On Friday I loaded the car and off we went back to Toledo where we stayed two nights at the Parador. Having set the SatNav before we left on our way out we had no problems and found that there was an exit from the motorway on Toledo's south side that was a direct route to the Parador. I was amazed to see the Parador listed on the standard traffic signs. Suddenly we were there without having to drive through Toledo at all. We were in the same room as three weeks before. So we had the same fantastic view of Toledo. The great thing about this Parador is that dinner is served outside on the terrace where guests can see the lights of the old streets and the floodlit Alcazar and Cathedral. There was no interference by insects as flares were burned along the terrace each evening.
Saturday morning saw us taking a taxi to the Monastery of San Juan de Los Reyes. This is famous for the beautiful cloisters on two levels and the chains of Christian prisoners released from Granada in medieval times. There were so many carved figures and attendant stone filigree designs to capture our attention. In the middle was the garden which was out of bounds. Actually, the garden needed some attention as weeds were growing and hedges needed cutting. We came out and turned left to see the inside of the church. There was a wedding going on at the front of the nave. The wedding car was parked outside and we were reminded of a visit to Cuitadella in Menorca where family cars were used and decorated with white ribbons on the door handles. They do not share our tradition of using limousines.
We went along the street in the hope of visiting the synagogue known as St Maria La Blanca, but found it to be disabled unfriendly. We then opted to take lunch. We were just outside a nice looking restaurant so we went inside and found it was run by a Spaniard and a Frenchman. We sampled some of their home made cheese. It was gorgeous. Another dish was large prawns. I have never tasted prawns like them. They were so succulent and tasty! Our main course was diced deer (venison) in a tasty sauce.
Afterwards we took a taxi to Zocodover Plaza for our customary session of people watching. We spent an hour there and then went across to a shop which sells a variety of marzipan confections. Having made our purchases we got a taxi back to the Parador. Pauline was not too pleased as the taxi driver lowered a ramp at the rear and pushed her and the wheelchair into the car. He was obviously trying to do his best for her but she felt wrong sitting in the chair behind me.
The next day was Sunday which meant we were off to Santander to prepare for our boarding the ferry next day. We were looked after very well again at Hotel Chateau La Roca and had a lovely chat with the manager, Reyes, when she came in the following day.
Having checked out, we drove over to Camillas, about 25 miles away. It is a small fishing port with a lovely beach and beautiful houses all round. We enjoyed the peaceful experience. After an hour we drove back to Santander and awaited our boarding of the Pont-Aven. We left an hour late but arrived in Portsmouth on Tuesday only 15 minutes late.
The drive to my cousin's house in Sutton Coldfield was not without event. The Satnav re-calculated our route because of congestion on the main route. What happened? We ran into a huge traffic jam on the M25 where 4 cars had collided! There was I, happily aircraft spotting as we sat beneath the flight path into Heathrow. At this point the aircraft were only just above us. Eventually we got to Sutton Coldfield for 7.30pm instead of 6.00p. We had a pleasant evening meal with Brian & Heather and a long talk about when we were young and there were no PCs and no mobile phones.
Yesterday we left for home and had a good driving experience without hiccups. Mind you, when I consulted SatNav for filling stations it took me to one that was now a car wash and the other was a convenience store! We set the SatNav for home and found a filling station on the route to the M6.
This year we had our very best holiday ever. We were so relaxed and comfortable. It is our intention to visit Spain for some years to come. Soon we shall be booking our sailing etc.
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