Escalona: reunion with the Lazarillo de Tormes
[tab:Travel]
If there is a long outstanding debt is to visit the scenes of the books that marked my childhood. So I was in the main square of Escalona. This medieval town of Toledo stamp Lazarillo de Tormes put the land in between the blind after he served a cruel trick.
Coming up the road to Escalona who rolls up his sleeves as nervous to dig more memory tremprana, that of the first classes of the old wooden desks, the readings of such classics of literature to which we always leaned out fear. Lazarillo de Tormes was one of those works that had to read it or do in the early years of the former GBS. With books like this many discovered that reading could be, also, funny. Lazarillo was a rogue friendly, one of those timeless characters that make you laugh grandchildren with the same intensity with which their grandparents laughed identical situations.
The castle seems determined to remember past glories of a villa that was one of the strongholds of the Crown of Castile
After crossing the river Alberche, the road leaves you in front of the castle luck, determined to remember past glories of a villa that was one of the strongholds of the Crown of Castile. You could visit the fortress (Saturday morning tours are organized) or soak in the history of the place overwhelming, but first I want to get close to main square, dedicated to his fellow countryman Infante Don Juan Manuel, author of another gem of Spanish literature, Count Lucanor.
In one of these arcades, home of a shoemaker, they would stop and the blind seeing-eye after the well-known story of the bunch of grapes that both struggled to devour deceiving the mutual. At an inn in the village, the protagonist was a good lesson from his master after changing a tasty sausage grilled by a turnip "Larguillo and ruinous". After discovering the scheme by the smell of his breath, The beating was so great that if they do not come to his aid some neighbors "I did not leave me alive". Lazarillo decided to flee but not before reckoning with the "wicked blind".
Still in Escalona, the odd couple walked the cobblestone streets begging. But since it was raining, eventually taking refuge "under some portals" (presumably in the arcaded main square). As there was no way of doing business, the blind man asked his guide to take him to the inn. When Lazarillo were opened wide the doors of his vengeance, and warned the blind man they had to cross a stream coming down overgrown, but they would jump where the channel narrowed more. "Llévama to that place where the stream ensangosta", pleaded the blind trust. Lazarillo and wove its strategy. "I, I saw the rig to my wish-explained in the work- Make the sites below and take it right to a pillar or stone post in the square was ". Once in front of him, told they were in the narrowest passage of the stream and encouraged him to jump.
In the street leading to the Puerta de San Miguel, one of the historic entrances to the wall, where there are good butchers stock up on local produce
Better be seeing-eye himself who explains what happened next. "As soon as he had just said when the poor blind man rushes like a goat, full force and lashes, taking a step back from the running for biggest jump, and hits his head on the pole, that sounded as loud as if it gave a great pumpkin, and then fell back, half dead and his head split. How, and smelled the sausage and not the post? ¡Be! ¡Be! -I said ". Descalabrado the blind, The boy fled to the career of Escalona and before nightfall was already in the neighboring Torrijos.
Today, the place still looks the arcades but there is no plate, at least I was not able to find, remember this funny passage from Lazarillo de Tormes. Located in the center of the walled reciento that protects from the twelfth century the town, has a bandstand and a beautiful facade of City Hall. Right, on the street that leads to San Miguel Gate, one of the historic open access at mile perimeter wall, where there are good butchers stock up on products of the earth.
I like to walk by the dry beds of rivers that were once plentiful. It's a good lesson in humility, the perfect metaphor for the fragility of any human achievement
Interestingly, the Seeing Eye does not refer at any time the imposing Castle of Escalona, watchword of the town, illustrious valid home as Don Alvaro de Luna or the Marquis de Villena. For its privileged position in the defense of Toledo, this fortress played throughout history a major role. Here we have aired insults noble and inheritance rights as those faced Isabella and Juana la Beltraneja. Some of that historical substrate guess the walls crumbling castle, kindness, like so many other outrages to our heritage- Napoleon's troops. At least, soldiers used small stones leader demolished to build a bridge over the river Alberche.
Particularly in the Alberche, 25 feet below, I bid Escalona. Its low flow much diminished by the lack of rain, to the point where the river is now, largely, a vast sandy. I like to walk by the dry beds of rivers that were once plentiful. It's a good lesson in humility, the perfect metaphor for the fragility of any human achievement. The walls of the old castle are reflected, in this time of sunset, in the meandering Alberche (see photo of home), to which the town is looking out for a day passed, who knows, the most universal lazarillo Spanish letters.
[tab:Practical Guide]
-The castle can be visited with a guide on Saturdays from 9:00 to 1:30, always in groups. After hours, access is closed.
-There are several restaurants in Escalona. The tourists will have no trouble eating in the municipality. If you decide on a budget option, "The Moon" (opposite the castle, on the slope that rises to the square, the other side of the road) does not disappoint. His Castilian soup is really good and the menu (twelve euros) is at height.
-Before crossing the bridge over the Alberche towards the hamlet, and with the castle in sight, there is a diversion of land to the right that leads along the river, from where you take the best photos of Fort. Next door is a picnic area with an outdoor terrace ideal for leave of Escalona.
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