I skipped a few days I know...we mainly hung out around the house and relaxed. It was good.
Today we went to Segovia. Segovia was an important part of the Roman imperial network and pretty much every major power to occupy this part of Spain since then. There are three main things to see in Segovia...the aquaduct, the cathdral, and the alcazar (alcazar is derived from the Arabic word for castle...it will emerge again if I ever get to describing our trip south.)
The old city of Segovia is a fortified area on the top of a hill. So to get a regular supply of water the Romans had to build a sixteen kilometer aquaduct from the surrounding hills. The most impressive part which is all that remains soars over the valley to the east of the city. It is over 100 feet tall, and is made entirely of granite blocks put together without any mortar in the truly impressive Roman style. Its double arches rise above the ground in a way that is difficult to describe. farther away from the city where the aquaduct is relatively close to the ground you can actually climb up onto it and see the channel where the water ran. IT is suprisingly small.
The cathedral is a fairly typical Spanish Gothic cathedral with imposing pillars and lots of gold. Because it was the last gothic monument built in Spain in the 16th century it was influenced by Renaissance styles. It is suprisingly well lit for a gothic cathedral with plenty of high windows. My favorite part of the cathedral was the view from the outside down the street where we ate lunch. It´s exterior is rlatively simple and presents a beautiful view when constricted by the smallish streets.
The Alcazar is amazing. Walt Disney must have come to Spain at some point or seen a picture of the castle, because it is the spitting image of the classic Disney castle in Disneyworld that was I think part of the Sleeping Beauty story. You know when in a disney movie at the beginning, the fairy does the little swirly thing over the castle and the Walt Disney logo appears...this is that castle.
It is built over a bluff and must have been virtually impregnable when used as a fortress. We walked down the hill and through the gardens to get a view of it from the front...and I can tell you I wouldn´t even think of attacking it without modern artillery.
It was a fun trip. Adrienne and I took Juan the son with us since he didn´t have school today. He hasn´t really seen any of Spain except for Madrid and the Coast...except for Toledo, to which he went with Adrienne and her Dad a few years ago...so it was fun to see him enjoying it. It´s always fun to see a castle with a kid who is really into it. He really knows alot about architecture. I think he studied it in school this year. He was telling me all about the cathedral and he was right about it.
It was a good day, and a ridiculously cheap trip from Madrid.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment