So today was really awesome. After breakfast we went to Segovia. It was about a hafpthmmf hour drive away from Madrid. (Ok, so confession, I don't actually know. I don't have a watch or my phone right now and I use my kindle, and I also may have fallen asleep... both ways)
It was a really pretty drive, the part I stayed awake for anyway. We drove through the Sierra Madre and there were snow-capped peaks and nice green hills, and it was lovely. And after a quick nap curled up across two seats of a bus, we were there.
We got out and went to see the Roman acquaduct. Which was awesome. I recognize that seeing ancient plumbing sounds kind of boring, but this was super cool. It is this MASSIVE structure made out of stones just sort of busting across the horizon. And it's amazing, because apparently, there is no mortar or cement. That's right, like 6 stories of STACKED STONES. And it's been there for 2000 years. Just chillin. Also, when you're in History class and you learn about the Romans they always show you like, one of two pictures of an acquaduct, and are like, "look at this amazing engineering" and everyone sort of yawns, well this is one of those two acquaducts they show you, because Spain is where the acquaducts are (because all the ones in Italy got torn down when they were sacking Rome).
So we climb up the stairs to the viewing deck by the top of the acquaduct and have this absolutely incredible view of the city of Segovia and all the rolling hills and mountains in the distance and the 15 bazillion churches that are included free with each old catholic city you visit. Free until you want to get inside anyway.
But the view was amazing, and after all those stairs, pretty breathtaking too.
We actually just sort of stood there and looked out at it for a while. It was worth it.
We then continued to the Casco Antiguo of Segovia. It's a great, hilly city with all these tiny streets that only merit that name in the loosest, most European sense of the word, because I don't think a smart car could get up these. I literally found one with stairs. So we hike up the the Plaza Mayor (told you) which was nice. It had the same kind of cafes and restaurants and a bandstand.
OH! I forgot to mention, after the Plaza Mayor in Madrid stopped being a covered market, it was a favorite execution ground for the Inquisition. So that was creepy.
But Plaza Mayor in Segovia seemed slightly less like people had died there. But I didn't ask.
From the Plaza Mayor we walked to the Cathedral of Segovia which basically makes up one whole edge of the Plaza. It's this HUGE Gothic Cathedral with a big dome and flying buttresses and a massive tower, and it is just impressive. Inside it was FREEZING COLD, but really beautiful. They had all these little side chapels with the great artwork and stained glass, and images of Saints, and it was incredible. There was also a cloister that had been moved brick by brick from the location of the other Cathedral when this one was built in the mid-1500s. It was really lovely. It kind of reminded me of Monte Casino, actually Dad.
So we walked around the Cathedral for a while and then to warm up we went to this little pastry shop and everybody had cafe con leche (coffee with milk) except for me, because I'm a rebel (black tea, baby!) and these pastries called fartones (haha laugh it up. They are like croissants, but with powdered sugar. Who's laughing now!?!?) And we sat and talked and then everybody left and I sipped my tea and read by the window in the warmth. It was lovely. I think the program people were concerned for me, but I had a great time!
Then I went and nominally tried to find a restaurant. After a while, though, I sort of gave up on that and just wandered around all the little back streets of Valencia (including not one, but two with stairs!!!!) and up and down hills and around the cathedral and through the Jewish quarter before going to this little pub thing with a restaurant in the basement and having lunch and continuing to read.
Then at 3 we all met in the Plaza Mayor and went to the Alcazár, which is basically Cinderella's castle. Not the one in Germany, but it still looks like a fairy tale. It used to be a Roman fortress and then the Arabs took over Spain and it was their fortress and then the Christians took it over and it became important in the history of Castilla y Leon.
I will spare you all the long geek-out about the history of Spain right here, but know that it exists, because Spanish history is AWESOME (bloody and tragic and horribly politically incorrect, but FASCINATING), and Segovia has seen a lot of it.
So this castle is on a hill overlooking two rivers and it has a moat and turrets and the back edge literally is build on a cliff face overlooking this valley where one of the Knight's Templar churches is and a monastery and then like 4 other churches, and it was stunning.
So anyway, we walk through this castle full of old armor and stained glass and tapestries and ACTUAL THRONES OF IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN SPANISH HISTORY and then this whole room that details like the entire lineage of Ferdinand and Isabel (*overdramatic love story voice* because he was from Castilla y Leon, and she was from Aragon, and together united their kingdoms into the foundations of modern Spain, started an Inquisition, sent Columbus to permanently mess up the Americas, expelled all the Jews and Muslims from Spain, and basically did a lot of kind of morally questionable things) Actually, for some reason, Segovia REALLY likes Isabel. She's a big deal there. Like, there are streets named after her, and in the castle there is this massive mural of a knight swearing allegiance to her and I don't think Ferdinand even made the picture. But let's face it, he was a wimp, and she was a Queen in her own right. So anyway, I really loved it. Spectacular views, spectacular art, spectacular history.
And then we climbed to the top of the castle. It was incredible. It was a really long climb, but you could see all around and we got to walk up past the arrow-slits and see where the guards would have sat. And there was an amazing view of the city from the top of the tower with the cathedral and all the church towers. There really aren't words.
SO then we got back on the bus and headed back to Madrid. I stayed awake long enough to see the skyline of Segovia with the sunset behind it and then fell asleep before we hit the Sierra Madre and woke up almost to Madrid.
We spent a little time this evening chilling and I wrote to y'all about yesterday in Madrid, and then we dined. A lot of the other people are hitting the club, but I didn't sleep well last night, so I might hit the sack pretty soon.
Segovia was easily one of my top 5 places in Europe I've ever been (Monte Casino, Amsterdam, Rome, and the back garden of the UGA Oxford house being the other 4) and I am so glad that I went. I may have to go back just to wander around the footpaths and see some of the other sights.
I have really enjoyed Madrid, but I'm looking forward to heading to Valencia tomorrow and really getting to know my new home!
Love, Katie
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