A Split Second in Segovia
I don't really have a lot to say about this trip except wow is Segovia pretty.
When we arrived, the first thing we noticed was the giant, 20-century old Roman Aqueduct that was constructed entirely of stone and without any grout or sealant to hold the thing together, so it's literally relied on gravity and physics to not topple down and crush anyone who walks under it.
The second thing we noticed was how COLD and WINDY it was. Consequently, it seemed like our handy dandy tour guide, Marta, wasn't really feeling the whole tour thing. Understandable. Considering today was the first time I've felt even mildly cold in Spain, I can only imagine what the poor Spaniards who lack decades of conditioning from Minnesota winters feel like.
We walked by the Cathedral of Segovia, which was actually probably my favorite that we have seen so far. Rather than the Gothic architecture that inspired most of Spain's cathedrals, this one is Roman inspired and cracked the mundane beauty that I was beginning to associate with cathedrals.
Our next stop was Alcázar de Segovia, the castle/fortress on the outer wall of the city. It was fully set up to look how it would have if it were still being used by the Spanish royals. Suits of armor were on display in the hall, the weapons room was fully loaded and ready for even the largest Orc attack, and the tapestries were still hung on the walls to conserve heat within the cold stone walls of the castle.
The whole setting was very medieval, and I couldn't help myself from standing at the huge windows overlooking the city and imagining what it would be like to rule the rolling hills that surround Segovia. If I'd watched Game of Thrones already, I imagine I'd say I felt a lot like Daenerys Targaryen.
The decoration was so intricate and such an extravagant show of wealth. The room pictured above had carvings of every king of the Iberian Peninsula up until a certain point. They were all unique and very intricate, with specific clothing and poses for each one. I swear one of them was Lord Farquad from Shrek.
Our final stop in the castle was the highest tower. The view from the top of the guard tower was well worth the climb. It reminded me of climbing up a tower at Warwick Castle in England when I was 8 years old. Except this time I didn't diligently count the steps, and I didn't start crying at the top because I was scared of the height.
The Fortress is surrounded by a moat that was naturally fromed by the two rivers that surround Segovia and also feed into the Aqueduct.
Fun fact, the Aqueduct was actively in use until the 90's.
We had some free time to explore, where we came across a Kebab restaurant (yay falafel!!!), a beautiful overlook, and very intentionally tracked down Ponche, a traditional Segovian pastry. It is completely almond flavored (which just so happens to be my favorite flavor in the world) with almond cream between two layers of almond cake and wrapped in marzipan sprinkled with cinnamon.
I think my feelings about this dessert can pretty accurately summarize my overall impression of Segovia: O.M.G.
When we arrived, the first thing we noticed was the giant, 20-century old Roman Aqueduct that was constructed entirely of stone and without any grout or sealant to hold the thing together, so it's literally relied on gravity and physics to not topple down and crush anyone who walks under it.
The second thing we noticed was how COLD and WINDY it was. Consequently, it seemed like our handy dandy tour guide, Marta, wasn't really feeling the whole tour thing. Understandable. Considering today was the first time I've felt even mildly cold in Spain, I can only imagine what the poor Spaniards who lack decades of conditioning from Minnesota winters feel like.
We walked by the Cathedral of Segovia, which was actually probably my favorite that we have seen so far. Rather than the Gothic architecture that inspired most of Spain's cathedrals, this one is Roman inspired and cracked the mundane beauty that I was beginning to associate with cathedrals.
Our next stop was Alcázar de Segovia, the castle/fortress on the outer wall of the city. It was fully set up to look how it would have if it were still being used by the Spanish royals. Suits of armor were on display in the hall, the weapons room was fully loaded and ready for even the largest Orc attack, and the tapestries were still hung on the walls to conserve heat within the cold stone walls of the castle.
The whole setting was very medieval, and I couldn't help myself from standing at the huge windows overlooking the city and imagining what it would be like to rule the rolling hills that surround Segovia. If I'd watched Game of Thrones already, I imagine I'd say I felt a lot like Daenerys Targaryen.
The decoration was so intricate and such an extravagant show of wealth. The room pictured above had carvings of every king of the Iberian Peninsula up until a certain point. They were all unique and very intricate, with specific clothing and poses for each one. I swear one of them was Lord Farquad from Shrek.
Our final stop in the castle was the highest tower. The view from the top of the guard tower was well worth the climb. It reminded me of climbing up a tower at Warwick Castle in England when I was 8 years old. Except this time I didn't diligently count the steps, and I didn't start crying at the top because I was scared of the height.
The Fortress is surrounded by a moat that was naturally fromed by the two rivers that surround Segovia and also feed into the Aqueduct.
Fun fact, the Aqueduct was actively in use until the 90's.
We had some free time to explore, where we came across a Kebab restaurant (yay falafel!!!), a beautiful overlook, and very intentionally tracked down Ponche, a traditional Segovian pastry. It is completely almond flavored (which just so happens to be my favorite flavor in the world) with almond cream between two layers of almond cake and wrapped in marzipan sprinkled with cinnamon.
I think my feelings about this dessert can pretty accurately summarize my overall impression of Segovia: O.M.G.
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