The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha

 As the two of us prepare to set off on our modern-day Andalusian expedition, I can’t help but to be reminded of another pair of Spanish traveling companions who preceded us over 400 years ago.  Their story comes to us courtesy of one of the seminal works of literature, the classic Spanish novel – Don Quixote.

Here’s a quick summary:

Don Quixote, is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is often said to be the first modern novel.  The novel has been labelled by many well-known authors as the "best novel of all time" and the "best and most central work in world literature". Don Quixote is also one of the most-translated books in the world and one of the best-selling novels of all time.

The plot revolves around the adventures of a member of the lowest nobility, a “hidalgo” from La Mancha named Alonso Quijano, who reads so many chivalric romances that he loses his mind and decides to become a knight-errant (caballero andante) to revive chivalry and serve his nation, under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. He recruits as his squire a simple farm laborer, Sancho Panza, who brings an earthy wit to Don Quixote's lofty rhetoric. In the first part of the book, Don Quixote does not see the world for what it is and prefers to imagine that he is living out a knightly story meant for the annals of all time.

And here’s a little more detailed version:

"Don Quixote" tells the story of Alonso Quixano, an aging Spanish gentleman who, fueled by his obsession with chivalric romances, loses touch with reality and adopts the identity of Don Quixote, a wandering knight-errant, complete with armor and a noble steed (his old donkey, Rocinante).

Accompanied by his pragmatic squire, Sancho Panza, Don Quixote embarks on a series of misadventures, often mistaking reality for the fantastical tales he's read.  He sets out to revive the ideals of chivalry, right wrongs, and win the favor of his idealized love, Dulcinea (a peasant woman he elevates to a noble lady). His adventures are often comical and filled with misinterpretations. He battles windmills (which he believes are giants), attacks a flock of sheep (mistaking them for an army), and clashes with innkeepers and others, all while attempting to live out his knightly fantasies.

Meanwhile, Sancho, a simple farmer, serves as Don Quixote's squire. His grounded, practical nature provides a counterpoint to Don Quixote's romantic idealism.

The novel explores the tension between reality and illusion, the nature of sanity and madness, the clash between idealism and practicality and the power of imagination. It also satirizes the chivalric romances of the time.

The enduring legacy of "Don Quixote" is that it is still considered a seminal work of literature, widely read and adapted in various forms, and continues to be relevant for its exploration of universal themes.

Don Quixote's unshakable belief in his chivalric ideals reminds us of the importance of dreaming. Although his quests often end in failure or ridicule, his unwavering pursuit of a higher ideal demonstrates the transformative power of imagination.

One lesson to be drawn from the novel is “Dare to dream, even when the world dismisses your vision.”  And so we will continue to dream on as we explore what lies ahead for us over the next few weeks.