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Castilla La Mancha is one of those places I have
always managed
to miss out on; it always seemed to be just on the way to somewhere else, but
it would be a little unfair to pass negative judgement on it just because of
that. Indeed it gave me a perfect excuse to go there and see it
properly. Although it seems largely devoid of "important" things to
see (according to Michelin where it rates as a virtually blank space in the
centre of Spain) the Quixotic windmills of Consuegra and the city of Toledo
alone are quite a good start. By Spanish
standards the food is rather uninspired and it seems that most Spaniards
share my views on the relative mediocrity of the regional wines.
However, in the global context, that is hardly an indictment of its cuisine.
The Parador at Toledo has a fabulous view of the city, the one in Oropesa
has some of the largest hotel rooms, fantasy castle public spaces and best views I have ever
encountered, Alarcon is the ultimate fairytale castle ...
And so, in July 2013 I decided that, all in all, it would be easier, and
infinitely more fun, to revisit the places below rather than spending
interminable hours scanning old slides. I also discovered that,
although Talavera is in Castilla La Mancha, the Roman ruins are actually
just over the border in Extremadura so the relevant images can now be found in that section of this site.
I still only managed a couple of days, but
convinced myself yet again that I really should go back and spend more there
next time. |
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