Madrid, besides being the capital of Spain, is a great city. The best thing about a great city and its culture is its people; and the best places to experience being among the people are parks and markets.

The diverse population in Madrid enjoys a vast amount of beautiful green space and parks for walking, picnics, and sports. Recreational areas that range from finely manicured formal gardens to parks that rarely see any upkeep are often busy during the week, but full of life on the weekends. Young and old, runners, cyclists, rowers and paddlers, as well as sunbathers, readers and people just strolling about fill these outdoor areas.

Another of the more important places to see a culture is to go where the people shop. Outdoor flea markets and the food markets of Madrid are where you go to see the city’s life. The best are away from the tourist hoards where the little old ladies, with their two-wheeled carts, the cooks from the neighborhood cafes and chefs from the ritzy restaurants all come to get their fresh ingredients.

These kinds of things are what our travels are about – to experience the place, its people, its culture, its life.

This is the third, in a series of four, sets of images.