Casa de Campo

Kayaking in Casa de Campo
I could have written about any number of cultural activities that I have done since coming to Spain. I have been to the two big museums, the Prado and the Reina Sofia where I saw the works of Picasso, El Greco, Goya, and Salvador Dali. I went to a Real Madrid match at the Santiago Bernebeu with my friend when she visited. Real Madrid stormed to a 6-1 victory over Real Betis with all goals coming in the first half. I have eaten in authentic restaurants and lingered over tapas with friends. I took the teleferico into Casa de Campo and somehow wandered out without getting lost. I have ventured all the way up the famous Paseo de la Castellana, which is a street that runs from the north of Madrid all the way to the Prado at the south. It is the site of such fountains as the Plaza de Cibeles, where fans and players of Real Madrid celebrate wins in the Copa del Rey or Champions League. I have also been to Retiro, which is Spain´s answer to Central Park including a lake where you can rent paddle boats.
All of these places are typical Spanish cultural activities, although I have yet to see a flamenco show and have no desire to see a bullfight considering the torture it involves. One side of the culture that is growing slowly and quietly is exercise. Spain may claim to be a lazy country with the siestas and the long lunches spent drinking canas, but slowly and surely more and more people are going to the gym or becoming active. One interesting aspect of this is the clothing. Spain´s fashion is suspect anyway, with mullets and full purple suits everywhere. The Spanish are so focused on matching that whenever they work out, they wear full track suits that completely match. Women do not wear shorts, and as I know from experience are gawked at if they do. People also do not run in public. They either run in the parks, like Retiro or Parque del Oeste, or they go to the gym. Those who choose to run on the streets are heckled.
Biking is a popular pastime here, particularly on the trails in Casa de Campo. However, as I mentioned before, the Spanish fashion is forever prominent. First, for the most part only men bike, and the only females we have ever seen biking were with at the very least a man who was clearly her partner and they were bonding over a nice race. Additionally, everyone wears the full biker outfits. When I say full, I mean they all must be training for the Tour de France with the multicolored spandex and special shoes they wear. It is quite intimidating, I must say, and quite the insight into how Spanish approach their exercise. Oh, and something I forgot to mention about Casa de Campo: it´s full of prostitutes who literally sit on the side of the road and wait to be picked up. I am still unsure of what the loophole in the law is that allows that, but it is quite entertaining to bike past a pantless woman in heels on the side of a park road.