Eureka, Escuela de Español

The statue of Felipe III stands in the centre of Plaza Mayor. It shows King Felipe (Philip) III of Spain sat atop his horse in bronze; he has been remembered as "Philip the Pious" as a result of his strong religious beliefs. It was designed and sculpted by Jean Boulogne, an Italian artist, but completed by Pietro Tacca following Boulogne´s death. The statue originally stood in the Casa de Campo until 1848 when it was moved by Queen Isabella II to Plaza Mayor during her redesign of many of the city´s royal parks. During the Franco dictatorship, many statues and monuments to the Spanish royal family were destroyed, and it is an interesting story as to why this statue survived. The mouth of the horse was an open hole for a number of years prior to Franco, allowing a huge number of sparrow to fly into the horse and get trapped. Unable to get out, the birds starved to death inside the statue. This was unknown for years until an attempt, as decreed by Franco, to topple and demolish...

As we move further into June and Madrid starts to heat up, let´s have a look at some of the outdoor swimming that the city has to offer. The three main options that Madrileños pursue to cool off in the scorching months of June to August are: municipal outdoor pools in the city, natural pools (such as reservoirs and lakes) a bit further out, or private rooftop pools. It is also worth noting that the city´s sports centres have a variety of municipal indoor pools which are open year round whilst the outdoor pools open only for a few months, though an indoor pool may not be as promising a prospect on a 40 degree summer day. Municipal outdoor pools The city of Madrid currently has 20 different official public pools, "piscinas de verano", under the wing of Centro Deportivo Municipal (CDM), located throughout various neighbourhoods of the city. They usually open in early May, remaining open until about mid-September. They are definitely the most economical means of swimming in Madri...