Exit - pursued by angry tax payers

 Big open spaces then two settlements in as many days.  We are going for Argamasila de Calatrava with spirit and alacrity. 

What we said yesterday, you know, depopulation, resettlement in the 13th century, that stuff.  Same as today really.

Spanish wiki says ‘D. José de Hosta, author of Chronicle of the Province of Ciudad Real (1865), stated  that the town had 2149 inhabitants, with 350 one- and two-story houses distributed around a fairly spacious square and twelve cobbled streets, though poorly maintained. The town hall was rebuilt in 1776 on the site of the former granary, which had served as a jail. The land within its municipal boundaries is flat, sandy, and dry, but it has some orchards irrigated by waterwheels, reaching slightly towards the Puertollano mountain range. The roads between towns are all cart tracks but poorly maintained. Among the crops grown are wheat, barley, rye, chickpeas, beans, legumes, wine, and some olive oil. Sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs are raised there, and there is an abundance of game, both large and small, carnivorous animals, vipers, scorpions, and tarantulas. In the village there are several shops, bakeries, two oil mills and some other establishments, and the women are dedicated to making lace for the factory in Almagro.’

Actually, the next bit of wiki is a wonderful bit of understatement ‘Another unfortunate event in the history of this town was the burning of the municipal archives on the night of May 7-8, 1898. The pretext was a rise in the consumption tax, which was poorly received by the population as they were going through a difficult economic period. As a result, the townspeople (especially the women) rioted and stormed the Town Hall and the Courthouse , which also housed the Civil Registry . They threw furniture, paintings, windows, curtains, and all the documents and books from the balconies into the public square, building a large bonfire with everything while chasing the mayor, who managed to escape by fleeing across rooftops and over walls.’

The town matches Puertrollonia in many regards, other than it held on to its PSOE Mayor and its population peaked at 7374 and now stands around 5800.

In the centre of town, which seems to be mostly a dormitory, is Choringuito.  As the menu that went up on Instagram 115 weeks ago it may not be current.  Toast and marmalade came in at 1.80 euros.   Five months ago Gema said  ‘It's a great place, very centrally located, close to everything. They serve a proper glass of Salobreña wine here, not half empty like in other bars. I should also mention that they have a power outlet ripped from the wall on one of the tables, which is especially dangerous for children. ‘

On the way out we pass the Antigua fabrica de bebidas. There are now reviews and no information..  Let us make one up.

Three stars - the drinks were not that old and the place was open when we went.

So we end the day.