Juan Ripollés Exhibition

Retiro Park in central Madrid has been hosting an exhibition (Universo Urbano) by the sculptor Juan Ripollés. If you want to see more of these unusual and beautiful sculptures I recommend this great photo gallery on Flickr by Colgantitos.

Retiro Park

Retiro Park in central Madrid on a winter’s afternoon.

Corner Shops

Madrid doesn’t really do corner shops but they do have something similar. Your local independent convenience store that opens early and stays open late and run by 1st to 2nd generation immigrants is advertised as either an Alimentación (grocery) or a Frutos y Secos. The main difference to London though is that here the managers are usually Chinese rather than Bangladeshi / Pakistani / Indian. No cigarettes and no newspapers or mags but they do most everything else. There are licensing laws preventing them from selling you booze after 10.00pm but with a wink and a nod, and a discreet dark plastic bag, they can usually accommodate your drinking needs. Mind you, with bars staying open late anyway this is not such a big earner for them anyway. Madrid-Uno’s local Mr Wong has three stores in the Salamanca / Retiro area and he controls them all from his master cabin perched above the till area. A PC with camera attachment shows him multi-screens of the checkouts at the other branches of his retail empire and they’re also hooked up for audio, so he can bark instructions at recalcitrant nieces, nephews and cousins. I tell you, they’re gonna take over the world these chaps.