Talavera de la Reina

17th May 2015

Around 6pm I arrived at the bus station in “Talavera de la Reina”. My host Vincenta and Vincent were waiting for me and told me, that the bus was a little late. I thought I was at the countryside now and my host will run a little farm, but I was so wrong! Talavera de la Reina is larger than the more well-known city of Toledo. First we went home to my host by walking, because they are living in the inner city and close to the bus station. After a talk and some refreshments we took a walk, during which they showed me all the “must see” points of the city. They also told me, that Talavera de la Reina is well-known for the legendary ceramics. You can see these ceramics everywhere in the city and they are very beautiful. This day it also was a fiesta in town – one they have every year at this time. We did not go closer there, but we heard the music. We came around some souvenir shops, too and I was thinking about, to buy a magnet for the fridge, but I could not decide which one. Though I did not take any souvenir with me from this place – only my photographs.

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Entrance to the Garden

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By the way, my host was not good in English by the lack of possibilities to use the language. Vincent was born in Peru and by that used English before, he told me. Vincenta was grown up in Spain and only knew English from their travels. My Spanish is very poor, even I tried to recall it before I was leaving Malta for this trip. I did it a little and I was happy, that I could tell about my family in Spanish. We also used “google translate” and another translating software (for iPhone, because Vincenta has an iPhone) for understanding each other and it worked! They treated me very well and I discovered, that this couple has a heart of gold!

18th May

I was not sure, what I should see this day. There are some museums, but exceptionally I did not feel to go to a museum. After the breakfast with Nescafé for me – Vincenta and Vincent does not drink coffee at all – and cereals with milk I got a key for their apartment, because Vincent was working all day long until 10pm and Vincenta was going to work in the afternoon and not coming home before 8pm or 9pm.

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Spring Water

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I walked around that little town and made some window shopping, bought the necessary things like more napkins and shower gel, tried a kind of cake looking like a big ear, which was covered with dark chocolate. It was for 1 EUR only and I became full of it – and it was tasty, too. I had forgotten the adapter of my 64GB card, what I use in the camera, but also in my tablet. I came along a photo shop and bought a 32GB card and I was happy when I was home on Malta again and that card did fit in my laptop, because the 64GB does not. From this day I use the 64GB in my tablet only and the 32GB in my camera. One thing I saw the first time in Spain – and my life – was the “walking go-man” traffic light at the pedestrians crossings. It seems very funny to me and I took a video of one of them. You have to know, that the green one is not only moving when it is on, but also moving faster when only some seconds are left to cross the street safely. The red “go-man” is not walking, but a one which stands with his legs apart like “do not pass”. Vincenta told me, that this “go-man” is for the children. You see, I am not old yet, because I can enjoy things like a child. I was keen about to take the video by my tablet, because the videos I take with my camera I can only play on my laptop.

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You’ll find the video on YouTube by the link: Go-Man Talavera de la Reina

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I enjoyed the park for hours – and was sitting on a bench in the shadow, because it was very hot this day. I also checked my emails and answered my Lisbon host, when I finally will arrive there.  Furthermore I mailed to the outdoor shop in Germany for my back pack, which has not arrived on Malta before I was leaving for my vacation. I also was thinking about to buy another pair of sandals. My hiking shoes felt very warm in this temperature. I did not do it, I saved my money ;-)! I left the park around 4 o’clock and tried to find a tapas-place, but did not.

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Ceramics in the Park

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Though I went into the other direction of the house where Vincenta and Vincent are living. There were not much to see, even there are some more shops. I looked for a special kind of blouse like I have seen them in Madrid, but did not find similar. I also was looking for a tapas bar again, but did not find one here either. Therefore I went to a super market, bought a cold cup of “cafe con leche”, a yogurt with cereals, a ham pie and another bottle of water. All these were for 3.66 EUR only. I left the super market by another door, than coming in, and had to find my way back by google maps. By this way I found the backstreets, which I always am interested in. Not everything is golden, what shines and here one will find the real soul of the area.

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Backstreet

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Coming back to Vincenta’s and Vincent’s home I ate the pie and thought, that Vincenta will later on invite me for a late dinner and to eat of the paella, which was on the cooker. I tried to use the time for learning a little more Spanish, but got tired and fall asleep. Unfortunately I slept until the next morning. There was no paella for me!

19th May

I had to awake early, because I wished to continue by bus to Valdepeñas with a long stop in Toledo. Though I was up at 7 o’clock and I apologized to Vincenta about sleeping so early that evening before and not tasting the paella. I really would have enjoyed to taste a home-made one. I became a hurry for catching the bus at 9 o’clock, but I did it!

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For more photos of Talavera de la Reina, click on pictures.

For following me further, click on Toledo.