interesting that such a large protest could be happening and we hardly knew about it. I’m quite glad we weren’t caught up in it, but it was also a lesson in two things: 1) We need to be more aware of what’s going on in a given country that we’re visiting (one way to do that is the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP), and 2) It’s possible for massive things to be happening while also not being the only thing that’s happening in a given place. I.e., a massive protest can be happening, but it doesn’t mean that everyone in the city is caught up in it; in fact, plenty of other people were going on with their lives. It’s good perspective for when we read headlines for any big news around the world.

How do you stay abreast of what’s happening in the country when you’re traveling?