Windmill White

WINDMILL WHITE

The last colour in our journey is a colour that in light is made of all the other colours, but in pigment represents the unpainted canvas, a colour that in some ways doesn’t exist:-White. it’s the colour of clouds, of purity, of dreams. 

WHITE WALL IN THE ALHAMBRA

WHITE GORGON IN GROTTO AT ARANJUEZ

WHITE MARBLE BACCHUS

CARVED VIRGIN IN WHITE LACE DRESS

WHITE WISTERIA IN GENERALIFE GARDENS

In Spain we see white sculptures and white buildings, carved Virgins dressed in glowing white gowns, white confirmation robes, white weddings, white flowers, white-clad nuns.

Our trip to discover the heart of Spanish culture has been a dream, permeated by reality, like the balance between Don Quixote’s noble imaginings and Sancho Panza’s earthy grip on reality. But reality is catching up with us,  we delay it with one more dream, the only place to visit on our return journey from magical Granada back to the serious North, and our ferry home, is Castillle La Mancha, the setting for the journey of Cervantes’ iconic character, Don Quixote.

ALMONACID CASTLE

CASTELLATIONS LIKE BROKEN TEETH

We stay in a strange newly-built hotel surrounded by modern windmills, near a gravel pit. Otherwise the landscape is beautiful; we see birds of prey, partridges and hares. Wild poppies, cornflowers and orchids grow in the hedgerows. The nearest village is Almonacid de Toledo, which has a creepy, deserted hill top castle, reminiscent of broken teeth in a jaw. Almost all the towns in this area have castles, in various conditions. The one in Ubeda is perfect.

UBEDA CASTLE

DON QUIXOTE CURTAINS IN UBEDA

In the heart of La Mancha is Consuegra, the place of the windmills that Don Quixote famously titled at, mistaking them for giants. They are straddled along the top of a hill overlooking a hill top castle and a rather tired little town. 

DON QUIXOTE SILHOUETTE

OUR FIRST VIEW OFTHE WINDMILLS

A SOLITARY WINDMILL

WINDMILL CLUSTER

IT'S BLOWY AROUND HERE........

AN UPSIDE-DOWN DON QUIXOTE WITH DISTANT CASTLE

This surreal image fits as the final picture in our blog. It's been an amazing trip and we can't wait to start making art from the inspiration we found here!