Segovia

:: April 23 - 26 ::

After 1 hour and 50 minutes in train across Spain's Meseta Central (a high plateau crisscrossed by mountain ranges) we arrived in Segovia, a beautiful town nestled into a ridge. 

It can easily be seen on a day trip from Madrid, but we found it an easy place to spend a couple of relaxed days. It also appears that there are many commuters to Madrid from Segovia--just a half hour away. Have we mentioned how pleasant it is to just sit, have a drink, people watch and to soak up the ambience of the plaza in the warm, spring sun?

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It isn't often that one is greeted at the entrance of a medieval city center by an intact 2000 year old Roman aqueduct running across a town square. Wow!

This major engineering feat, constructed with mortarless rectangular granite blocks, measures 95 ft tall at one point. It carried water from the Frío River 9 miles away until the late 19th century. It changes from below-ground to above-ground as it reaches Segovia. The above-ground section contains 118 arches and measures 2388 ft before going underground again and ending at the castle (Alcazar). 

It is never too late to learn something while on vacation: A graphic at architectureofcities explains the water engineering of Roman aqueducts,

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Segovia's Cathedral, 

the third church on this site, was built in the mid 16th century and occupies one end of a pleasant Plaza Mayor. 

It is described as "late Gothic Flamboyant"--with flying buttresses, a frilly exterior, a tall tower and is capped with a not-typical-of-gothic dome. 

The decorative main altar is gated. The side chapels are ornately adorned with gold, religious paintings, tapestries, and burial places of important people.

A short walk brought us to the Alcazar, a fortress /castle with a drawbridge over a deep rocky moat was built on a high rock outcrop in the 12th century. The lovely park in front of the castle provided a nice view back to the town center with the mountains beyond.

Queen Isabella was crowned here in 1474 

and the fortress-now-palace was a favorite residence of the Castile monarchs. The castle burned in 1852 and was rebuilt in its current turreted style. Scenes from the movie Camelot were shot here and it is said that it was one of several castles that Disney looked at when designing his at Disneyland. Now a key tourist attraction, this structure has also been a prison, and military training academy. The interior castle rooms revealed armored knights, thrones of the kings, stained glass windows, views through arches to the countryside, luxurious Mudejar styled ceilings, tile work, paintings, tapestry, and furniture. 

In one room, close to the elaborate ceiling, were portraits of the 52 rulers from the years of the Reconquista (711-1492).

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This and that:

For pilgrims who trek to Santiago de Compostela from Madrid, Segovia would be a pleasant stop. We discovered another scallop shell direction indicator on the plaza near our hotel. 

A Fort Collins friend, will begin a Camino trek (along different route) in August, so we enjoy being alert for pilgrims, scallop shells, and other Camino-signs in the towns we visit. (We have yet to confirm a pilgrim siting.)

How little English (and languages other than Spanish) we have heard during our trip! Over one breakfast here in Segovia, we had an English conversation with a software engineer with Kayak who lives in Berlin. He has spent a month in Segovia since he can work remotely. What a nice setup to be able to work and travel at the same time. Friends from Berlin have been popping in for short stays with him at his air-B-n-B.