Where's Frankie?

A Host of Golden Pigeons?

Saturday 4th November

Frankie is cooling his poor tired feet, he’s had a hard day.

Yesterday I said we were still on plan and then I logged onto the internet and the plan went completely to pot. First off, Tina let us know that our pitch would be free on Sunday (tomorrow) and to hurry up before they use up all the sun. The weather forecast for Madrid was wet, wet, wet and Lucy made the executive decision that Madrid can wait, let’s go get us some sunny stuff.

MG 1553

After 350 gruelling miles battling through almost continuous wind and rain we have ended up in Chinchilla, just south of Albercete. It’s now just a short hop to Almafra. The road south from Madrid is shown as a toll road and since it stretched for over 150 miles we were expecting a serious toll fee. €2.80 in all. That’s the first toll road since Santander although we may have skirted around the tolls to the North.

The aire is very nice, all the services and no charges, something we really like. 

MG 1556

Walking into town we find a statue, Lucy insists that it isn’t the Ku Klux Klan and who am I to argue?

MG 1558

Chinchilla is known for the houses built into the mountain side, this was one of the nicer ones…

MG 1559

… and this is the one that I’ve put a bid on. All it needs is a lick of paint.

MG 1562

Wandering further up the mountain I spot some parrots and shout out to Lucy, “look, look, some parrots” but she shot me down in flames, they were just pigeons with their winter coats on.

MG 1570

It looks like lots of them had just been shopping and were flying round and round cooing “Look at me in my new winter coat” (but in pigeon Spanish of course).

MG 1572

Up the top of the highest mountain Lucy has climbed today the views were stunning in all directions.

MG 1576

One of the deepest moats I think I have ever seen and the views stretched for miles.

MG 1577

Not sure if the castle is ever open, it was built in the 15th century by Don Juan de Villena (who you’ve never heard of) and lived in by Cesare Borgia (who you might have).

We’ve been chatting to another British couple from West Yorkshire, we’ve invited them over to drink the Vino del Dia that I didn’t drink yesterday but they have had a better offer so might not be over (Flamenco dancing in the village hall for €3 per ticket). I was up for it but Lucy said I am never to wear another dress again.

Adios Amigos.

One thought on “A Host of Golden Pigeons?

  1. Dennis Walland

    Hi Markie and Lu

    Have just read the latest three blogs in one go. Well done, sounds as if you are back on track with your travels. I really enjoy the photos and you have put a couple of ideas into my bucket

    Keep well and we hope to catch up some time this or next year

    Denzil

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: