Next Stop - SEGOVIA

We boarded the bus to make the 10km journey to Segovia which was to be our home for the next two nights. Segovia is an historic city northwest of Madrid, in central Spain’s Castile and León region. It’s centuries of settlement have resulted in a rich architectural legacy, including medieval walls, Romanesque churches, a former royal palace (Alcazar) and a Gothic cathedral. The city centre was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

It’s iconic ancient Roman aqueduct has more than 160 arches, most in the original mortarless granite, and stands above Plaza Azoguejo in the heart of the city. Dating from the late 1st or early 2nd century AD, it consists of about 25,000 granite blocks and spans 818 metres above ground, with the highest arch being 29 metres.

The end of the Middle Ages saw something of a golden age for Segovia, with a growing Jewish population and the creation of a foundation for a powerful cloth industry. Several works of Gothic architecture were also completed during this period. Notably, Isabella was proclaimed queen of Castile in the Church of San Miguel de Segovia in 1474.

Once we checked into our hotel and freshened up we headed out to wander around the old city, check out the aqueduct and have an early dinner (by Spanish standards).Read more