May 2, 2010 -- Duane's Birthday

Today, after leaving Toledo, we travelled through Castilla-La Mancha, destination Avila. The trip took a couple of hours on a secondary road, travelling through small towns. The La Mancha countryside, made famous by Cervantes, is bucolic, flat and rolling, punctuated by occasional towns dominated by their respective castles. The winter in Spain has been unusually wet so the fields are mostly green although farmers obviously leave some of their fields fallow.

As we proceeded north we travelled though the Guada- harra Moun- tains, the flanks of which are parkland comprised of pine trees and the higher elevations rocky grazing land. On the northern side we descended a short way into Avila, a lovely town with an almost intact city wall.

We spent about an hour trying to find our hotel during which we saw a good deal of Avila, both the old town and the newer regions outside of the wall. We found the Paradore Avila following the instructions of a totally non-English speaking gentleman -- it certainly helps to know the words for left and right.

The Avila Parador is a hotel in a restored castle within the walls of this fortified city. Paradors are a chain of state-sponsored hotels built in restored monasteries, convents, castles and other charming old buildings and we decided to splurge as this is Duane's birthday.

Caitlin, Scott, Jody and Ryan phoned to wish Duane a Happy Birthday, which was a real treat as we have not spoken to them since we left four weeks ago.

Duane's special birthday dinner was in the hotel restaurant and as we had done some culinary research we decided to go with the regional specialties -- white bean soup with quail and chorizo, fried bread crumbs with grapes and chorizo, salad and roast suckling pig.

The first courses were unexceptional and eating the suckling pig was an experience. Carol's portion featured the neck portion with a pig's ear intact. Duane's was a front quarter complete with little toe nails on the foot. Carol just could not bring herself to eat either the ear or the meat behind the organ, and hinted that Duane might switch portions, to which he responded: "In a pig's ear will I switch." However, he soon relented and exchanged some of his flank meat, including crackle. It was extremely rich and very tasty, but he had much more than his share as Carol couldn't get the images of the little ear and feet from her mind.

When we went to bed Carol indicated complete confidence that she would never again order suckling pig; Duane suffered with indigestion.

This hotel is a castle and is lovely, but not extravagant. Still, it was a good choice and we shall undoubtedly enjoy our two nights here.

NB: After reading travel writer Rick Steve´s comment about roast suckling pigs Carol felt even worse about to-night´s meal. Steves says: ¨21 days of mother´s milk, into the oven, and on to your plate.¨