Segovia

After visiting La Granja, we had a 10 minute bus ride to Segovia. The buses dropped us off at Acueducto de Segovia (Aqueduct of Segovia) built by the Romans around 50 AD. What is interesting is that there is no mortar holding the brick-like granite blocks together. The pillars and arches were built just by stacking the large stones. After seeing the aqueduct we walked through Plaza Azoguejo and a few shopping streets, and sat down for lunch at a cafeteria/bar. We had some delicious calamares a la romana (calamari). We had a few hours of free time to leisurely stroll around the streets of Segovia and see Catedral de Segovia (Cathedral of Segovia) built in Isabelino Gothic style. Then we all met up in the Plaza Mayor and walked together to the Alcázar de Segovia (Segovia Castle). The Alcázar is a stone fortification that was originally an Arab fort. It was then taken over by Spanish Christian monarchs and rebuilt.
What I loved most about the Alcázar was that it was Walt Disney’s model for the Disney logo. There is a large moat surrounding the castle and drawbridge to the entrance. We walked around the rooms gilded in gold, reflecting stained glass, and filled with knights’ armor. Then, we took a narrow spiral staircase to the top of one of the towers. It was incredibly hot and incredibly claustrophobic, but the view was worth it! ¡Vale la pena! We saw a beautiful panoramic view of the countryside, downtown and cathedral of Segovia. The walk down the tower was quite an experience considering it is the same stairwell used to climb the tower. It even got to a point where no one was moving and we were stuck in the stairwell with only tiny windows covered with bars (I was just happy I wasn’t sharing this claustrophobic moment with my mom who would have exponentially increased my anxiety). After our visit to the Alcázar we headed back to Madrid by bus and got a good night’s rests after a long day of walking around beneath the sweltering sun.

Click here to view our photo album of Segovia.

-Laila