one of my favourite days in spain was the sunday that we spent in madrid. i'd heard about the typical "swartley sunday" and how kate and andré would take the train to madrid to spend most of the day wandering through the huge parque del buen retiro (350 acres) and step out for a coffee before heading home. the weather was gorgeous and there was so much to see in the park: a rose garden, great paths through trees, the "forest" monument for the victims of the march 11th (2004) bombing, and brain trees! they tried to prepare me for these delightful trees, but i think upon my first sight i actually gasped or clapped or both. andré thinks they're just a regular evergreen type tree, but cut to look this way. true imagination! i also love the completely natural "dr seuss trees" (as kate & andré have dubbed them) with their tall spindly slanted trunks and leafy tops.
they also had some great fountains and statues, one of which, el angel caído, depicts the fallen lucifer. it was stunning. i wanted to take a photo, but felt kind of bad, like i shouldn't want to. but photographers capture what they see - so i did. and was quite pleased when i saw the print: that bit of hopeful blue that he's cowering before - brilliant.
i am revisiting my jealousy as you revisit your trip.
ReplyDeletedid you plan to catch the sunlight in the lucifer photo like that? simply brilliant!!
ReplyDeletejust remind yourself, hannah, that you've trumped me on experience (by both breadth & depth).
ReplyDeleteand yes, joy. well - at least i hoped to catch the light like that. :)