This post is about the second trip that my study abroad program organized for us, that we took this past Friday, October 7. It included visiting the small town of Chinchón, located in the Madrid Community, and La Mancha, made famous as the setting for Cervantes' Don Quixote.
Chinchón is only about a 40 minute drive outside of Madrid. It is a small town filled with delicious bakeries, known for its olives, olive oil, anis, and garlic. We wandered around with our tour guides, Celia and Blanca, and learned about the town's history. My favorite part was Plaza Mayor, because when there is a corrida del toros (bullfight) in Chinchón, it occurs in Plaza Mayor. When we were there, the barriers for the plaza del toros were up, but no corrida was occurring that day. It was still very cool to see and imagine.
We were given a little free time to check out the shops in the center of town. We went straight to the bakery we had passed on the tour, which boasted pastries such as Pelotas de Fraile and Tetas de Novicia. If you don't speak Spanish, I will allow you to translate those frases on your own. I ended up eating some more traditional Spanish treats called Hojuelas and Pestiños de Miel. They were very delicious and filling.
Next we continued our tour, and visited the church and theater of the town. Inside the church is a painting by Goya, that is there because his brother used to run the church and monasteries in Chinchón. From where these building are in the town, there were some beautiful views.
We left Chinchón to head to Puerto Lápice, where the famous restaurant Venta del Quijote is located. It is within the region of La Mancha, and much of the decor is based on Quijote. The food was delicous, all very standard Manchego cuisine. We were sure to document everything we ate.
After lunch, we headed off to visit Las Molinas (windmills) and un castillo (castle). The windmills are set on top of a hill, in order to get good wind. We got to take a tour around the castle, which was very cool. Then we went inside a windmill and got to see how it worked. Windmills were an important part of the social life, as well as the survival of the townspeople. Women, usually, would come to the molinero and pay him to grind their grain, and while they waited they would catch up on the local gossip with the other women waiting. The molinero and his wife, the molinera, lived in the windmill, which was owned by the town. I learned a lot that I never knew about how windmills work.
Pictures to follow soon
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