The Casa de Campo, lies just to the west of the city centre, on the left bank of the Manzanares River. It is a huge green park, chocked full of walking paths for runners, bike paths for (you guess it) those on wheels, and a series of lakes. The largest lake has an appropriately large fountain. I ran the pedestrian path around the Campo, loving the odd combination of rural surroundings and global metropolis. If anyone reading has visited NYC and its Central Park, the experience should be familiar.
What makes the Campo worth noting is the government's renovation program to the part immediately adjacent the river. That area used to be full of shabby buildings that were, I think, public housing. Those buildings are now gone and an 'area deportivo y peatonal' -- sports and pedestrian area -- now exists in their place. I saw people playing games with dogs, playing soccer, jogging, and, to my great delight, lots of bats. Nobody but me seemed to pay much attention to the bats. Bats are fantastic.
To get into the Campo, I jogged rom my room in the Puerta del Sol crossing through the royal gardens, a series of steps that defied count, a construction site, and finally the Manzanares. The night seemed perfect. A brisk 50F, twilight, no wind, and the bats. Hello bats.
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