Bruce takes us on a tour past olive groves, vineyards, flat plains & even large, black Spanish bulls…….in search of more “prettiest” villages.

It’s always exciting to discover these “out of the way” hidden gems & places we’ve never heard about. Pulling up at the charming, tiny, village of Chinchon, 45kms S/E of Madrid is one of these places.

Chinchon is known for its hilltop houses & medieval Plaza Mayor (town square) which is circled by buildings with dark green traditional balconies.

The 14 century clock tower proudly overlooks the Plaza Mayor & is the only remains of the church.

Learning to adapt to the Spanish lifestyles, we wait patiently for 9.30pm before searching for an appealing restaurant for dinner! At the beautiful Plaza Mayor we take a seat at La Columna admiring our surroundings.

You can spot Mark there somewhere !?

Tonight our dining experience is truly a cultural delight! …..l must say, being served by a very attentive, handsome Spaniard also added favourably to my evening!

My dish of “baby squid” was so tender & Marks “meat with garlic”, whilst not looking great, was delicious also.

 

 

Chinchon is famous for its aniseed liqueur, which we agreed, had to be sampled tonight! Not a bad drop either !

As the sun sets at 10pm, the Plaza is illuminated with many lights & the atmosphere is magic! A special memory for sure.

As we leave the restaurant at 10.30 there are many Spanish couples flocking here for dinner!

Bruce is snoring away in his 10€ per night camping Aire, just up the hill, when we return.

Next stop, Alcazar De San Juan  where we take a long stroll but most of the shops are closed for siesta / lunch. However, the supermarket was open & the choice of jam ones (hams) is truly incredible ! There’s 20% off too !

This striking bullring grabs our attention. It’s a popular music venue now, not sure it sees any bull fighting action these days?

l couldn’t resist a pic with this furry feline on our walk back to Bruce ! It’s getting pretty hot now & we’re glad our air conditioner is working.

In the region of La Mancha is Campo De Criptana with its striking molinos (windmills) built of masonry & whitened with lime .

Thank you to everyone who have written lovely & sometimes amusing comments on our Aussiebruce blog site. Too many to reply to personally but we’re pleased you are enjoying our fun exploits with us, albeit vicariously! It also motivates & encourages me to continue too.

Mark captures me putting the final touches to my blog post ! Adios amigos …..