{ rachtravel }: Archi-tour of Spain: Part 2

Segovia is a relatively easy day-trip away from the hustle and bustle of Central Madrid. We took the RENFE high speed rail train from the Chamartin Station, (can I stress here how much I LOVE fast moving trains that are modern and clean), and a bus into this quaint historic town.

Upon our arrival, Segovia greeted us with its most impressive sight - the ancient Roman Aqueduct.

As you can see above, it is simply a brilliant piece of architecture and civil engineering. The arches are perfectly balanced and in proportion, which is where I see the beauty in the design. The aqueduct was allegedly built during the first century to supply the city with water, using just blocks of granite stone. No concrete or mortar were used at all, and this is evident when you look at the aqueduct up close. I'm still in awe as I post these photos.

As we wandered up the streets filled with small stores selling all sorts of items, we were greeted to the majestic Segovia Cathedral - Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción and San Frutos.

Unlike the more recently built Cathedral we saw in Madrid (see prior post here), this Gothic Cathedral began construction in 1525, and was only consecrated in 1768. Although Gothic in style, the interiors of the cathedral correspond more so to the Renaissance style with wide areas of space and luminosity. We all bought the audio guide to wander around the Cathedral space, but I have to say most of that knowledge is now lost. This is what happens when you do not document your holidays as you go! I've always enjoyed looking at the stained-glass windows inside churches and cathedrals. I like to imagine I was one of the simple, illiterate folks back in the days, where the only way I'd know the stories from the bible, were to look up and recreate the story using my imagination. I also love the high ceilings inside cathedrals, as it really feels like you have left your own world behind, and come to place to worship and have your quiet time with God.

The brilliant light inside the Cathedral. Loved the high ceilings, arches and stained glass windows.

Another magnificent sight of this old, small town is the Alcazar. It should look familiar to you if you've been to Disneyland - the Sleeping Beauty Castle drew inspiration from this Alcazar. Here's my attempt to show the comparisons.

Disney vs Segovia's Alcazar

The Alcazar was built over the remains of a Roman fortress and has undergone many renovations and transformations over the centuries. It's ownership has also gone through several hands ranging from the Castillian Monarchs in the 13th Century to being a State Prison in the 18th Century! The Alcazar is definitely worth a visit and a climb up the tower is a must! I don't know how many steps there were, but it was a very long and windy path up to the very top. The trek up was worth it as you do get a commanding view of Segovia from the Alcazar. I've seen photos of the Alcazar lighted up at night and it looks stunning. If we had more time in Spain, perhaps an overnight trip just to see the night photos could have been an option.

The main entrance to the Alcazar

The Alcazar had very Islamic shaped windows, and very textual exteriors!

After visiting the 3 most important sights in Segovia, we probably could have taken a train back to Madrid. However, as tickets were all pre-purchased, we were forced to hang around Segovia for much longer after lunch. There is only so much culture and sights one can take for a day, so after the three sights, we decided to just enjoy life the Spanish way. We took our afternoon very slowly. We rested. We sat. We chatted. We admired the aqueduct and attempted to talk about politics and any other life issues. Usually the conversation descended into discussions about - should I have orange juice, coke or another Sangria? Deep and thoughtful people we were. In fact, to think that this town had enough water to require an aqueduct is also unbelievable. As my friends can testify, my eyes and skin didn't agree with the extremely dry conditions in Segovia. You would think an Australian girl could withstand the dryness, but no, my eyes became so dry that I eventually had to take my contact lenses out and walk around the city the rest of the afternoon half-blind. Luckily, these sights were so impressive, you didn't really need to squint hard to see it. We also witnessed 'siesta' time. It's no myth here, they do take siestas! From 2-4pm, all the shops were closed. So even if we wanted to help Spain stimulate its economy, we couldn't. We were forced to just hang out at a cafe and eat ice-cream, I suppose, take a holiday!

Here are some additional shots around Segovia. I found the exterior textures of the buildings to be particularly fascinating and rather unexpected!

If you are ever planning to visit Madrid for a few days, definitely add Segovia as a day trip itinerary! It's small enough to cover in a day, and you will have plenty of time to go back to Madrid and enjoy a good meal and a glass of wine!

Just a few more photos of the impressive aqueduct!