Madrid for The Three Generations: a Friday-to-Monday weekend

Rowing boats on the Retiro pond with a flat jetty and a boatman to steady the boat; grandparents take the stern seat.

A glass palace beside the pond with benches and a flat path; the grandparents can sit while the children chase the ducks.

Early dinner at long tables in the 1888 café: croquetas, tortilla and a soup for each age, with a high ceiling that muffles the children.

A glass gondola over the Manzanares, with seats for all and a flat platform; the view of the Palace is the highlight.

A zoo and an aquarium in the Casa de Campo with a flat site and cafés; rent a pushchair, plan by animal, and eat lunch inside.

Half a roast chicken and a basket of bread on benches long enough for three generations; the noise covers the children.

A palace of 3,000 rooms, with lifts and level floors; the grandparents sit in the throne room while the children find the armour.

Hedged formal gardens below the north side, with benches at every turn and a flat path; free.

Sunday lunch at a long table on the terrace opposite the Palace; the paella is for sharing and the waiters are patient.

Churros and chocolate in the passage café, with benches and a family table; the grandchildren dunk, the grandparents supervise.

One highlight: Velázquez and Goya in ninety minutes, with lifts, benches and a wheelchair loan at the door.

A cocido in three courses at a table of eight; cash only, and the soup first makes it easy for small appetites.