Many would think that windmills are found only in Holland - not true! Here is a collection of 12 windmills (several still in working order) found in Consuegra, 70km south of Toledo, or 130km from Madrid, in the province of Castilla-La Mancha.
The town of Consuegra is really charming, and the windmills sprout on top of the hill and watches over the town. The imposing castle that sits on one end of the hill was constructed in the 10th century, and for 350 years it went through an uninterrupted period of construction, a feat that is only matched by the diligence of the grain millers who worked generations after generations in the windmills next to it. The mills stopped production only in the 1980s, and at least five or even six of them are still in working order. The castle is now under reconstruction. When I was there we weren't allow to go into it as work was being carried out. As of latest update, about 50% of the castle is restored, two out of the three towers are opened to public. I am definitely going back again!
These windmills are grain mills, obviously not water mills as there is no water in this area. Wheat was grown abundantly, and the mills have been in operation for generations. A simple construction, really; somehow modern men are brought up with such an array of complicated electronic gadgets that we forget the basics of garnering the power of nature. One of the mills is opened for viewing (with an entrance fee of 1.50€), but the schematics - simple as it is - look 10 times more complicated then the latest version of Windows.
If you have an extra day after visiting Madrid or Toledo, this part of Castilla-La Mancha definitely worth a visit.
(Spanish-only website) http://www.consuegra.es/
為了要改正很多人都以為「風車是荷蘭的尃利」的錯誤觀念，我要在這裏介紹一下西班牙的風車。這一系列有十二個的風車在 Castilla-La Mancha 省的 Consuegra，位於 Toledo 南面七十公里，距離馬德里 (Madrid) 一百三十公里。從前磨坊工人每天就在風車旁邊辛勤工作，工作世代相傳，直至二十世紀八十年代，風車磨穀才慢慢開始被淘汰。現在仍然有五至六個風車可以運作。
在 Consuegra，風車屹立在山丘上面，飽覽著整個小鎮的美麗景色，而氣勢雄偉的城堡則在另一端，構成一幅非常優美的風景畫。Consuegra 城堡的興建開始於公元十世紀，在之後的三百五十年興建公程都一直不間斷地進行。幾年前我曾到這裏，希望可以到城堡參觀，但是由於重建工程進行我不能內進。現在城堡仍然在重建中。根據最新的資料，城堡有大概一半的復修工作已經完成，三座塔樓之中已經有兩座開放予公眾參觀。我一定會回去看一看這座城堡！
雖然 Consuegra 是一個没有河流水源的地區，但是穀物生長得非常茂盛，所以這裏的風車都是磨穀用的。我們現代用的機器都有著非常複雜的設計，配以各式各樣的機件；我們大概已經忘記了從前我們怎樣利用簡單的風車原理加上自然的力量去工作。其中一個風車可以開放給公眾參觀，入場費1.50歐元。
如果你到馬德里或 Toledo 遊覽，不妨預留一天到 Castilla-La Mancha 的這部份，必定會令你的旅程更加完美。
官方網頁(只有西班牙文) - http://www.consuegra.es/
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