Parque de El Retiro really is a gem, a green lung in the middle of Madrid.
A place to slow down, stroll, lie down on the grass, read a book or breathe in the sweet scent of roses. You can do the latter to your gusto in La Roseleda, a rose garden designed by Cecilio Rodriguez in 1915.
The park has several highlights.
To our disappointment, we were not allowed to enter one of them, the Palacio de Cristal due to renovation work.

Built in 1881 for the 1883 National Exhibition of Mining, Palacio de Velázquez is now a museum and home of the National Fine Arts Exhibition.
Artists such as Cindy Sherman, Nan Goldin, Juan Muñoz and James Lee Byars have showcased here. As of September 1992 it is Spain’s national nuseum of 20th-century art and named after Queen Sofia. Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía.

We were very lucky they hosted an exhibition of James Lee Byars. The museum seemed tailor-made for his works, spacious and with perfect lighting. Born in Detroit, Byars studied philosophy & arts. The sublimation of both is visible in his sculptures. He was fascinated by the idea of beauty and perfect form. In his work, he also flirts with the philosophy of perfection. One thing can only be identical to itself. Two things are never identical they are similar. -Ludwig Wittgenstein–
If you ever get the chance to see one of his exhibitions, do!