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Published: August 6th 2007
For our first day-trip out of Madrid, we took the picturesque train ride from Madrid to Segovia. As the train approached Segovia, the temperature had dropped from 8C to below 0C and it was snowing in April! So it doesn´t only mainly rain on the plain in Spain, it snows!
We were freezing cold and Segovia was tourist-free! Having left Madrid at 8:ooam without breakfast, we headed off to the first open coffee shop at 10:00am! After 4 lattes, 1 orange juice, and 5 croissants between us, we finally could feel our toes and hands again (short-lived)! Although Mama Canuck was not that popular dragging the Travelling Canucks out of warm beds in the dark, taking the metro to the train station, running for the train without breakfast, they soon forgot and forgave her given the impressive Roman and medieval monuments and charming medieval village of Segovia and the fact that we later learned after talking to some university students on the train back to Madrid that the next train at 10:00am was so packed that they had to stand for two hours on the trip up!
Segovia´s Gothic Cathedral off the Plaza Mayor, which is arcaded, was impressive
with its flying butresses dating back to the 16th century and beautiful stained glass windows; however, no inclandestine photos of church museum given the vigilence of a Church lady who watched the place like a hawk!
Alcazar was high atop of a hill over-looking the valley and surrounded by an imposing moat. We climbed a narrow, circular staircase , 152 steps, against the counter-flow of tourists. Luckily, we reached the top of the Torre on our hands and knees, but somehow unscathed, to enjoy a sunny view of Segovia and a sea of tourists! The self-guided tour of the Alcazar with audioguide was worthy of a couple of hours of sightseeing time!
Segovia´s Roman Aqueduct was the highlight of our visit to Segovia with its grand arches. It ranks as one of the world´s greatest surviving Roman engineering feats! It is about 3000 feet long with a height of 120 feet! It dates back to the first century AD. It is certainly one of the top sights in Spain to see even if it rains, sleets and snows!
Eating cochinillo (piglet roasted in wood fire oven), a speciality of Castille, at the famous restaurant, Meson de Candido,
made for a wonderful lunch-time retreat. In a 18th century Inn tucked beside the aqueduct and decorated with Castillian knick-nacks under dark wooden beams in an intimate dining room, we enjoyed roast suckling pig with piglet´s tail intact! So cute!
The rest of the day was to be spent in Madrid! See blog on Madrid for the exciting conclusion of a very long day!
Adios Segovia!
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