We would be reasonably confused if we left Madrid after Wednesday and assumed it was Europe’s most forested capital city. That title belongs to Oslo, for the record. Madrid does have a large tree canopy, especially compared to American cities of comparable size. About 38% of the city has a canopy of “urban woody features.” By percentage, it’s similar to other European cities like Vienna, Krakow (+1%), Antwerp (+1%), and Paris (+2%). According to the DNR’s latest data, it’s a little more than Milwaukee at about 25%, or Madison (23%), and a little less than Minneapolis (average 28%). It’s significantly more than cities like Chicago (16%) or Houston (18%) that match Madrid’s population of about 3 million.
Overall tree canopy coverage doesn’t mean there can’t be huge disparities in which parts of a city have access to the health and quality of life benefits trees provide. Even a cities like Houston and Chicago have shaded neighborhoods with old growth trees lining the streets and large parks; and cities like Oslo have sections with little to no urban tree canopy. The inequality inherent in urban forest cover is a hot topic right now because we now understand the health, economic, and quality of life benefits they provide people who live near them. (Some might say we always understood it but neo-liberal capitalists have made us prove it is worth caring about more than widening interstates but that’s a different academic debate.) A city that has survived as much turmoil and war as Madrid, I’m sure, has some lasting inequities that correlate with present-day tree cover.
Anyway. Our day started in the Parque Casa de Campo, a roughly 3800 acre park (5x Central Park, for reference). It sprawls the southwestern corner of Madrid all the way to the Parque Madrid Rio. We walked through both of those parks, crossing the Rio Manzanares at Puente del Rey into the Jardines del Campo del Morro. There we wandered around the gardens trying to find out way to an entrance for the Palacio Real which it turns out was closed.
It turns out there is only one gate in and out of this park, or at least only one among its northern, western, and eastern edges. Even though it proved somewhat confusing to find our way out, it was nonetheless an enchanting place to wander around and gave the effect of feeling removed from the city, like a good urban forest should. Also, they had robot lawnmowers that looked like little animals scootin around in the grass.
We wound our way around the north side of the palace and followed the Cuesta San Vicente up to Plaza España and found a truly incredible pedestrian area with a massive playground. This was a major hit for László who took the tallest, fastest slide probably a dozen times. He had a lot of fun climbing up to the very top on the big ladders.
This plaza connected Templo de Debod and Parque Oeste we we got a huge solstice vista of Casa de Campo and western Madrid across the valley. Templo de Debod was also closed so we couldn’t go inside, but even from the outside it was an impressive piece of world heritage.
We took a meandering walk home through the neighborhood that lines the river northwest of Puente del Rey. We hit a kid’s bookstore and finished the night with a fantastic meal of rabbit paella at the Lago Cafe. It was also an incredibly affordable price, probably about half what we’d have paid in the US for a meal like that.
More parks plus, some art
Yesterday, we gave ourselves a head start. We took the Metro into the city at Alonso Martinez instead of walking. We were looking for a specific market that turned out to be closed so we quickly pivoted toward Retiro Park. Palacio Cristal, and ultimately the Museo Nacionales de Arte Reina Sofia.
Laszlo wasn’t interested in letting both of us go up to check out the museum, which was fine. I’m glad we didn’t just abandon all hope and instead took turns viewing the gallery, though, because Guernica was absolutely stunning to see up close. To the extent I was familiar with Picasso’s masterwork at all, it was in the form of tiny photograph reproductions in textbooks, on the internet, etc. It’s one of a few works that must be experienced up close. The canvas’s massiveness reinforced the importance and gravity of the work, and how intensely Picasso captured the essence of the massive tragedy it depicts.
We continue to be surprised and impressed with László’s bravery when it comes to making friends. Even abroad, he goes right up to other kids and tries to play with them. “Soy László,” he’ll say, “do you want to play with me?” To do that in a place where he has no common language, just a common love of play, takes confidence I’m not sure I had at that age. I certainly don’t now. In the plaza outside the Reina, he even managed to get a kid to join him playing squirt guns. I’m not sure she was fully expecting to be sprayed, though.
We ended our final night in Madrid as we had the previous night: At the Plaza España playground — A.K.A. the social and cultural hub of Madrid. Then we took the metro home and called it a night.
We ate a ton of good food, too much to enumerate, much of it later in the evening than we would have at home. We spent a ton of time outside. Based on our our experience, this felt very Madrilenian. Even if it wasn’t, it was a great start to a long trip.
For the next five nights, we’re staying in Basque Country. First at Urdaibai Bird Center, located inside the Biosphere Reserve with the same name, then in a cabin at Camping Itxaspe. Not sure what the WiFi will be like, but we’ll be sure to report back with more when we can.