17 Feb 2015. <ES> Alcázar de San Juan, Ciudad Real, & Toledo, Castile-La Mancha —
Today the plan was to get to Toledo in time for our dentist appointments (ugh!) tomorrow! First we had a little walk round the park in Alcázar de San Juan — quite a well-kept park, which would be an absolute delight in spring! Even in winter it has a stark beauty. It is associated with the bullring, the football ground, a basketball court and a swimming pool. The ducks and geese here seem to like it, especially as there is an extensive water feature that runs all the way round the park. We then called in to a little panadería where we picked up two barra loaves straight out of the oven — one to have for lunch, and the other to pick at straight away, as the aroma was totally irresistible!
We were only about 90km away from Toledo, so the drive didn't take long. Suzie was a little put out by the amount of snow she could see on the distant mountains — but they were distant, so shouldn't really affect us. So we got back to Toledo and to the familiar view of the Alcázar on the skyline and the welcoming geese near the waterwheel.
Distance driven — today, 70 miles ( 112 km ); to date, 13,506 miles ( 21,736 km )
What a quaint place. I see the Alcazar is a placemark for you now. You're really localising a bit aren't you? I'm not fond of Geese. They can really be quite vicious.
ReplyDeleteThey look very healthy though. One wonders what went on with the watermill in the old days. Grinding flour for the delicious bread? And how many centuries ago? I guess tourism is the one sport in the world that venerates old age-the older the object, the more money it earns the tourist touts. I don't think you are in for an ice-age any time soon Suzie. I guess you miss the bleak and pretty featureless hills of home. I've been out in the shed listening to Jay spouting off. he wasn't making any sens and he's at the stage where he's pretty well given up hlope with himself brydie is livi ng at her own home now with her parents. itis a hell-hole in this house in the hheat and she's 6 months pregn ant. her parents are doing their best to show him up to her as useless and as that's really how drivelley clap-trap is revealing him to be, I can't say I blame them. Suggestions about ways to escape his pity me party fall on deaf, pierced and hugely holey lobed ears. He is tattooed and pierced, 20, and has very little work experience, He is getting fat and despises work and money-or so he says. Poor kid. I'm backing off. I'm afraid things will go one of two ways: He'll either realise the world does not owe him anything and try to find a future for himself, or he'll give up altogether, which I don't like to contemplate. He's crying out for a wise counsellor and/or a tough motivator, but it is his journey and I have frankly run out of ideas. His problem is still in trying to impress his poor wreck of a mother and get her love. She told me that giving the kids the things they want is all she can give in the way of love. Poor kid. It's after 3 in the morning on a hot, hot summer's night. Tomorrow and Sunday it will be 40+ degrees- hopefully dry heat. Anyway, keep on with the tourism and good luck with the dentist. Love Cathy,