“Then they saw thirty or forty windmills standing in a field. As soon as Don Quixote caught sight of them, he said to his companion:
– Fortune is guiding us better than we could have dreamed, for look, friend Sancho, there are thirty or even more giants of giants there, with whom I think to fight a battle and wipe them out of this world. And I also intend to enrich myself with the spoils I have gained from them. What a glorious war and what a glorious service to our Lord to eradicate such a vile seed from the earth.
– Which giants? – asked Sancho Panza.
– Those you see there – said his lordship – with great arms, which in some of them reach almost two miles.
– Take a good look, Your Grace – replied Sancho – for those who appear there are not giants, but windmills.”
(Translation by me and if Your Grace Miguel is offended by its quality, please forgive me)
We went to see what is probably the most famous windmill field in Castilla La Mancha, and perhaps in the whole of Spain. According to the register of estates, there were 34 windmills standing here in the 19th century, 10 are still standing today. During the day we looked at them carefully inside and out, and couldn’t believe how well preserved they were. We found out that they were illuminated in the evening, and as we were staying overnight in Alcázar de San Juan, 4 kilometers away, we decided to return before dusk. The illuminations, for some reason, were not there. We were a little disappointed at first, but as it turned out the natural light of sunset spread a much more magical atmosphere among these beautiful buildings. All we had to do was stand exactly there and press the shutter button at the right moment….
| location | Campo de Criptana, Castilla La Mancha, Spain |
| tripod/hand-held | tripod |
| ISO | 100 |
| aperture | f8 |
| exposure time | 1/320s |
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