What does a gal do with her last 3 hours on a sunny morning in Madrid?

Well, she grabs a quick bite to go with her espresso (in her Rodarte for Target tshirt and Banana Republic cashmere cardigan)…

at a hip, light-filled restaurant…

that looks out at the Puerta de Alcalá :

Then on a caffeine high she speedwalks to the Plaza de Cibeles (goddess of fertility), where the grand, white post office–that’s now the mayor’s office–can be found:

With two hours left, it’s a brisk stroll through the Parque del Buen Retiro which I’d mentioned to you on my first entry about Madrid. This park takes center stage, literally, in the heart of a bustling Madrid. You could easily spend an entire day in this large park. A lovely spot to visit is the Rosaleda del Retiro (rose garden):

And there are stretches of paths for running or strolling:

In another part of the park you can find an art gallery inside the Palacio de Cristal:

It is still rather cold this morning, and there is ice instead of water in most spouts:

The park is so enormous that it can accommodate an artificial pond, Estanque del Retiro…

that surrounds the Monument to Alfonso XII:

So that’s how this gal spent her last 3 hours in Madrid. I can’t wait to come back!