The Retiro is a huge park in the centre of Madrid. From it's beginnings in 1505, the park has been modified and extended by successive royal families to create the current 350-acre giant. It is wonderful to wander aimlessly from one sculpture to another, and in the sunshine it is easy to forget that one is only a few minutes' walk from the city. But in spite of the laughing crowds there is also a sense that in this vast park some monuments are slipping into neglect and can already only hint at the grandeur of a forgotten time. It can be melancholy, but is no less pleasant for it.