Page:A Handbook for Travellers in Spain - Vol 1.djvu/225

The Castiles. VII. Visit the stables; there are some fine Padres y Garañones for breeding from mares and asses; the females are allowed to wander at liberty over a district of great extent. This establishment was renewed in 1876: English sires, dams, and grooms were then introduced.

Aranjuez has a Plaza de Toros, and a tolerable theatre. On a hill to the 1. (going to Ocaña) is a pond, here called, as usual, the sea—el mar de Ontigola.

Rly. in construction from Aranjuez by Tarancon to Cuenca.

The rly. from Aranjuez to Toledo leaves the main line at

9$1⁄2$ m. Castillejo Junct. Stat.; thence a branch line to Toledo (2 trains daily in 1$1⁄2$ hr.).

Travellers who wish to go to the South from Toledo change carriages here; but it is preferable to start from Madrid (see ‘Indicador’).

7$1⁄2$ m. Algodor Stat.

Railway in construction by Aranjuez and Tarancon to Cuenca, open 1882 as far as Tarancon. Meanwhile diligence from Madrid daily.

The following are the Railway stations. The line will be continued eventually to Valencia.

Aranjuez Stat. Pop. 8155. Rte. 4.

4$1⁄4$ m. Ontigola Stat. Pop. 546.

2$1⁄2$ m. Ocaña Stat. Pop. 4898.

2$1⁄2$ m. Noblejas Stat. Pop. 2162.

5$1⁄2$ m. Villarrubia Stat. Pop. 2722.

3$1⁄4$ m. Santa Cruz Stat. Pop. 2225.

2 m. Tarancon Stat. Pop. 4464.

Diligences from Madrid every other day by Guadalajara, 13 hours. For route by rail to Guadalajara, see Rte. 149. The accommodation at Cuenca poor.

N.B. The sportsman or artist may also go round by the Baños del Sitio Real de Isabel, and thence make, with his rod, gun, or brushes, over the wild mountains to Cuenca.

The diligence-road leaves Madrid by the Atocha gate, and passes through Vallecas (Pop. 3124) to

10 m. Vacia Madrid. Railway in construction to Arganda. Soon afterwards the Jarama is crossed a little above its junction with the Manzanares. The dreary character of the vicinity of Madrid begins to diminish near

3$1⁄2$ m. Arganda (Pop. 3022), with its suspension-bridge, olives, vines, and corn-fields; the excellent red wine made here is much drunk in the ca- pital, where it passes for Valdepeñas.

7 m. Perales (Pop. 1512) lies in a rich valley watered by the Tajuña, which, coming from the Sierra de Selorio, joins the Henares. Crossing it we enter

6$3⁄4$ m. Villarejo de Salvañes (Pop. 3020), with a fine ruined castle; the Gothic parish church contains some pictures by Pedro Orrente.

7 m. Fuentedueña de Tajo (Pop. 1094). Here the Tajo is crossed in a boat. The fine suspension-bridge was destroyed, at General Prim’s suggestion, in 1866. At the right is a Moorish castle. Another monotonous track, with here and there some of Don Quijote’s windmills, leads to Tarancon.

10 m. Tarancon, where the Parador de las Diligencias is very bad: Pop. 4464. It is situated in a plain on the bank of the Rianzares. ‘This town is one of some traffic, being in the middle of many cross communications.