I’d been looking for an opportunity to combine a few days of this Spain trip into one journal entry and this may be the best and final opportunity. However, paring down the images was nearly impossible.
After our single night stay in Ambasmestas we began our drive to our next destination, Sergovia, Spain. This leg of our journey took us through an agricultural area of Spain, with large fields of grain and herds of sheep. Among the nearly flat fields were rocky mounds and atop one of these, near Mota del Marques, were the remains of an ancient castle.
Another sight which became common during this leg of the journey were White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) with enormous nests upon buildings, poles and trees. With research I’ve found most storks in Spain breed in a 250 km wide strip parallel to the border with Portugal, which explains why we saw them here and not earlier in more eastern and northern areas.
Arriving in Sergovia we found our hotel for the next two nights and were delighted to learn that the hotel was centrally located on Plaza Mayor and provided valet parking. We only discovered this parking benefit after sending a runner ahead to the hotel while the rest of us continued circling the narrow streets unable to find a free parking space.
Our original plans were while at Segovia to take a day trip to another location of interest. However, by mutual consent we all readily agreed to use that whole day to enjoy Segovia and to rest up prior to returning to Madrid and flying home.
In Sergovia, besides the wonderful stone and brick architecture and the narrow alleys/roadways of the old city there are three major attractions.
- Alcazar of Segovia (Segovia Castle) — is a stone fortification, located in the old city of Segovia, Spain. Rising out on a rocky crag above the confluence of the rivers Eresma and Clamores near the Guadarrama mountains, it is one of the most distinctive castle-palaces in Spain by virtue of its shape – like the bow of a ship. The Alcázar was originally built as a fortress but has served as a royal palace, a state prison, a Royal Artillery College and a military academy since then. The castle is one of the inspirations for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle;
- Sogovia Cathedral — a Roman Catholic religious church in Segovia, Spain. It is located in the main square of the city, the Plaza Mayor, and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The Cathedral of Segovia is one of last Gothic cathedrals built in Spain and Europe. It was built in the mid-sixteenth century, when in most of Europe, for Renaissance architecture it was the new reference; and
- the Aqueduct of Segovia (or more precisely, the aqueduct bridge) — located in the much-visited Plaza del Azoguejo, is the defining historical feature of the city, dating from the late 1st or early 2nd century. Acknowledged as the most important Roman civil engineering work in Spain, it consists of about 25,000 granite blocks held together without any mortar, and spans 818 meters with more than 170 arches, the highest being 29 meters high.
Of course Segovia, being very much a tourist destination, supports many shops, bars and restaurants. Roasted suckling pig (Cochinillo Asado) is one of the most typical dishes in the cuisine of Castilla, especially the city of Segovia. Chefs take pride in the tenderness of their roast pigs and cut them with plates at the tables to demonstrate that tenderness. We never had the whole suckling pig experience but Bonnie and I did try a serving of roasted suckling pig. It was good but a little on the fatty side for my taste and a little bland like most of the other Spanish food we experienced.
After our second night in Segovia we departed for Madrid, Spain, where we were to catch our flight back home the next morning.
En route to Madrid, we made a stop at the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, with its beautiful extensive gardens of the French manner and sculptural fountains — absolutely beautiful.
Arriving at Madrid, we returned the rental car to the airport and caught the train back to the same hotel we’d stayed in when first arriving in Spain. It was strange being back at the same point in Spain we’d started from — in some ways it seemed like it had been a long time (at least a lot of travel and sights) and in other ways it seemed like only a short time had passed.
The next morning it was an early train ride back to the airport to catch our homeward bound flight.
Only one more short post to wrap this trip journal up.
Thanks for all the terrific pictures! Since I won’t get there in person, this a great substitute–a “personal “guided tour.
Anita, thanks for taking the time to look at all those photos and commenting. I’m sure there would be some wonderful places for an Equine Photographer to enjoy in Spain. :-)
I’m still amazed by the varied terrain, as in “the terrain in Spain isn’t mainly just a plain.” ;) The Lone Tree is a favorite, and the castle looks spectacular. And of course I’m just awed by how old all those structures are. Another nice collection, and I hope you are ultimately able to combine them into a single slide show.
Yeah, I’m still amazed too…and I was there, Tom. It was a lot to take in in what seemed a short time. Still lot of photos I’ve only glanced at. Thanks!
First I read through your post hen spent time going through your images, both are awesome. Very impressed with all the colors even the wide open landscape, such as the lone tree or the sunflower. It is also prevalent in all the city/street scenes. Again, too many good images to choose a favorite. The Segovia Castle is impressive. Hard to imagine the patience and labor it took to build such a castle. Thanks, Earl.
Monte, no need to choose a favorite image. As long as there were some in the bunch which pleased you them my selection was a success. Thanks!
This is such a cool travelogue Earl. I’ve been putting off reading this instalment because I wanted to be sure I’d have time to read it without interruptions. Well worth the wait. I do enjoy looking at photos of old European towns. What a trip you had.
Thanks, Cedric. I hope sometime in the future there’s other journey’s and travelogue’s recorded here.