12 de abril
We said our goodbyes to the capital city of Madrid this morning as we journeyed south towards Granada. On our drive we stopped in a small town in Castilla de Mancha called Consuegros where we able to view the windmills depicted in Cervantes' famous piece Don Quixote. This piece of work is second in publishing worldwide, only to the Bible. There we walked to the top of the windmill to see how they were used to grind grain. In the story Don Quixote believes he needs to fight the arms of the windmill!
Tonight we drove to the old caves on the side of the mountains in Granada to experience Flamenco with an old gypsy family that has been teaching for many years. The show was in the cave that was their home many years ago. Former First Lady Michelle Obama and the former King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia have visited the family to experience flamenco shows there as well! There are 5 elements of flamenco dancing, guitar, casanovas, clapping, shouting and cheering on the dancers. The word flamenco comes from the Arabic word fellahmengu meaning "expelled pheasants" because during the Spanish Inquisition the gypsies, Jews, and Muslims all lived in the caves in the mountains to be able express themselves freely. Hence the caves where they lived and now dance! The family served us a traditional family dish and we finally had flan for dessert! After dinner we walked through the old winding stone streets to an overlook of the Alhambra and the entire city of Granada all glowing in the night.
Tomorrow we experience the Alhambra and a walking tour of Granada before heading to Sevilla.
It looks like you are all having a great trip. Thank you so much for keeping us updated! Be safe and have fun.
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