The Roman Aqueduct

Ronan is still in the boatyard and won’t be launching the boat for another few days. Since the current living conditions on Regal are sub-standard we decide to convert our trip to Madrid into a road trip.
I am more than a little apprehensive as I drive the rental car out of Estacion de Atocha in the city centre of Madrid. I worry that I will get us rightly lost in this gigantic city. Ruby is promptly promoted to the front seat to help navigate and the google maps lady is on hand. I do what I am told and without much ado we are shortly on the right road and are on our way to see the Aqueduct in Segovia.
I park outside the town because experience has taught me that Spanish towns can have such warren-like narrow streets to induce palpitations and profuse sweating. As luck would have it, we have parked just by the very top of the Roman Aqueduct. Here it is only hip height and we can see the narrow duct that carried the water nearly 2000 years ago. We have the pleasure of walking along side its walls all the way down the hill into the town. As we decease, the Aqueduct grows so that the duct on top maintains its level. When we reach the town below the duct is now 30 metres high above us. It is incredible. We continue to walk alongside it, marvelling at its 166 Arches until we are at the top of it on the other side.
Here we have arrived up into the old quarter of Segovia. We wander down along the narrow streets, stopping beside other tourists to admire the impressive Cathedral. We continue on the tourist trail to the Alcazar which is a fairytale castle perched on the edge of the town and overlooking the valley below. It was apparently the inspiration for the Disneyland Castle in Orlando and that is certainly what it looks like with its many towers and turrets.
As we walk back towards town there are panoramic views over the valley and beyond it to snow-capped mountains.
In the lower part of the town there are people sitting outside cafes enjoying a drink and a wonderful view of the Aqueduct. We marvel at it once more and then trace its walls all the way back up to the car.Read more