Capricho

Last Sunday we went to Parque de Capricho (could only find a Spanish link) on a recommendation. This park is kind of hard to get to, being several long streets away from the metro stop which bares it's name (and an hour metro ride from my house). It is quite surprisingly in a vey suburban part of the city, but quite un-surprisingly it is gardens that surround a palace (belonging to a ducal family). This park is only open on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

This post took so long because it was a little overwhelming picking out the photos to share with you. These palace grounds were a playground for the royalty living or visiting there, and there is a lot to see. It kind of reminded me of a mini-golf course (only prettier) in the fact that there were a lot of ornamental buildings, a fake river to boat on, and even a little mini fortress to pretend to guard.

We did not have the time to see everything, and I have not posted all we did see. Here are the highlights:

The next two pictures below are of an purely ornamental house called the "old lady house".

I think that these trees are known as "Umbrella Pines" (English common name) and I love therm, they are so delightfully foreign.

This building is a off site ballroom. The guests would travel via boat on a little strem that ran from the palace (not that far away).

The "dock" for the ballroom. Can you see the huge boar under the stairs? Click to enlarge.

A charming flower garden (quite difficult to photo though). The flowers almost made a mini maze.

Pretty stone work by the "river".

Black swans!

Charming little boathouse - for some reason half way between the palace and the ballroom. I love the Star of David. If you look inside you can see that it was painted almost in an Egyptian style.

A view of the "river".

A pretty little glade.

An artistic shot I captured of a little house.

Presenting the most disturbing statue I have ever seen in my life (click to enlarge), really! This is on a pillar in the center of paths radiating out like spoke of a wheel. I approached this expecting to be charmed. Instead of being charmed I saw that it was a man eating a headless child's arm off, while holding the rest of the body in the other arm! Out of marble! Classically carved! Creepy!

 This is much better, a "temple" to Bacchus the god of wine and drinking, sitting under some of my beloved Umbrella pines.

 You have to click this next one too. One guy is waving crazy arms that are turning into trees! (A Greek myth?) This is the only view of the palace I will be including, as it was quite square and dull.

 Autumn is finally arrived! It has been so hot and dry.

 They have a maze like my favorite park (see link at end of post), but it was closed.

 This garden was a weird mix of themes. Here you see A roman like "temple" with a bust of a Caesar beside it and Sphinxes surrounding it.

I do have to say, however pretty this park is, it does not hold a candle to my favorite park in the world Parc del Laberint d' Horta, which is in Barcelona and well worth a visit.

Hopefully there will be really great news on Monday! (Fingers crossed, do not want to jinx it by saying what it is.)