{"id":7325,"date":"2019-04-10T20:28:41","date_gmt":"2019-04-10T20:28:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cncadventures.com\/?p=7325"},"modified":"2019-04-11T21:05:23","modified_gmt":"2019-04-11T21:05:23","slug":"the-rain-in-spain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cncadventures.com\/?p=7325","title":{"rendered":"The Rain in Spain"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Breakfast<\/p><\/div>\n

We slept well last night. Comfortable bed and very quiet. It is raining outside which does not encourage us to move fast. We head on out about 0945. We start getting our morning exercise right away with a couple of hill climbs. Plenty of people walking to work and for a short while we are on what seems like the main route through the center district. That means a fairly narrow street and having to pay attention as vans and cars go by. We find Limon y Menta a pastry shop we had read about and have a cappuccino and breakfast pastry.<\/p>\n

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Segovia Alcazar<\/p><\/div>\n

From there we walk to the Alcazar which dates back to the 12th Century. It was a favorite residence for the royals, throughout the Middle Ages. Queen Isabella made her way from here to Plaza Mayor to be crowned the queen of Castile in 1474. Later, the Alcazar was used as a state prison for 200 years and then as the Royal Artillery School from 1764 on.<\/p>\n

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Monarchs Room<\/p><\/div>\n

We tour a series of rooms which include the throne room, Royal bedroom, and a room with 392 wooden pine cone carvings on its ceiling. There is also a museum with the history of the Alcazar and the area, weapons, and other artifacts. \"\"<\/a>It is still raining when we exit and we head to our next stop. We have to descend to the river and find a very long set of steps down. The Casa de Moneda is the old mint and dates back to the first Century. On Wednesdays it is free so we save some money for some Spanish treats later. The museum  is very interesting with good English language signs. It shows how coins were hand made and later machine stamped powered by water. Right next door is a small museum showing the history and construction details of the Aqueduct. We learned how they framed the arches, hoisted the stone, and placed them so their own weight would keep the arch intact. No mortar was used. They also explain how the Romans used sand traps along the route to remove sediment from the water as it traveled for miles from its source.<\/p>\n

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Alcazar from Below<\/p><\/div>\n

After the mint, we decide to take a path I found on the map that crosses the river and travels around the base of the Alcazar eventually climbing back to the town near the Cathedral. At least that is what we hope it does. We make a stop at he Church of St Vicens which has an octagonal shape to it. It also,has a great view looking back up,at the Alcazar and Segovia on the hilltop. The rain starts to pick up its pace and so do we. We stop under the eaves of a building next to the San Marcos church that turns out to be the customs house from way back when. You had to stop here and pay tax to sell your goods in town. I check the map and we find the walking path and the bridge that crosses the river, right behind the church. The rain lightens up and the walk is quiet and pleasant with many views up to the town above. We find the route which leads up to the town and start a steady climb.<\/p>\n

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San Andres Gate<\/p><\/div>\n

We end up at the San Andres gate and go through it. There is a TI there that I had read gives a code so you can climb a small section of wall above the gate. We walk in, get the code and climb up to the top of the wall and the ramparts. There are informative signs, great views, and interesting history of the area and the gate. We are able to go inside the gate where the old iron gate was lowered from to block entrance any undesirables. We discover that we are now a short distance from the Museum of Segovia but when we get there, they are closing for two hours for siesta. Realizing it is now two o’clock, the hunger kicks in. We decide to get some kebaps at a place we saw near the aqueduct, and bring them back to our room to eat and refresh ourselves.<\/p>\n

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Aqueduct in the Rain<\/p><\/div>\n

On the way we end up at the top of the aqueduct looking down across it. It is a nice spot except the rain gets heavy again. We head to the kebap place and order two doner kebaps, one regular for Charlie, one chicken for Carol and then return to our room. The kebaps are tasty and a bargain at 4 Euros each. Carol catches a nap while I just relax.<\/p>\n

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Casa de los Picos<\/p><\/div>\n

                                    We head back out around 1600 to visit the Cathedral. Another walk uphill, we pass the Casa de los Picos or the pointy house. We passed it this morning but with the rain and the vehicles, we did not even notice it.we go back through Plaza Mayor ( the main square) and into the nearby cathedral.
\nSegovia Cathedral is considered the last Gothic cathedral built in Spain. It was almost completely destroyed during a war from 1520 to 1523, but was ordered rebuilt in 1525 by King Carlos I. It was consecrated in 1768, 243 years after the first stones were placed.<\/p>\n

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Segovia Cathedral<\/p><\/div>\n

It is a beautiful cathedral with 18 side chapels and a main Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. The choir is being restored and there were several large hymn books on display. We explore the outdoor cloisters, a museum with relics, and discover a basement religious art museum. It is a nice visit and ends our sightseeing day. We return to the apartment arriving at 1800, relax, shower, and then get ready for dinner at 2000. The good news is the rain has stopped and there are now patches of blue sky. The temperature is still cool at around 45 degrees. We have a 1.1 mile walk which is made a bit longer with a slight misplacement of ourselves. The restaurant, Taberna Lopez is away from the main drag, and is rated number one on trip advisor. There are some people at the bar, but we are the only ones in the restaurant upstairs.<\/p>\n

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Eggs Revuelta<\/p><\/div>\n

We get a 3 course meal that includes bread, a glass of wine and a bottle of water. They bring a small smoked fish on bread tapa which is really good. Next the appetizer, a salad for Carol, and eggs with salsa for Charlie. The eggs are excellent. For the mains, Carol has fish, we think it is swordfish, and I get a steak with potatoes. They are both good but not great. Dessert is a caramel type flan for Carol and a whiskey cake for me. The whiskey cake is like ice cream but very good. All in all a good meal but we both agree that last nights food was much better. We get back to the room at 1015 and pack up for tomorrow’s early departure. Salamanca is next.<\/p>\n

Expenses
\nHotel Apartment Aralso 51.84E
\nLimon y Menta coffee\/pastry 5.70E
\nAlcazar 11E
\nCasa de Moneda (mint) Free Wednesday
\nDonor Kebap lunch 8E
\nSegovia Cathedral 6E
\nLimon y Menta snack\/tomorrow’s breakfast 6.30E
\nTaberna Lopez Dinner 36E<\/p>\n

Walked 8.0 Miles<\/p>\n\n\t\t