Yesterday morning I was enjoying my cornflakes at the dining table and staring out of the window... when I noticed the building opposite our flat. On my first day here Marisa had told me that it was some sort of cemetery and that I ought to visit it as it has a beautiful garden. It was one of those gloriously sunny winter days we get here in Madrid and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, so I decided to have a look.
A sign on the gate said that it was called the Panteón de Hombres Ilustres and didn't mention anything about an entrance fee so I hopped up the steps and went in. The building itself is surrounded by an ornamental rose garden with lots of lovely trees and benches to enjoy the sunshine. It being December there weren't many roses still in flower but I managed to find this lovely one:
There were also swathes of these white flowers all along the boundary walls:
The architecture was interesting with lots of moorish looking touches
Inside were the funeral monuments of several famous Spaniards from the Victorian era. I recognised some of the names from streets or areas in Madrid; Calle Sagasta or Ríos Rosas etc.
The sculptures were at times a little dodgy and at others quite impressive; I liked the detail in this foot:
Outside there were lots of little sparrows skipping about and while I was watching them I heard a squawking from above. It turned out to be a green parrot or parakeet! I'm not sure what species it is exactly as it doesn't have a ring round its neck or a red beak like a ring-necked parakeet, it also looks a bit like a quaker parrot but I really have no idea. If anyone knows and could leave it in the comments below that would be really helpful.
The Panteón de Hombres Ilustres can be found in Paseo de la Reina Cristina and is open to the public on weekdays and weekends for free.
