LA MANCHA !!! Land of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza

We have been playing with this funny money for a few months now, and we have not as yet told you much about it.  Spain, being part of the European Union, utilizes the Euro as its currency.  In the picture below you will see a couple of bills ( 50 and 20) along with the coins that are used.  They also have a 10 and a five, (bills) but I did not have one of those in my wallet when it came time for the picture.

Left-to-right:  2 Euros, 1 Euros, 50 Centesimos, 20 C.,  10C., 5 C., 2 C., 1 Centesimo

We are used to them now, but in the beginning, it took a little to get used to.  Thanks to Devan for the Cherry Natural Ice lip stuff to show the size relationships here!!

Another thing that we have certainly enjoyed since our arrival is the abundance of fruit available for consumption.  We have had some sort,, or another of good fruit from April until now.  As the season winds down, we wonder what we will have access to during the winter months--apples, probably. Two of our newer discoveries you can see in the picture below.  Again, for scale, use the knife and cutting board.

The big green thing is called a Toad-Skin Mellon!!  Like a good Honeydew, only better!!
The other deal is a Paraguayan Peach.  It looks normal, but is flat, but it tastes really good!!
We really enjoy the fruit!!!!!

Now, on to the latest adventure!!  Having a free day, and access to a car, allowed us to drive down south of Madrid, into the Land of La Mancha.  (think Don Quixote).  We went down through and past Toledo and onto a place called Consuegra, where some of best-preserved windmills exist.  These windmills were the mythological "monsters", or "dragons" that Quixote battled.  Just outside of town, there arises a sharp, short ridge, atop of which appear the monsters.  It is not difficult to tell why they placed the mills there, as the wind just about blew our hair off!!  In fact, I have one spot on the back of my head where it is honestly missing!!  Anyway. . . here are some of the pics.

We passed thousands and thousands of acres of Olive groves!!

They are not as large as the ones in Jerusalem

but they just go on and on forever!!!!!

Very "typical" La Mancha-type landscape,  with patches of
green and yellow--the yellow being grains.

Looking north, across the city of Consuegra, and past
toward Madrid.  The freeway we came in on can barely
be seen in the distance.

More La Mancha, just outside of the city.

Windmill and old, broken down walls from former days!!

"Don" Bake!!!!

In this foto, and the one above, you can see the little "stone"
pillars that surround the mill.  I wondered about them for a while
then learned that they could move the entire top portion of the
windmill in order the capture the best wind for milling.
Some sort of apparatus was placed over the little stone pillars,
and then they attached a chain to the long "pole" that you  see
in the picture, and then winch the top around to get the best wind.
They could catch any wind in the 360 degrees!!!     SMART!!!

Fair maiden at the mill!!! I think I owe my fascination with the windmills to my mom.  I watched Man of La Mancha with her, and loved the movie.  We would clean the house with music blaring, Little Bird, Little Bird, Dulcinea and To Dream the Impossible Dream from that movie, as well as many others.  I think that I even look like her in this picture.  She would have loved to see this place! 

Best of Buds!!!!!

The millstone is over 4 feet in diameter.  Remember the story
about a millstone being tied to the  neck and the fellow being
tossed into the sea?  That would certainly do the trick.

The blades, covered in canvas, would turn the big center (squared)
axle, which in turn would turn the large cogged wheel.  That would
then turn the smaller cog, which drove the millstone.  Raw grain
was placed into the hopper, and there is a gap on the lower stone,
where the flour would drop into the collection system below.

Forts are good for something, even if it's just a good way to
collect money to keep the thing open!!  The lighter stone you see
is from the parts that have been renovated!!

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On one of our walking "loops", there is a large pond where the
ducks and turtles "beg" for bread crumbs.  (we may look a little
ratty, because we have been walking pretty hard for a half-hour or so.

The dark spots are the turtles!!!  They always lose the race, with the ducks, for the bread we toss.

We have been downtown Madrid several times.  This day was a Friday,
but as you can see, there are still plenty of folks being "turistico".

This is what we went for:  This is Kilometro Zero==
All road signs outside of Madrid show their kilometro readings from this very point!!
We are There!!

PAco will be back from his vacation tomorrow, (Monday).  It is time to get back to why we are here.  We are loving the people here and are looking forward to being able to work more closely with them. July and August are really vacation months, they close up shop and go to the beach or their favorite get away from it all spot.  We have been in a tremendous heat wave for the past month and a half.  It s starting to cool, and the people are coming back home

See ya again in a week or two.