Spain 41 - Aranjuez/what a difference a week makes/my name is Qweniffer/no pictures

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After our pleasant night we to our overnight stop which was going to be Desperadoes. Camping Los Desperrannos had been brilliant last week. Good plots, pleasant company but a touch expensive as ACSI rate had not kicked in. Today well it had changed and instead of over 25 euros a night we were down to a more pleasant 17. But what a difference a week makes. I want to continue singing 24 little hours but it does not quite fit. As we drove through the gate the site looked as empty as last week. It is back end of the short summer season here in Spain. The man on reception recognised me "You come back " he said . I smiled and said yes handing him our passports. He smiled at me " Your passports " and pointed to the computer. He had remembered that we had trouble with them last week. He gave me plot 92 next door to the one we stayed at before. A decent sized plot with views again over the road and the quiet fields full of olive trees. To the side of us a dutch couple who exchanged an hello and then got on with what they were doing. I found the dog muck left behind by some dog owner ready for an unsuspecting camper to walk in. The site had still left two spaces between everyone. Behind us Stu and Pam . Probably not their names they just had a personalised number plate ending in PAM. They spoke to Mr Lancashire man. Broad accent and talked about boating in the Lake District . Next to them the German couple with the nasty Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The type of breed muzzled or classed as a dangerous dog back home. He barked and snarled at everyone who walked past and even tried to escape pulling the awning away with him. We went off to the restaurant down the road and sat with a coca cola and some snacks. Toast with salmon on - delicious. We ate out at night in the cafe on site , two wines to send us to sleep and a rather poor chicken and chips. Before bed the children or teenagers came out screaming and yelling and a man walked the road below us whistling a two tone note. He went on for ages but the consensus before we slept was that he would never win One man and his dog.

We were glad to get away and were heading for the outskirts of Madrid to Aranjuez the summer home of the Spanish royal family who came out to escape the city heat. They built a palace by the river and it was to this palace we wanted to visit . But first the campsite Camping International a 20 minutes walk from the town. It was hard to find even with Sally Sat Nag. We came to a round about and approached it gingerly. It did not look like one and the instructions she threw out at us did not correspond with the view on the ground. The only choice we had was get off the roundabout turn round and approach it from the other side. This we did and we found the park near to the camp ground. We followed the river Tajo, saw folks fishing. A sort of different man shed where they don't talk to each other. They just fish all day. We saw someone wild camping. So what of Camping International ? Huge ACSI site with no sign of being back end of the season. A good reception who told me the weekend was busy with visitors escaping the city for a break but it would quieten down by Monday. We were given plot 93 a dark plot squeezed between two permanent plots full of caravans and awnings, two cars and a lot of shouting children. We did not like the spot and were told that if we really did not want it we could move . Across the pitch was 56 now that looked more the business. So we unplugged , moved and settled in next to a British couple. She came over and said how busy it was. She asked where I worked . I told her the jobcentre. A smile came to her face. I used to work there she said until I took early retirement on ill health grounds. She was born in Stockport but lived in Lytham St Annes . She had rented her home out and bought another in Murcia . She had cancer and was being treated in Spain rather than England. She told me she worked on NUBS 2 which instantly took me back to 1991. To inputting Datatype 210 for a new claim and evidence using bar codes.

We left them to their own devices and went to pick up a map on how to get back to the palace. It was a long hot walk on a late summers afternoon. The corn was ripening along the road, the fishermen were still there catching what looked like elvers. We crossed the river into the park and walked into town.

The park - well it was big. Full of mature plane trees and formed a shady retreat from the sun. Thank heavens for royalty who took this land and at least protected it savagely until it was given back to the town as a park to be enjoyed by all rather than by the priviledged few. This had been one of the Royal estates of the Crown of Spain since the times of Philip II in 1560. It took a while to cross the road. The roads are wide and the traffic was heavy. We had to wait some while to get across with the little green man helping us. On either side of the palace are gardens. A parterre garden and Queen Isabellas garden. The palace itself is brick built with stone in the upper reaches. The bricks look pink from a distance making it feel quite a feminine palace . Entrance fee 5 euros each for being pensioners , basic rate 10 euros each , Wednesdays free for EU citizens . The place was heaving today with a long queue to the ticket office so what it would be like on the free day is unimaginable . It took an age to get the ticket .

Inside the first thing we saw was a carriage , black not ornate in any way, shape or form. Sadly no description as to what it was or who used it. The second room contained the wedding dresses of various royal queens. A quick lesson in wedding dress design over the ages. Long and short veils, lots of lace , no lace at all, all silk and satin. High collars , low busted affairs .

We walked to the stairs a grand affair with a lovely ceiling and a chandelier that hung and glistened from the ceiling . I photographed it. Glenn was already up the stairs and ahead of me a vigilante security guard was shouting at me "No photographs" Normally you can take pictures as long as you refrain from using flash but here no touching- everyone was behind plastic screens and definately no photos. How can you take it all in and remember it. We went from room to room . We looked at clocks, we looked at furniture Each room had more bizarre wallpaper than the last . Nothing calm and collected . Vivid green and stripes. One room with the walls covered in porcelain. The best room for me though was the Arab room . A concoction of every jewel like colour known to man. Geometric patterns filled the tiny room. It was in a sense overbearing as it was so small. Only two people fitted in with space to spare. If I wanted one photo it was of this room. Each niche as tiny as it was was filled with colour jade green, emerald blue, diamonds, silver and gold, aquamarine, ruby red, it glittered and shone . I dont remember the bedrooms . I dont remember the throne rooms perhaps we did not see them. I think the guided tour took in more of the palace but for me my money was well spent on seeing this one gem of a room. I just wish I had the photos for our Albelli book and to share with you. But there again there is always the good old T'interweb where you find photos of anything .

Our visit was all too short as we headed back home. Another long walk but in the cool of the evening. Our evening entertainment was food . The menu del dia at the restaurant on the campsite. We expected little as the front of the restaurant is fast food. We had no idea that behind was an indoor space and an outdoor terrace. We sat outside eating a special salad with chopped beetroot , sweetcorn , a lot of different fish and Glenn and I even ate the stringy fish things I dont know what they were off the top. Tasty they were too, I ate aubergine stuffed with ham and cheese and lying in a bed of thick tomatoe washing down with a bottle of red wine. Our main meals were pork with a rochefort cheese . 10/10 for service and for flavour . All in all a good meal. By this time the crowds had gone home. The weekenders had left . The tenters taken their tents done and headed home. It was actually quite peaceful and for once we had a darn good nights sleep . Tomorrow Madrid with all its madness . I shall explain Qwennifer tomorrow if that' s allright with you.

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Comments

[RENanDREW]

Beautiful
What a stunning room! :)

[JenGog]

aranjuez
Wow it was just that absolutely stunning in its colour