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Road Diary:
Day 5, 7/11: Toledo
Walk
Written at La Rosaleda Pension, Orgaz, Spain.
Hot and sunny, 98°.
Spain is in a fluster about the anniversary of
an assassinated politician's death at hands of
Basque nationalists. Made breakfast and even
went to store to get more eggs. Then cleaned up
our apartment at 5 Relatores
and packed. After handing back keys to our host
Jorge, we went on long sweaty walk with luggage
to Atocha Train Station and
finally got our reserved rental, but we went to
wrong place to pick it up. Finally on road
enjoying the a.c. in car. Headed out of packed
Madrid along A42. Stopped for snacks and then
drove to free parking at bottom of Toledo
escalator. Made it to Toledo's old area and it
was amazing. Saw main plaza then to
Alcazar, then around alleys to
Cathedral de Santa Maria. The streets
were empty and a lot of businesses were closed.
Perhaps people were sleeping off the heat. We
drank plenty of water, took rests, and found
shade to cope ourselves. We walked across the
city and clear across to the other side of
the hill on which the old city is built where we
saw the River Torno and
monasteries. Streets were like in a storybook.
Cars and scooters whizzed around though on some
streets. Went to cathedral square near the
Ayuntamiento and hung out for a
long time. Found refreshing park, the
Jardines del Transito, in
Jewish Quarter where we found water and
a toilet. Energized we then walked in more
circles until we found where we started at
cathedral. Tried to get food but realized it was
late. They kept running out of stuff. I left
Jessica and the kids alone at a restaurant so I
drive 16 miles to talk to the owner of the bed
and breakfast we booked in Orgaz. He reassured
me he would wait. Then went back to Toledo to
get family, then back to Orguz. Relaxed at night
and enjoyed a.c. The pension is empty of all
guests but ourselves.
Day 4, 7/10: La
Mancha and the Old Molinos
Written at Apolo Trece, Santa Fe, Andalucia,
Spain. Dangerously hot, super dry, sunny 113°.
Turned out to be all-time record heat today in parts of
Spain. Woke up in Orgaz a bit late as
usual and got water and headed out to town where we got
some churros. Found a small grocer who sold us ice and a
terrible cooler. Explored site around random castle in
Orgaz where there were old men sitting and discussing
stuff just like in the Sade music video I always used to
imagine Spain. Drove down to Consuegra
and got close-up view of molinos: old windmills of Don
Quixote fame. There weren't many tourists here. Saw some
others mills from far on the way. Awesome scenery here.
Then I found another, less touristy windmill complex
atop Puerto Lapice. Then south to
Daimiel where we visited Las
Tablas, a wetland area strangely surrounded by
mountains. Saw birds there, including storks. Ana got
terrible nosebleed from dry, hot air. Came back from 2km
hike exhausted and drove on in our air conditioned car
down the E5 toward mountains that marked the border of
Andalucia. At Jaen stopped at
Castillo Santa Catalina over city, a former
Napoleonic stronghold. Beautiful rocky overlook bedecked
with a cross here. We drove into night to Santa
Fe hotel which is okay for what it is. Very
simple accommodations with AC and free parking. The
ghosts of Ferdinand and Isabella are talking to me in
their miracle encampment here tonight.
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 The man himself, Don Quixote, was in effigy all over the place.
 The Toledo Alcazar, the seat of government for Emperor Charles V, the man who ruled the world.
 Much needed shade in the medieval alleys behind the cathedral in Toledo.
 Catedral de Santa Maria, a grand church which stands in front of the Toledo Ayuntamiento.
 Religious items were for sale in many shops around church-filled Toledo.
 The way through the inner walls of Toledo, near the mayor's house.
 The wild and scenic Rio Tajo which runs behind the city of Toledo.
 Stopping for some helado in the Jardines del Transito.
 Walking through some Toledo alleys avoiding the heat of the sun.
 A scene from high above Toledo in the residential areas in the center of town. One can see why they built a fortified city here.
 Toledo street scene. I had to run out of here as the sun was setting to secure our hotel in Orgaz.
 The streets of Orgaz, where I saw old men sitting against the shade of the castle in the center of town.
 Ana at the old mills of Consuegra.
 A Consuegra mill like the kind that inspired Cervantes.
 Cerro Calderico near Consuegra.
 Andrew is pretending to read some Cervantes. The kinds kept calling the character "Donkey," instead of Don Quixote.
 Jessica near the Consuegra mills.
 The sparse agricultural lands of La Mancha near Puerto Lapice.
 Walking above the tadpole-filled waters of Las Tablas del Daimiel.
 We came here in search of flamingos, but only found a bunch of ducks.
 A scene from La Tablas of Daimiel during low water. The extreme heat here caused Ana's nose to bleed.
 At Castillo de Santa Catalina, an old fortress that once was Napoleon's headquarters.
 Jaen from the Torre de la Vela on Castillo de Santa Catalina.
 Looking down on Jaen like a bird might from Mirador de la Cruz.
 At Castillo de Santa Catalina in Jaen.
 Ana at the entrance to Castillo de Santa Catalina in Jaen.
 Pretending to fall from heat exhaustion.
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