Any suggestions for a nice town to spend a day or two en route from Granada to Cuenca? Or simply some place other than Toledo (which I love and is tempting), south of Madrid? What about Aranjuez?

I can recommend Almagro (<-nice site but in Spanish) We spent a night there on our way down to Sevilla for Semana Santa. They have the oldest theater in Spain,

a NICE, BIG square with some fountains, statues, and palms. Walking the old streets made me think of Colonial Spain in Latin America. VERY nice.

Aranjuez is pretty cool too, though, with its palace, VERY romantic gardens & fountains, and a nice little town too:

Thanks, MM. Things are moving along nicely. I am ready to approach Granada then move north!

Can you "guesstimate" the distance between Almagro and Aranjuez? --CC

I'm not sure of the practical distance (Spaniards? Do you know?) but according to the VíaMichelin Maps & Directions site, it takes 1 hour and 56 minutes and is 92 miles. You can plug in your cities and get directions, distances, and times. Great site!

Good luck and have fun! Saludos, MadridMan