Middle-aged flash packers

Technically only two of the places we intend to visit are in La Mancha but I liked the title and two out of three isn’t bad according to Meatloaf. 

Famous for Manchego cheese, wine and windmills, a week pottering around Cuenca, Toledo and San Lorenzo de El Escorial sounded just the ticket.

The only downside appeared to be Madrid airport – will the new and highly disorganised biometric system have us queuing for hours, will our luggage arrive ( baggage handlers strike) and will our plane actually fly (air traffic control strike)? Are we tilting at windmills when a cool, wet and cloudy but predictable week in the Lake District might have sufficed? 

Well Meatloaf, you’re right again. Our plane flew and arrived, our baggage arrived but we did queue for some time….however it could have been worse.

At first the line(s) looked horrendous and there were the usual people who rushed to the front and pretended to look at their phones while surreptitiously sneaking in front of the benighted people who try to do the right thing and take their turn. I do hope when the pusher-ins reach the pearly gates, they are sent to join an everlasting , never ending queue.

Anyway we eventually got to the biometric machines after an hour and guess what? It was easy. No problems at all. Press your hand onto the screen, answer a few questions, done. Added bonus, our baggage arrived at the perfect moment.

One not very good thing was the state of Madrid airport. It leaks like a sieve. We were welcomed to Spain with a very heavy downpour and the beautifully designed but poorly constructed building was awash. I didn’t see anyone fall but the chances of broken bones today are high.

Car collection was easy as was the drive and in no time at all we arrived at our hotel in Cuenca.

Very conveniently there is a Supermercado just across the road from us so wine , breakfast and nibbles were purchased.

We ate in a restaurant just down the road and dinner was tapas oriented. I say oriented as S cannot imagine that he could possibly be satisfied with just a couple of plates so basically the whole menu was ordered. The restaurant was very pleased but Steve will be eating stuffed potato balls for many days to come as a doggy bag was provided.

Tomorrow we will attempt a full day’s sightseeing of Cuenca, and I for one will be avoiding tapas in particular, potato balls.