Why can't your rose garden look like this, Dad?

Last Friday, a fellow au pair and I decided to hit up the park scene in Madrid. Despite getting lost a few (a.k.a. several) times, we managed to make it to El Jardín de la Rosaleda del Parque del Oeste. In English terms, that basically means a huge rose garden in West Park.

My host mom had been bugging me for two weeks to get to the rose garden, especially since it is close to my metro/bus station. I was not disappointed. It is cliché, but the pictures truly do not do the Rosaleda justice. (Insert Google search here, please).

On a side note, I guess you could say that this enormous rose spectacle reminded me of my own house's little rose garden. I know that my father would have loved seeing this... And then been extremely critical with himself about his own roses. Oh sigh, to be young and insecure...

After leaving the Rosaleda, we decided to check out Retiro Park. I had never been, but had heard so much about it. Every corner a new discovery--a palace, a fountain, a statue of a "famous" person. While it was only a short visit, I could tell that I would be spending some frequent visits to this charming escape...

 

...Then again, it's no McKennan Park.