April 30 – May 2

We would have a fairly easy four-hour drive from Valencia to Toledo leaving us with some time for a side trip or two. 

Our first one was to detour to check out the Windmills of Campo de Criptana.  Famous for being featured in the novel Don Quixote (“At this point they caught sight of thirty or forty windmills which were standing on the plain…”) they were mentioned in a 19th century land registry drawn up at the behest of the Marqués de la Ensenada that shows 34 windmills in existence at that time, each clearly marked with the name of the mill and that of its owner.  Today, ten windmills can be seen from afar, with their original structure and machinery preserved.  Visitors can tour the inside of the mills, although we did not get a chance to do so. 

We drove on and with time to kill before checking into our hotel, and it being time for a late lunch, we stopped in at Alkeria, a highly rated restaurant that Joanna found online.  We walked through its attractive patio and inside, wondering if they were open as there were no other patrons.  We were then greeted by an employee, perhaps the owner, who sat us down and offered us menus.  From there on we proceeded to have one of the nicer meals of the trip, starting with a delicious soup similar to the Salmorejo Cordobes we enjoyed in Cordoba, that traditional creamy soup of Andalusia, that was a little different, but just as good. 

Joanna and I both had a beer, the Tercio Hahou to go along with her order of Tagliarella Mar y Montana, a nice pasta dish with Mussels and other pieces of seafood while I thoroughly enjoyed the first of many pork tenderloin dishes I would enjoy during the trip, the Solomillo de Cerdo, perfectly cooked with Potato Parmentier (small cubes of potatoes, typically roasted with garlic and herbs until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside) and mushrooms in plum sauce.  It was an excellent meal, and the tab came to 53 Euros ($60) for the three of us. 

Completely happy after that nice meal, we drove the short distance into Toledo and entered the old part of town through the Puerta de Bisagra, a 10th-century arched stone gate dating from the era of Moorish rule and a few blocks later found Hotel Abad, our lodging for the next three nights.  This older property, nicely restored, has two types of accommodations, typical hotel rooms in the main building and a separate apartment building next door featuring one- and two-bedroom suites with kitchens.  This would be one of the more expensive stops of the trip at 692 Euros ($837) including 36 Euros for parking for the three of us for three nights.  But it was well worth it be inside the walls. 

We parked the car temporarily in a pull out next to the hotel and went inside to check in.  We were then advised to grab our bags and follow a clerk to our rooms.  As the hotel advertised that it had an elevator, when they took us across the small street to the other building (we had booked one of the multi-room suites), we discovered that this building didn’t have one and as we were on the top (fourth) floor, it would mean hauling our bags up all of those stairs. 

Well, sweet, good-natured Joanna blew a gasket and in quite likely the loudest voice I’ve ever heard her utter told the clerk in no uncertain terms that she was not going to carry her bag up those stairs.  An impasse ensued until Bev and I took charge of the situation and began hauling our bags up the stairs.  Joanna would soon calm down and eventually return to the front desk to apologize for her outburst, a good sign as this would not be the last set of steep stairs we would face on the trip. 

We unpacked and relaxed a bit for the rest of the afternoon, enjoying some wine and Tinto Veranos before heading out in the early evening for some dessert, up the hill on the way to Plaza de Zocodover, the main gathering spot in town.  Our destination was part way up the incline,Terraza del Miradero, a restaurant with a large outdoor patio. 

It was a beautiful evening, and we sat outside enjoying the warm night air, sipping on drinks and ordering a couple of desserts and although I can’t recall their names, looking at their pictures reminds me just how good they were.  We loitered on the plaza for quite some time and then just before sunset, made our way back down the hill to Hotel Abad and our cozy apartment for a good night’s sleep. 

The next morning, we began a full day of walking by heading up the hill to Plaza de Zocodover, the central hub of the city and during most of its history, acting as its main square.  Part of it was designed by Juan de Herrera during the reign of Philip II, it has been where Horses, donkeys, foals, mares, mules and other animals were sold when Toledo was a Spanish-Muslim city.  The city’s most important market takes place here, as it has for centuries and it is now held on Tuesdays.  Today it thrives as the meeting point where taxis and buses from the train and bus stations drop off arriving visitors. 

Surprisingly modest for the main square of one of Spain’s finest and most historic towns, the word “Zocodover” derives from the Arabic for “livestock market.”  This was once the scene of Inquisition judgments and bullfights, but it’s now a lot more peaceful.  Like an incoming tide, day-trippers from Madrid flood the square with the arrival of each morning train.  Still, for locals—young and old—this is the town’s gathering place.  We would begin our St. Steves walking tour from here, and we will cover that in our next post.

Links

Alkeria: https://wanderlog.com/place/details/12394753/restaurante-alkeria

Hotel Abad: https://www.hotelabad.com/en/

Terraza del Miradero: https://www.facebook.com/TerrazaMiradero

Plaza de Zocodover: https://www.visitacity.com/en/toledo/attractions/plaza-de-zocodover