Madrid at a glance

is it the Don Quixote sculpture?

You are right.
The sculpture is Don Quixote and his servant Sancho Panza.

DON QUIXOTE

by Miguel de Cervantes(1547-1616)

In a little village in La Mancha, Spain, there lived a gentleman named Alonso Quijano. He was a thin man of fifty years or so.

Quijano's hobby was to read books about knights who traveled everywhere to save young ladies, to fight giants, and to kill dragons. He read these books so often that he believed he could become a knight. He found an old suit of armor, a lance, and a lean horse, which he called Rosinante. He picked the name of Don Quixote for himself. Moreover, he chose a simple country girl, Alodnza Lorenzo, and gave her the beautiful name of Dulcinea del Toboso.

One morning Don Quixote traveled to an inn. Since he believed that the inn was a castle, he asked the innkeeper to make him a knight. That night he fought with some guests, because they touched his armor and refused to admit Dulcinea's beauty.

Later Don Quixote asked Sancho Panza, a farmer, to become his servant. He promised to give Sancho an island to rule in the future. So the two men set out for adventures.

They saw many windmills in the plain. Don Quixote believed them to be giants and rode Rosinante quickly toward them. He was hit by a rotating windmill blade, and thrown from his horse to the ground. Sancho hurried and picked him up.

Shortly afterward they met two monks traveling with a lady. Don Quixote imagined that she was a captive princess. He drove away the two monks but her servants beat Sancho.

At an inn Quixote fought a porter over a servant girl. He was injured by the porter. In the morning he refused to pay the innkeeper. For this Sancho was tossed up in the air on the blanket as punishment for his master's debt.

Later, as they had resumed their journey, Don Quixote and Sancho saw a cloud of dust in the distance. Believing this to be the enemy, Don Quixote galloped to the scene and killed two of the creatures there. Alas, the creatures which he killed were only sheep from two harmless flocks. The shepherd was angry and threw stones at Don Quixote, knocking him down.

That evening, Don Quixote observed a funeral in progress. He attacked the priests conducting the funeral, believing the religious men to be monsters.

Next the knight took away a big basin from a barber. He considered it to be the golden helmet of a hero in the past. Then he set free a gang of chained prisoners, but he was insulted by their talking about his lady, the pretty Dulcinea.

Now Don Quixote believed it necessary to repent for his sins. So he tortured himself in every way possible.

Soon they came to the inn where Sancho had been tossed in the air on a blanket. There he again got into trouble by harming some of the guests. Fortunately his friends came in time to take him home.

But it was not long before Don Quixote and Sancho were traveling again. This time they planned to look for Dulcinea. One day a playful duke, who had heard of their adventures, invited them to his castle. He pretended to treat them as heroes and made fun of them. Here Sancho's dream to rule an island came true. The duke gave him the town of Barataria on his estate. Every day the duke ordered some people to cause Sancho trouble on purpose. Sancho became angry and tired of the whole thing. Then in a mock battle he was attacked by his people. So, Sancho decided to leave the town of Barataria, and continue onward with his master, Don Quixote.

Some time later, a friend of Don Quixote named Carrasco, disguised as a knight, defeated Don Quixote in a fight.

At home Alonso Quijans's health quickly worsened and he felt very sad. He believed that he would never see his lovely Dulcinea. Moreover, Sancho was unable to cheer him up. Don Quixote became fatally ill.

On his death bed he came to realize that his dream to achieve the knighthood was in vain . He regretted his actions, and also that he had caused so much trouble for his friend, Sancho.

two weeks ago. and maybe several days later I'll come back again. Is it possible that we meet together there?

As I know, there is a sailing boat exhibition in Barcelona on the end of Oct., if I cannot return to shenzhen before the National Day, I'll plan to visit.

The internet here is too slow. I'm trying my best to share something...

Pity! I came back two weeks ago. And will not go to Spain until November. Will you still be there at the moment?

"headiest" means exciting, thrilling. The paragraph is written in a style that is typical in a travel magazine or tour guide book.

Hehe, a lesson.

simple word
simple city
simple life

If the western culture has something better than ours,I say there are 2 things anyway:arts and wines.They have made the sculpture and painting to perfection long long time ago!!