Beside the lake in the pleasant Parque del Buen Retiro, the equestrian statue of Alfonso XII is a grand enough tourist sight, but the area around it really comes alive on a Saturday evening. Hordes with Djembe drums assemble around the curved column and hammer out a thunderous rhythm; locals dodge the mostly leniant eyes of the police and hand out cheap beers from ice bags; technicolour girls twirl pois and the night has started.
Parque del Buen Retiro
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